On 21 August 2017, the United Arab Emirates Ministry of Finance announced the issuance of Federal Decree-Law No. 7 of 2017 for the introduction of the selective excise tax on products deemed harmful to health, as agreed to by the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Member States. The Decree-Law provides for an excise tax of up to 200% for the production, importation, or stockpiling of excise goods, which include tobacco products, energy drinks, and soft drinks.
The tax is to be paid by the pers…