English text status

English translation published by the NBR in its bilingual Regulations file (marked unofficial). The Arabic text published in the Official Gazette remains the legal reference in the event of any discrepancy.

Practical summary

A Taxable Person may request refund of excess deductible Net Tax, overpaid Net Tax, or recoverable Net Tax after approved deregistration. The NBR may offset Tax and administrative fines. A request must be made within five years from the end of the year in which the case arose. The NBR responds within 60 days from completion of documentation, renewable once, and pays an approved amount within 30 days of approval.

Who should read this?

Registrants, exporters, credit-position businesses, deregistered Persons and treasury teams.

Why does it matter?

A credit does not produce automatic payment. The business must choose carry-forward or refund, complete evidence, meet five-year timing and allow for set-off and audit. The decision clock starts when documentation requirements are met.

Three refund casesFive years from year-end60 days renewable, then 30 days to pay

Current text

A. A Taxable Person shall be entitled to request a refund of an excess Tax amount in any of the following cases: 1. Where, in accordance with the provisions of the Law and these Regulations, there is excess deductible Net Tax per a Tax Return. The Taxable Person may carry forward such excess in his Tax account to the subsequent Tax Period. 2. Where a Taxable Person pays an amount in excess of the Net Tax payable. 3. If there is an excess Net Tax recoverable in the event of deregistration of a Taxable Person, subject to the approval of the deregistration application by the Bureau. B. The Bureau may set off excess Net Tax recoverable against any tax or administrative fines due by the Taxable Person under the provisions of the Law or any other tax law until the excess is exhausted. C. A Taxable Person may request the Bureau to refund Tax in the cases stipulated in Paragraph A of this Article within of five years from the end of the year in which any such cases occur. D. The Bureau shall respond to the request within sixty days, renewable by the same period, from the date of meeting the requirements relating to documentation. The Bureau may audit and review the accounts of the Taxable Person in order to verify the validity of the refund request and, within sixty days from the date of meeting requirements relating to documentation, shall notify the applicant of its decision to approve or reject the request. E. On approval of a refund request, the Bureau shall refund the recoverable amounts by bank transfer to the bank account of the refund applicant within thirty days from the date of issue of its decision to approve the refund request.

Turn credit into a complete request

  1. 1

    Identify refund basis.

  2. 2

    Confirm deregistration approval if relevant.

  3. 3

    Calculate five years from case-year end.

  4. 4

    Submit complete evidence.

  5. 5

    Check amounts available for set-off.

  6. 6

    Record documentation-completion date.

  7. 7

    Track 30 days from approval.

Connected provisions

Official guides and tools

Connected Madar tools

Illustrative example by Madar

Excess arising in 2026

If recoverable excess arises on 15 April 2026, the five-year period runs from the end of 2026, giving a preliminary endpoint of 31 December 2031. If documents are complete on 1 May, the renewable 60-day decision period runs from that completion date, followed by 30 days from approval for payment, subject to set-off.

Questions to help you apply it

  • What refund basis?
  • When did its year end?
  • Are documents complete?
  • Any set-off amounts?
  • When was approval issued?