Since the launch of the Zero Bureaucracy Programme two years ago, and in line with the directives of the wise leadership to establish a forward-looking and pioneering model in government work, the Federal Tax Authority (FTA) has been committed to implementing a comprehensive strategy to support this ambitious programme aimed at simplifying and streamlining procedures and eliminating unnecessary requirements. This approach stems from a clear vision focused on making people's lives easier, enhancing a competitive and enabling business environment, and attracting talents and expertise.

The FTA's Zero Bureaucracy strategy has been distinguished by its dynamism, flexibility, and continuous updates in line with evolving requirements. It seeks to achieve real added value through service-related procedures, eliminate steps that do not provide value to stakeholders, and maintain effective governance frameworks. The strategy also prioritizes continuous improvement focused on enhancing taxpayer satisfaction, while emphasizing active engagement with taxpayers to ensure that service development plans are designed to accurately and realistically meet their expectations.

During the past period, the Authority intensified its efforts to implement many Zero Bureaucracy initiatives that have enhanced the taxpayer experience, resulting in major improvements across many of its services. These include registration for corporate tax, VAT refund for citizens building their own residences, the digital Tax Refund System for tourists, VAT refunds related to mosque construction and operation, VAT registration and deregistration, tax record amendments, issuance of tax certificates and registration certificates, and registration for excise tax and tax groups, as well as handling inquiries, feedback, and suggestions.

These efforts culminated in the FTA winning first place in the "Zero Bureaucracy Award" during its inaugural cycle, under the category "Impact on the Business Sector". The FTA's Zero Bureaucracy team achieved significant results by simplifying the corporate tax registration process, which has contributed to stimulating strategic business growth and improving operational efficiency.

The Authority continues its progress within the second phase of the programme, which aims to fully eliminate digital bureaucracy and enhance the effective adoption of artificial intelligence. It has organized more than 24 innovation retreats and interactive workshops, successfully generating over 589 development proposals. As a result, more than 100 Zero Bureaucracy initiatives were approved for the EmaraTax digital platform, most of which have been implemented, with the remainder underway.

Among the most tangible outcomes of these improvements are a 53 percent reduction in required documents, a 55 percent reduction in data fields, and a 77 percent reduction in service completion time. These results were achieved through the Authority's adoption of innovative technologies that streamline service processes, reduce costs for taxpayers, and shorten service delivery times. These advancements have further reinforced the UAE's global leadership in the tax sector, earning the country top rankings worldwide in indicators related to taxation and low bureaucracy, ease of paying taxes, and tax compliance.

These remarkable achievements provide strong motivation to continue advancing the Authority's efforts to provide greater facilitation for the business sector, enabling smooth voluntary compliance and further enhancing taxpayer happiness.

Abdulla Al Bastaki

Executive Director of Information Technology Sector, Federal Tax Authority

Head of the Government Zero Bureaucracy Implementation Team