Report shops, commercial centres imposing over 5% VAT: CPA

Oman Friday 16/April/2021 17:48 PM
By: Times News Service
Report shops, commercial centres imposing over 5% VAT: CPA

Muscat: The Consumer Protection Authority (CPA) has stressed the need to report any shop or commercial centre which imposes a tax exceeding 5% for goods subject to value added tax or imposes any taxes to goods that are exempt.

His Excellency Sulayem bin Ali Al Hikmani, Chairman of Consumer Protection Authority said, "Previously, the number of exempt goods was 193, but now most of the family’s needs are exempt from value-added tax, by expanding the list to 488 goods. This reduces the burden of tax on the citizen and resident, and it will have a positive impact on the consumer."

"All commodity prices are monitored by the authority and all prices are on lists that are updated periodically. Therefore, the Authority tam working to ensure the prices of goods which exempt from tax, to ensure that no increase is applied to their prices upon the activation of the added tax law, starting from 16th April," 

HE added:"The teams will also monitor the application of the tax as defined in the law by 5% or less and not increase it, as the application of a percentage less than the value of the tax 5 per cent is allowed according to the law."

The head of the authority confirmed, "CPA cooperates with other authorities for control and monitor the market in light of the precautionary measures for the Corona pandemic, and some stores are allowed to add the value of the cost of precautionary measures on some goods in proportion to the cost of those measures after submitting evidence."

On the procedures followed to control the prices of goods during the holy month of Ramadan, Al Hakmani stressed that the inspection teams in all departments are aware of the procedures and monitor the markets and product prices on an ongoing basis and every season has its own products.

"In the month of Ramadan, promotional offers abound, and we make sure that there is no misleading in these offers by comparing the price of the commodity before and after the show, and we carry out campaigns to increase the community awareness of deception methods in these offers."