logo
Oman moves to become first Gulf state to impose personal income tax

Oman moves to become first Gulf state to impose personal income tax

Reuters23-06-2025
DUBAI, June 23 (Reuters) - Oman issued a royal decree to become the first country in the Gulf to impose a personal income tax, its tax authority said on Sunday, as the small oil producer works to diversify its revenue stream.
Oman, among the smaller Gulf economies, launched a medium-term fiscal programme in 2020 to reduce public debt, diversify revenue sources, and spur economic growth, which has improved public finances.
Oman, which still remains largely reliant on oil revenue, will impose a 5% tax on taxable income for individuals earning over 42,000 Omani rials ($109,091) per year starting from 2028, according to the decree.
"The law also includes deductions and exemptions that take into account the social situation in the Sultanate of Oman, such as education, healthcare, inheritance, zakat, donations, primary housing," the country's tax authority said in a statement.
The Gulf country added that the tax would apply to about 1% of the population.
($1 = 0.3850 Omani rials)
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

European share gains to be kept in check by Trump tariffs
European share gains to be kept in check by Trump tariffs

Reuters

time8 hours ago

  • Reuters

European share gains to be kept in check by Trump tariffs

LONDON, Aug 20 (Reuters) - European shares are expected to close the year a touch higher than where they are currently trading, a Reuters poll found, as support from looser fiscal and monetary policy will be kept in check by uncertainties over Washington's import tariffs. The pan-European STOXX 600 index (.STOXX), opens new tab is expected to rise slightly to 570 points, the median result from a survey of equity strategists and analysts found, implying about 3% upside from its closing price of 554 on Monday. The Euro STOXX 50 (.STOXX50E), opens new tab of the largest 50 companies in the euro zone is expected to end the year at 5,550 points, up 2% from Monday's close. U.S. President Donald Trump upended global markets in April when he imposed tariffs on imports from trading partners including the European Union and Britain. A trade deal between the EU and U.S. averted the worst-case scenario but the imposed 15% levy on most imported goods to the U.S. will still impact corporate profits, particularly for companies with high sales exposure to America. "The agreed tariffs should come through fully in H2, which will impact earnings," said Michael Field, chief equity strategist at Morningstar. "I don't believe this will be devastating though, as lots of industries have already adapted their distribution chains and customer bases accordingly." European companies just about weathered increased U.S. import tariffs in the second quarter, eking out earnings growth for the fifth quarter in a row. European shares were the global bright spot in the early part of the year, outperforming global peers in the first quarter as a massive loosening of fiscal policy by Germany lifted sentiment and boosted expectations for domestic growth. At the same time, doubts crept in about the capital expenditure plans of U.S. mega-cap technology stocks and whether the artificial intelligence boom would continue to drive earnings growth. But those worries proved misplaced, at least in the near-term, with Microsoft (MSFT.O), opens new tab, Meta Platforms (META.O), opens new tab and Alphabet (GOOGL.O), opens new tab among companies taking part in the massive data-centre buildout, with capital spending to reach $330 billion this year. Meanwhile, European economic growth remains tepid and the impact of Germany's plans to increase spending is expected to take time to filter through. And while European shares are still up 9% this year, the S&P 500 (.SPX), opens new tab has caught up, rising almost 10% in 2025. The tech-heavy Nasdaq (.NDQ), opens new tab is up almost 13%. Deutsche Bank Research's European equity- and cross-asset strategy team said they had expected a short-term outperformance of U.S. stocks after Trump relented on tariffs and that has now largely played out. "We now see the tactical catch-up to be close to complete and turned tactically neutral in mid July, while keeping a strategic preference for European equities," Deutsche Bank said. The German bank believes the STOXX 600 will rise to 590 points by the end of the year, the highest forecast of those surveyed. European shares remain much cheaper than their U.S. counterparts. Trading at 14.3 times 12-month forward earnings, the STOXX 600 is at a 36% discount to the S&P 500, not far off the record 41% reached in November last year. Barclays equity strategists believe the relative cheapness, lighter positioning and converging growth between the EU and U.S. should start to help European shares over the medium term. "We expect EU equities to keep grinding higher and reach new highs by year-end, with some broadening into selective cyclical/exporter laggards," Barclays said. Germany's blue-chip DAX index (.GDAXI), opens new tab, which has risen over 22% year-to-date and traded at a record as recently as last month, is expected to gain almost 1% by the end of 2025 to 24,500 points, the survey found. Gains this year have been powered by defence names such as Rheinmetall, up over 150%, and banks such as Commerzbank and Deutsche Bank, which have risen nearly 135% and 90% respectively. The strategists surveyed expect Britain's FTSE 100 (.FTSE), opens new tab, which has also reached a new peak this month, to add over 2% by the end of the year.

