Lebanon’s cabinet approved a one‑percentage‑point increase in VAT from 11% to 12% and raised the price of a 20‑litre petrol canister by 300,000 Lebanese pounds. The government also announced a pay rise for public sector workers and retirees, while abolishing a diesel levy and increasing customs fees on shipping containers.
The cabinet approved raising VAT from 11% to 12%, pending formal enactment of the legislation.
On 17 February 2026, the price was raised by 300,000 Lebanese pounds, about $3.50.
Approximately 251,000 public employees and retirees will receive the increase.
The government abolished the levy on diesel fuel.
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VatCalc · about 2 months ago
The Lebanese government announced a 1% VAT increase from 11% to 12% pending parliamentary approval, with an immediate 25% hike in petrol prices and no change to diesel. The government also aims to improve tax collection and customs duties, issue collection orders for quarries, and review maritime properties.
DocNova · 8 days ago
The UAE Federal Tax Authority (FTA) clarified that natural shortages of excise goods in designated zones are exempt from excise tax from 1 July 2025, provided they meet specific verification criteria. Losses due to theft, negligence or operational inefficiency remain taxable. Taxable persons must obtain an independent certification report, valid for one year, and declare shortages via EmaraTax not exceeding the permitted percentage.
Docnova · 8 days ago
Bahrain’s National Bureau for Revenue released guidance version 1.5 on March 11 2026 clarifying that VAT paid as deposits during import is not immediately recoverable. Registered persons must obtain a customs declaration receipt confirming a ‘VAT confiscation’ status before they can reclaim the VAT, and the recovery must occur within five years from the end of the calendar year in which the deposit becomes recoverable.
LinkedIn Article by Prakriti Dangi · 12 days ago
The UAE Ministry of Finance released e‑invoicing guidelines in February 2026, clarifying that intra‑VAT group transactions fall within the e‑invoicing scope and introducing a 24‑month grace period starting 1 January 2027. The phased rollout begins on 1 January 2027 for Phase 1 and 1 July 2027 for Phase 2, with the grace period calendar‑based, giving Phase 1 entities full relief but only 18 months to Phase 2 entities. Corporate tax groups receive no such relief.
LinkedIn Article by Mustafa Syed · 14 days ago
The article explains how UAE’s new e‑invoicing regime requires more than just XML formatting; it demands accurate interpretation of key data fields. Field 5, an 8‑character binary sequence, flags transaction scenarios such as free‑zone or export, while Field 11, the seller’s electronic address, identifies the network endpoint for responses. Correctly mapping these fields is essential for compliance and accurate VAT processing.
VatCalc · 18 days ago
VatCalc reports that Oman will enforce mandatory B2B and B2G e‑invoicing and e‑reporting via a Peppol 5‑corner model starting 1 Aug 2026. The rollout will be phased, with the first wave in August 2026 for the largest taxpayers, a second wave in February 2027, and a third wave in August 2027. The Oman Tax Authority became the official Peppol Authority in January 2026 and published updated FAQs on 8 Dec 2025.
