KPMG's Annual Tax Summit 2025: Navigating the future of taxation in Qatar
Doha, Qatar – KPMG in Qatar successfully hosted its Annual Tax Summit 2025, bringing together finance and tax professionals to explore the latest developments shaping Qatar's tax landscape. Held at the prestigious Mandarin Oriental Hotel in Msheireb, the summit provided a platform for in-depth discussions on Global Minimum Tax (GMT), recent developments from the General Tax Authority (GTA), Transfer Pricing, Corporate Tax strategies, Tax refund opportunities and expected indirect tax updates.
Anand Krishan, Director – International Tax, KPMG in Qatar, provided a detailed analysis of Global Minimum Tax (GMT) implementation across the GCC, discussing its impact on businesses, available deductions and safe harbors, and the critical steps organizations need to take to prepare for legislative changes.
Haythem Zayed, Tax Partner, KPMG in Qatar, gave an updated overview of Qatar's tax objection and appeal process, outlining key procedural steps and the enforceability of tax liabilities. He highlighted the growing importance of compliance and risk mitigation, particularly in light of potential penalties that could significantly affect businesses.
Khalil Khbabez, Associate Director – Tax, KPMG in Qatar, shared insights into recent tax appeal cases and the implications of asset seizures. He examined emerging enforcement trends, current challenges faced by taxpayers, and effective strategies to mitigate risks and ensure regulatory compliance.
Uma Patankar, Associate Director – Transfer Pricing, and Diego Tay, Manager – Transfer Pricing, KPMG in Qatar, explored Transfer Pricing challenges in Qatar, offering best practices for audit defense and robust governance for all entities. Their session also highlighted areas for improvement in Transfer Pricing regulations across Qatar and the GCC.
Arsalan Khan, Tax Manager, KPMG in Qatar, presented key regional tax updates, emphasizing the rapid evolution of taxation across the region. His session reinforced the importance of proactive tax planning to optimize tax positions amid shifting regulations.
Imran Ayub, Tax Director, KPMG in Qatar, provided a detailed overview of tax refunds, explaining the different types of refunds available, the application process, and essential documentation. He shared key strategies to help businesses maximize their claims and enhance tax efficiency.
Nurlan Sadraddinzade, Associate Director – Indirect Tax & Tax Technology, KPMG Qatar, led a session on indirect taxation, covering VAT implementation timelines, excise tax on sugary drinks, and updates to the GCC's 12-digit unified customs tariff system. His insights helped businesses understand how to navigate these upcoming changes effectively.
Year after year, the KPMG Annual Tax Summit continues to be a hub for knowledge and collaboration, bringing together key stakeholders to share expertise, exchange ideas, and tackle emerging challenges. The event consistently leaves a resounding impact on attendees, equipping them with the tools needed to stay ahead in an ever-changing regulatory environment. KPMG remains committed to empowering organizations with forward-thinking strategies for long-term success.
For more information, please contact:
Huda Ibrahim – hudai@kpmg.com
Bassel Abou Ayash – babouayash@kpmg.com
For additional details about KPMG in Qatar and our privacy policy, visit www.kpmg.com.
About KPMG in Qatar
KPMG is a global organization of independent professional services firms providing Audit, Tax and Advisory services. KPMG is the brand under which the member firms of KPMG International Limited ('KPMG International') operate and provide professional services. 'KPMG' is used to refer to individual member firms within the KPMG organization or to one or more member firms collectively.
KPMG firms operate in 142 countries and territories with more than 275,000 partners and employees working in member firms around the world. Each KPMG firm is a legally distinct and separate entity and describes itself as such. Each KPMG member firm is responsible for its own obligations and liabilities.
KPMG International Limited is a private English company limited by guarantee. KPMG International Limited and its related entities do not provide services to clients.
