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Qatar Legalities

Standards

The Ministry of Economy and Trade requires all importers to register to get an import licence. These are only issued to Qatari nationals. This regulation also applies to wholly foreign owned entities operating in Qatar.

Qatar enforces strict rules on labels and packaging of food products and enforces GCC shelf-life standards for approximately 200 food products. The manufacturer’s established shelf life is accepted for other food products.

Food labels must be clearly labelled with:

• Product and brand names
• Production and expiry dates
• Country of origin
• Name and address of manufacturer
• Net weight in metric units
• List of the ingredients and additives in descending order of importance
• All fats and oils used as ingredients clearly identified

Labels must be in Arabic only, or in Arabic/English. Small quantities of products with English only labels may be approved for import on a case by case basis.

Production and expiry dates must be printed on the original label or container by the manufacturer. Dates cannot be added after the fact by sticker. Products must arrive at destination with at least half the shelf-life duration remaining.

All imported meats require a health certificate issued by the country of export and a ‘Halal’ slaughter certificate issued by an approved Islamic centre in that country.

Intellectual property

Trade mark and copyright owners and patents holders are dependent on Qatar’s own national laws and regulations for protection. Register your trademarks at the Qatar Trade Mark Office. Inventive designs or industrial models can also be registered under the Trade Mark Law.

You should register at the Qatar Copyright Office to protect your original literary and artistic works. This includes computer programmes and databases which are creative in the selection and arrangement of their subject matter.

Inventions and foreign patents can be registered at the Qatar Patent Office. However, a GCC Patent can be obtained by filing an application at the Patent Office in Saudi Arabia. Certificates of Patents granted by the GCC Patent Office secure legal protection of the inventor’s rights in all member states.

Investment

Foreign investors may only invest in Qatar in accordance with the provisions of the Foreign Investment Law. Various incentives are available to attract foreign capital including:

• Tax breaks
• Exemptions from customs duty

Foreign business investors may invest in all parts of the national economy excluding commercial agencies and generally real estate.

Approval from the Council of Ministers is required for foreign investment in banking or insurance.

Foreign investment is generally limited to 49% of the capital for most business activities, with a Qatari partner(s) holding at least 51%.

However, with government approval, the law allows up to 100% ownership by foreign investors in certain sectors, including:

• Agriculture
• Industry
• Health
• Education
• Tourism
• Development and exploitation of natural resources
• Consultative and technical work services
• Information and technology sector
• Distribution services

Taxation in Qatar

The UK and Qatar signed a Double Taxation Agreement in June 2009.

Sales tax

There is no sales tax in Qatar.

Company tax

Qatari companies are exempt from tax.

However, the rules are different for foreign companies, and any business activity carried out in Qatar is subject to corporate income tax. This includes any services or consultancy contracts within the state as well as any gains on property.

A new tax law came into force from 1 January 2010. This introduces a new flat rate of taxation of 10% on company profits for all non-Qatari recipients. This does not include GCC individuals and entities.

Income tax

There is no personal income tax for nationals or expatriates.

Value added tax (VAT) for Qatar

There is presently no sales tax in Qatar, however, the GCC have announced an intention to introduce a 5% VAT in early 2018. The exact details on implementation and timing of the VAT are yet to be announced.

If you’re registered for Value Added Tax (VAT) you can zero-rate the VAT on most goods you export to Qatar. You will need to get evidence of the export within 3 months from the time of sale.

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