AED353.5m in VAT refunds approved for 4,000 UAE nationals building homes in H1 2026
approximately 4,000 refund applications submitted by UAE nationals for VAT incurred during the construction of their new residences were approved in H1 2026, with total refunds reaching AED353.5 million
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The Federal Tax Authority confirmed a significant increase in beneficiaries of the VAT Refund Scheme for UAE Nationals Building New Residences in the first half of 2026. Approximately 4,000 refund applications were approved, with total refunds reaching AED353.5 million, compared to 3,100 approved applications worth AED284.8 million in H1 2025—a 27.5 percent increase in applications and 24.1 percent increase in refund value.
The FTA has enhanced the scheme through digital improvements, including automatic refund application generation via the Maskan smart application once municipalities issue building completion certificates. Citizens receive SMS and email notifications with links to complete procedures. Invoice details are automatically populated once issued by registered suppliers, and banking-information fields have been reduced through Central Bank integration. AI technology verifies refund amounts and supplier Tax Registration Numbers, consolidating all invoices into a single file.
As part of the 'Year of Family' initiative, the FTA expanded eligible expenses for VAT refunds related to residential construction for UAE nationals.
Source
Source: WAM — official 21 Jul 2026 Read the original ↗ More from WAM →
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Who issued this?
WAM (UAE).
When was it announced?
21 Jul 2026.
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Read the original at WAM: https://www.wam.ae/en/article/c1c097m-aed3535-million-refunded-4000-uae-nationals-for
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