Taxes Benefit Everyone

Taxation is one of the several ways to mobilize governmental revenue to manage an economy and to provide public services. Governments use taxes to fund and support their economic and social development policies for the public interest, to promote public services quality in education and healthcare services fields, to enhance infrastructures like parks, roads, and to influence behaviour such as discouraging people from consuming harmful products (tobacco products, carbonated drinks etc.).

The Qatar National Vision 2030 (QNV2030) is a master vision and roadmap towards an advanced society, capable of sustainable development, with the goal of providing a high standard of living for all citizens and residents, by the year 2030. Contributing to the Qatar National Vision 2030 by creating an additional source of non-hydrocarbon dependent income to be invested in a sustainable, long-term economic growth, taxation will play an increasingly important role to achieve these goals. The high standard of living of a modern society requires collection of taxes to support spending for schools and libraries, roads and highways, hospitals, fire and police services, garbage collection, national defence, and the salaries of government employees.

The State of Qatar applies Corporate Income Tax since 1993 and Withholding Tax since 2010. As part of a collaborative agreement across the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), some member states introduced indirect taxes and these taxes expected to be introduced in the remaining member states. Whilst reducing Qatar’s dependence on oil and other hydrocarbons, introduction of additional taxes will help the State achieve its economic and social policy goals and safeguard the future of the country for generations to come.