Israel approves settlement project that could divide West Bank
Israel approves settlement project that could divide West Bank

The Independent

time9 hours ago

  • The Independent

Israel approves settlement project that could divide West Bank

Israel gave final approval for a controversial settlement project in the occupied West Bank that would effectively cut the territory in two, and that Palestinians and rights groups say could destroy plans for a future Palestinian state. Settlement development in E1, an open tract of land east of Jerusalem, has been under consideration for more than two decades, but was frozen due to U.S. pressure during previous administrations. On Wednesday, the project received final approval from the Planning and Building Committee after the last petitions against it were rejected on Aug. 6. If the process moves quickly, infrastructure work could begin in the next few months and construction of homes could start in around a year. The plan includes around 3,500 apartments to expand the settlement of Maale Adumim, far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said during a press conference at the site last Thursday. Smotrich cast the approval as a riposte to western countries that announced their plans to recognize a Palestinian state in recent weeks. 'This reality finally buries the idea of a Palestinian state, because there is nothing to recognize and no one to recognize,' Smotrich told reporters. 'Anyone in the world who tries today to recognize a Palestinian state will receive an answer from us on the ground.' The location of E1 is significant because it is one of the last geographical links between Ramallah, in the northern West Bank, and Bethlehem in the southern West Bank. The two cities are 22 kilometers (14 miles) apart by air, but Palestinians traveling between them must take a wide detour and pass through multiple Israeli checkpoints, adding hours to the journey. The hope for final status negotiations for a Palestinian state was to have the region eventually serve as a direct link between the cities. Peace Now, an organization that tracks settlement expansion in the West Bank, called the E1 project 'deadly for the future of Israel and for any chance of achieving a peaceful two-state solution' which is 'guaranteeing many more years of bloodshed.' Israel's plans to expand settlements are part of an increasingly difficult reality for Palestinians in the occupied West Bank as the world's attention focuses on the war in Gaza. There have been marked increases in attacks by settlers on Palestinians, evictions from Palestinian towns, and checkpoints that choke freedom of movement, as well as several Palestinian attacks on Israelis. More than 700,000 Israelis now live in the occupied West Bank and east Jerusalem, territories captured by Israel in 1967 and sought by the Palestinians for a future state. The international community overwhelmingly considers Israeli settlement construction in these areas to be illegal and an obstacle to peace. Israel's government is dominated by religious and ultranationalist politicians with close ties to the settlement movement. Smotrich, previously a firebrand settler leader and now finance minister, has been granted Cabinet-level authority over settlement policies and vowed to double the settler population in the West Bank. Israel has annexed east Jerusalem and claims it as part of its capital, which is not internationally recognized. It says the West Bank is disputed territory whose fate should be determined through negotiations. Israel withdrew from 21 settlements Gaza in 2005.

Israel approves settlement project that could divide West Bank
Israel approves settlement project that could divide West Bank

BreakingNews.ie

time9 hours ago

  • BreakingNews.ie

Israel approves settlement project that could divide West Bank

Israel has given final approval for a controversial settlement project in the occupied West Bank that would effectively cut the territory in two, and that Palestinians and rights groups say could destroy plans for a future Palestinian state. Settlement development in E1, an open tract of land east of Jerusalem, has been under consideration for more than two decades – but was frozen due to US pressure during previous administrations. Advertisement On Wednesday, the project received final approval from the Planning and Building Committee after the last petitions against it were rejected on August 6. If the process moves quickly, infrastructure work could begin in the next few months and construction of homes could start in around a year. View of an area near Maale Adumim in the Israeli-occupied West Bank (Ohad Zwigenberg/AP) The plan includes around 3,500 apartments to expand the settlement of Maale Adumim, far-right finance minister Bezalel Smotrich said during a press conference at the site last Thursday. Mr Smotrich cast the approval as a riposte to western countries that announced their plans to recognise a Palestinian state in recent weeks. Advertisement 'This reality finally buries the idea of a Palestinian state, because there is nothing to recognise and no-one to recognise,' Mr Smotrich told reporters. 'Anyone in the world who tries today to recognise a Palestinian state will receive an answer from us on the ground.' The location of E1 is significant because it is one of the last geographical links between Ramallah, in the northern West Bank, and Bethlehem in the southern West Bank. The two cities are 14 miles apart by air, but Palestinians travelling between them must take a wide detour and pass through multiple Israeli checkpoints, adding hours to the journey. Advertisement The hope for final status negotiations for a Palestinian state was to have the region eventually serve as a direct link between the cities. Peace Now, an organisation that tracks settlement expansion in the West Bank, called the E1 project 'deadly for the future of Israel and for any chance of achieving a peaceful two-state solution' which is 'guaranteeing many more years of bloodshed'. Israel's plans to expand settlements are part of an increasingly difficult reality for Palestinians in the occupied West Bank as the world's attention focuses on the war in Gaza. There have been marked increases in attacks by settlers on Palestinians, evictions from Palestinian towns, and checkpoints that choke freedom of movement, as well as several Palestinian attacks on Israelis. Advertisement More than 700,000 Israelis now live in the occupied West Bank and east Jerusalem, territories captured by Israel in 1967 and sought by the Palestinians for a future state. The international community overwhelmingly considers Israeli settlement construction in these areas to be illegal and an obstacle to peace. Israel's government is dominated by religious and ultra-nationalist politicians with close ties to the settlement movement. Mr Smotrich, previously a firebrand settler leader and now finance minister, has been granted Cabinet-level authority over settlement policies and vowed to double the settler population in the West Bank. Advertisement Israel has annexed east Jerusalem and claims it as part of its capital, which is not internationally recognised. It says the West Bank is disputed territory whose fate should be determined through negotiations. Israel withdrew from 21 settlements Gaza in 2005.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store