For more detail about our structure, please visit kpmg.com/governance.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Zawya
2 hours ago
- Zawya
Proofpoint research UAE travel brands are taking proactive steps to defend customers from fraudulent emails
Dubai, United Arab Emirates – Proofpoint, Inc., a leading cybersecurity and compliance company, today released new research revealing that 85% of the top online travel sites* in the UAE have adopted Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting and Conformance (DMARC), a key email security protocol that helps protect users from email fraud. However, only 45% of these sites have implemented it at the highest enforcement level of 'reject,' which actively blocks unauthorised emails from reaching inboxes. The findings are based on a DMARC adoption analysis of the top 20 online travel sites in the UAE, and across Europe and the Middle East. DMARC is an email validation protocol designed to protect domain names from being misused by cybercriminals. It authenticates the sender's identity before allowing a message to reach its intended destination. DMARC has three levels of protection – monitor, quarantine and reject, with reject being the most secure for preventing suspicious emails from reaching the inbox. With travel demand in the UAE continuing to rise, a recent KPMG study found that 77% of UAE travellers use mobile apps or hotel booking services, increasing the volume of digital interactions between consumers and travel brands. But as consumers eagerly plan and book their getaways, this surge in activity – coupled with a high volume of emails and promotional offers from travel companies – creates a perfect storm for cybercriminals, turning dream holidays into costly scams through sophisticated email fraud. Key findings include: The UAE demonstrates stronger foundational email security adoption compared to its European counterparts, with 85% of the top travel sites publishing a DMARC record, reflecting growing awareness of cybersecurity best practices across the country's travel sector. However, there is room for improvement with only 45% of the UAE's top travel sites using the policy at 'reject' level, meaning 55% are leaving their customers, staff, and partners more vulnerable to receiving fraudulent emails impersonating these brands. On average, 88% of the top travel websites across Europe and the Middle East have published a basic DMARC record. However, only 46% of all travel sites analysed are at reject, meaning 54% of the top travel sites across the regions are leaving customers at risk of email fraud. 'Holiday bookings often represent a significant number of high-value financial transactions and bring experiences of high personal and emotional value; this combination makes travellers prime targets for cybercriminals. Attackers actively use sophisticated email fraud, especially during peak holiday season, to exploit vulnerabilities,' says Matt Cooke, cybersecurity strategist, Proofpoint. 'Fake booking confirmations, too-good-to-be-true deals, and urgent payment requests for supposed flight changes are common tactics. These fraudulent communications can appear highly convincing, putting travellers' finances and personal data at risk.' "Travel companies bear a social responsibility to do everything they can to stop convincing scam emails being sent in their name, to holidaymakers,' continues Cooke. 'Implementing DMARC technology to its fullest level of 'reject' allows travel companies to massively reduce the risk of that happening, protecting both their brand and all of the holidaymakers at the same time., it's a win-win." Proofpoint advises consumers to follow these tips to stay safe when booking and managing travel online: Secure your bookings – and your accounts. Use strong, unique passwords for travel accounts and booking sites. Enable multi-factor authentication (MFA) wherever possible to add an extra layer of security. Watch out for fake travel deals – and websites. Be wary of unsolicited offers that seem too good to be true. Scammers create convincing fake websites for airlines, hotels, or comparison sites to steal money and credentials. Always book through official sites or reputable, verified agents. Navigate away from phishing trips – and smishing scams. Stay alert to phishing emails or smishing (SMS phishing) messages regarding flight changes, booking confirmations, or visa applications that demand urgent action or personal details. These often lead to fake login pages designed to capture your information. Don't get detoured by suspicious links. Avoid clicking directly on links in unsolicited emails, social media messages, or pop-up ads, especially for special offers or urgent alerts. Instead, type the official website address directly into your browser. Check reviews before You book. Fraudulent travel offers, websites, and apps can look deceptively genuine. Before providing payment details or downloading a new travel app, invest time in researching the company, reading independent online reviews, and checking for customer complaints. Methodology: *This analysis of DMARC adoption among the top 20 online travel sites per market in the UK, Italy, France, Germany, Spain, Benelux, UAE and KSA (as identified by data from Semrush, ecommerce Italia, Fevad, Statista, Ocu, SimilarWeb) was conducted in May 2025. About Proofpoint, Inc. Proofpoint, Inc. is a leading cybersecurity and compliance company that protects organisations' greatest assets and biggest risks: their people. With an integrated suite of cloud-based solutions, Proofpoint helps companies around the world stop targeted threats, safeguard their data, and make their users more resilient against cyber attacks. Leading organisations of all sizes, including 85 percent of the Fortune 100, rely on Proofpoint for people-centric security and compliance solutions that mitigate their most critical risks across email, the cloud, social media, and the web.
