What a tax invoice needs in the Gulf
VAT rates, which countries apply one, and the fields a tax invoice is generally expected to carry across the GCC.
Every figure below is stated as it stood in September 2026. Tax rules change, and no web page is a substitute for the authority's own guidance or your accountant. Treat this as orientation, then confirm.
Who applies VAT, and at what rate
- Saudi Arabia: 15%
- United Arab Emirates: 5%
- Bahrain: 10%, raised from 5% in January 2022
- Oman: 5%, since April 2021
- Kuwait: no general VAT introduced
- Qatar: no general VAT introduced
- Jordan: a general sales tax, 16% on most goods and services
What a tax invoice generally carries
The exact list is set by each authority, but the fields overlap heavily across the GCC: the word indicating it is a tax invoice, a unique sequential number, the issue date, the supplier's name, address, and tax registration number, the customer's name and, where they are registered, their own tax number, a description of each line with quantity and unit price, the taxable amount and tax rate per line, the total tax, and the gross total. Arabic is commonly required or expected on the document.
Why per-line tax matters
A single tax figure at the bottom of an invoice cannot express a document that mixes standard-rated, zero-rated, and exempt lines, and those mixes are ordinary in trading businesses. Applying tax per line keeps each category separately visible, which is what a reviewer and a return both need.
What software cannot do for you
No invoicing tool makes you compliant by itself. Registration, correct rate selection, filing deadlines, and record retention remain yours. Some countries additionally require e-invoices to be cleared or reported through a government system, and only certified solutions can do that. Ameen prepares and stores tax-ready invoices with tax numbers and per-line tax; it does not connect to any tax authority, clear e-invoices, or file returns.
A short checklist
- Confirm the current rate with the authority, not with a blog
- Store your customers' tax numbers before you need them
- Apply tax per line, not once at the bottom
- Keep sequential numbering with no gaps
- Agree with your accountant who files, and by when
Updated