Artists and influencers in UAE will not be exempted from VAT anymore. The FTA has come up with a bulletin that discusses about the applicability of VAT on artists and influencers.
Artists and SMIs who are engaged in any sort of promotional or marketing activities in return for a remuneration, be it a mention in their posts, videos or blogs, or promoting a business in their social media, any sort of physical appearance or even providing access to the SMIs social media network are applicable for VAT.
The bulletin has clearly stated that any reimbursement of cost incurred by the artist or SMI for providing the service, will also fall under the scope of VAT.
The statement in the bulletin also read, “UAE-based artists and SMIs who make taxable supplies (which include zero-rated supplies) in the UAE are required to register for VAT provided the value of their taxable supplies and imports in the last 12 months exceeded, or is expected to exceed in the next 30 days, the mandatory registration threshold of Dhs375,000”.
Artists of any kind who offer promotional services in their personal capacity are included in the list.
The decision of imposing VAT on artists and SMIs will be beneficial to the country as it will bring in added income. The promotional activities for businesses by the artists and SMIs have become a trend, as it has a wider audience and reach. The economic state of the country will improve even more with the recent addition to VAT."