Gulf Today
18 hours ago
- Gulf Today
Oil prices climb to 2-month high on US, China trade agreement
Oil prices rose 2% on Wednesday, to their highest in more than two months, as President Donald Trump said the US had a trade deal with China, feeding hopes for the outlook for energy demand in the world's two largest economies. Brent crude futures rose $1.32, or 1.97%, to $68.19 a barrel at 11:35 a.m. EDT (1535 GMT). US West Texas Intermediate crude was up $1.51, or 2.32%, to $66.49. Both Brent and WTI reached their highest in more than two months. Trump said Beijing would supply magnets and rare earth minerals and the US will allow Chinese students in its colleges and universities. Trump added the deal is subject to final approval by him and President Xi Jinping. The trade-related downside risk in oil has been temporarily removed, although the market reaction has been tepid as it is not clear how economic growth and global oil demand will be affected, PVM analyst Tamas Varga said. Trump said he was less confident that Iran would agree to stop uranium enrichment in a nuclear deal with Washington, according to an interview released on Wednesday. In the US, crude inventories fell by 3.6 million barrels to 432.4 million barrels last week, the Energy Information Administration said on Wednesday. Analysts polled by Reuters had expected a draw of 2 million barrels. "It's a bullish report," said Bob Yawger, director of energy futures at Mizuho, adding that the demand for motor gasoline began to strengthen. Product supplied for motor gasoline, a proxy for demand, rose by about 907,000 barrels per day last week, to 9.17 million bpd. US consumer prices increased less than expected in May, deepening the conviction in financial markets that the Federal Reserve will start cutting interest rates by September. Lower interest rates can spur economic growth and demand for oil. Wall Street stocks gained and the dollar and US Treasury yields dipped on Wednesday after President Donald Trump said a U.S.-China trade deal was done and a fresh report on US consumer prices in May showed only a marginal increase. A White House official said the agreement with China allows the US to charge a 55% tariff on imported Chinese goods, including a 10% baseline "reciprocal" tariff, a 20% tariff for fentanyl trafficking and a 25% tariff reflecting pre-existing tariffs. China would charge a 10% tariff on US imports, the official said. Trump also said that Beijing would supply magnets and rare earth minerals while the US will allow Chinese students in its colleges and universities. Separately, the Consumer Price Index (CPI) increased 0.1% in May amid cheaper gasoline after rising 0.2% in April, the US labour Department said on Wednesday, but inflation is expected to accelerate in the coming months on the back of the Trump administration's import tariffs. Chris Zaccarelli, chief investment officer for Northlight Asset Management in Charlotte, said the likely US China trade deal and consumer price data should support markets. "The narrative around tariff-induced inflation should subside," he wrote in an email. "We are still cautious, but many of the risks that were present in early April appear to be receding." The Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 0.4%, the S&P 500 advanced 0.3%, and the Nasdaq Composite rose 0.4%. Tesla shares added about 2% after Elon Musk also said he regretted some of the posts he made last week about Trump, opening the way to a healing of an abrupt rift that has roiled Washington and hurt shares in the electric carmaker. Asian shares were slightly more positive, with MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan up 0.65%, while the STOXX benchmark for major European shares were little changed. AUCTION ANGST: The reaction in currency markets was muted, with the dollar weakening slightly against the Japanese yen to trade at 144.83 . The euro edged up 0.46% to $1.147, nudging the dollar index down 0.24% to 98.72. Ten-year Treasury yields fell 3.4 basis points to 4.44%, but bond investors also waited for an auction of $39 billion in 10-year notes later in the day, anxious to see if foreign buyers turn up. Concerns about huge US budget deficits and debt have combined with unease over the White House's shifting policies to make investors demand a higher term premium for holding Treasuries. Following the consumer pricing data, traders of short-term interest-rate futures priced in a 70% chance of a quarter-point reduction in the Fed policy rate by September, compared with 57% earlier. Policymakers are widely expected to keep rates unchanged next week.. "Another month goes by with little evidence of tariffs, but the longer-term inflation challenge they pose remains," Ellen Zentner, chief economic strategist for Morgan Stanley Wealth Management, wrote in an email. "Given the Fed likely shares that outlook, no one should be looking for rate cuts in the near future." In commodity markets, gold gained 0.5% to $3,337 an ounce . Oil prices rose to a seven-week high as markets assessed the outcome of the U.S.-China trade talks. US crude rose 2% to $66.30 a barrel and Brent rose to $68.04 per barrel, up 1.75% on the day. Agencies
Zawya
2 days ago
- Zawya
Uzbekistan to privatise mobile operator UMS
TASHKENT - Uzbekistan has begun the privatisation of mobile operator Universal Mobile Systems (UMS), the government of the Central Asian country said on Tuesday. The government plans to sell 100% of the company's equity to domestic or international investors, and has tapped Rothschild & Co to serve as lead consultant on the transaction. KPMG will act as an additional financial consultant. UMS, also known by its brand name Mobiuz, provides mobile and internet services to more than 7.8 million customers in Uzbekistan, which has a population of roughly 37 million people. The company reported 2024 net revenue of 2.08 trillion Uzbek soms ($164 million). UMS was originally established as a joint venture between Uzbekistan and Russian telecom operator MTS before MTS sold its stake to the Uzbek government in 2016. Applications for bids will be accepted until August 1, Uzbekistan's state asset management agency said. (Reporting by Muhammadsharif Mamatkulov in Tashkent; Writing by Lucy Papachristou in London; Editing by Kirsten Donovan)
