The list of consumer products that were chosen by the government for levying excise tax last month is 'not final' even as some goods could either be added or removed from the list, an official of the General Tax Authority (GTA) said at a seminar on excise tax organised by Qatar Chamber on Wednesday.

On January 1, Qatar officially imposed excise taxes on carbonated drinks (50% rate) and tobacco products and energy drinks (100%), among other items that fall under “excise goods” to limit consumption of several items, while raising government funds for public services.

A statement from Qatar Chamber quoted GTA head of Indirect Tax Hamad Mohamed al-Attiyah as saying, “that the list of goods of [excise] tax is not final…other goods can be added or existing goods can be removed.”

A Qatar News Agency dispatch quoted al-Attiyah as saying "…that the list of items specified in the [excise] tax is subject to be increased or decreased, as it may be added to the items or cancelled from others".

“Excise tax is a form of indirect tax levied on specific goods that are deemed harmful to human health or the environment. The intent of excise tax is to reduce consumption of such goods, while also raising revenues for the government that can be spent on public services,” al-Attiyah said.

He noted that the new tax was “well-received by the Qatari community,” and affirmed that it will have no impact on the upcoming events hosted by the country, specifically the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

Excise tax is calculated as a percentage of the value determined in accordance with the selective tax law.

(Source)

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Sonkie

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