Tax

Tax value added tax 

With the rapid maturation of the region’s economies Hourani & Partners continues to keep its finger on the business pulse. With the introduction of value added tax and the imminent introduction of corporate tax in the UAE, our internationally experienced tax lawyers are well placed to advise on the potential ramifications of these new laws. Across the board our lawyers possess high levels of technical tax expertise regarding requirements in the region, rooted in an acute understanding of the legal framework and business climate in which our clients operate.

Our areas of advisory include income tax, zakat, excise tax, withholding tax, excise tax and VAT in the UAE and Saudi Arabia as transfer pricing, permanent establishments and double taxation agreements.  value added tax 

  • Internal Tax Review
  • Compliance Audits
  • Pre-audit Defense Planning
  • Tax Risk Mitigation
  • Tax Opinions
  • Litigation (on all Tax matters)
  • Regulatory Guidance
  • Training
  • Standard Operating Procedures Development
  • Debt Collection and Insolvency Strategies

Representative Tax transactions include:

  • Advising a major Korean shareholder during contentious negotiations and pre-litigation on capital gains tax exposure in relation to a share transfer under a settlement agreement with a local JV partner. Strategically advised on tax risk mitigation, responsible party for liability, settlement of tax liability, drafting of agreements, and avoidance of litigation to arrive at successful outcome for our client
  • Advising a major Saudi Arabian company specializing in digital transformation and business solutions on tax structuring options across various jurisdictions for a cross-border joint venture issuing certificates of origin between Brazil and Saudi Arabia
  • Advising one of the region’s most prominent families on legal, private wealth and tax structuring with cross-border investments in the UAE, KSA, Cayman, Guernsey, Luxembourg and Switzerland
  • Advising a global IT services and technology solution provider on legal and tax aspects related to redomicilation, permanent establishment (PE), withholding tax, capital gains tax and VAT risks arising from restructuring and intercompany service arrangements across 7 countries in Africa, UAE and Saudi Arabia
  • Advising a leading global solution provider in thermal protection for industrial equipment operating in high temperature conditions on the establishment of a limited liability joint venture in Saudi Arabia, including structuring shareholding arrangements, negotiating key agreements, and ensuring regulatory compliance. The engagement also involved cross-border tax, customs and legal advice related to the investment structure in the UAE, UK, and France
  • Advising a leading Saudi family-owned conglomerate on designing a tax-efficient group structure as part of its internal reorganization and IPO readiness. This cross-jurisdictional tax advice covered Zakat, UAE Corporate Tax, VAT, customs, and free zone optimization, ensuring minimal tax exposure while maintaining compliance across Saudi Arabia and the UAE
  • Advising a global manufacturing company on UAE legal, tax, customs, and permanent establishment risk regarding its various UAE locations and supply chain
  • Advising a leading regional energy company on the optimal legal and tax structure for establishing upstream operations in Saudi Arabia and analyzing the implications of Saudi Arabia’s high corporate income tax rates on hydrocarbon extraction activities, ISIC codes, the applicability of upstream activity tax rates to our client, evaluating exposure to Zakat, and mitigating such exposure
  • Advising a digital luxury goods platform on VAT, customs, regulatory implications, and applicable licensing for KSA expansion in aim of applying the most efficient licensing framework and tax structure