16/02/2019
"List of goods on which ‘excise tax’ is levied can change in coming days, says official"
At the start of the year, Qatar’s recently launched General Tax Authority (GTA) announced its decision to levy heavy taxes on some articles that can adversely affect a person’s health and well being.
The list of items that came under the new tax included soda, ci******es and alcoholic beverages. While there was a mixed reaction to the move, GTA’s head of Indirect Tax Hamad Mohamed Al Attiyah has said the list is not final and could be subject to changes in the future, according to Gulf Times.
The official, who was speaking at a seminar on excise tax organised by Qatar Chamber yesterday, said some goods could either be added or removed from the list.
“Excise tax is a form of indirect tax levied on specific goods that are deemed harmful to human health or the environment. The intent of excise tax is to reduce consumption of such goods, while also raising revenues for the government that can be spent on public services,” he was quoted as saying by The Peninsula.
However, he declined to provide further details as to when VAT will take effect in the country.
