GCC Introduction of VAT to Create 5,000 New Tax Jobs

Gulf Arab states’ introduction of value-added tax (VAT) in 2018 will create more than 5,000 new jobs for tax and accountancy executives, with some large consultancy firms already starting to increase their headcount, according to industry experts. Finance ministers from the six Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries formally agreed on June 16 at a meeting in Jeddah to introduce tax across the bloc from 2018. The full details of the process have not been announced and it is not yet clear whether all the countries will introduce VAT on January 2018.