Tax, payroll and compliance for companies in Qatar
Once a company in Qatar is licensed, four duties start almost at once: a bank account that meets the banks’ checks, books kept for ten years, wages paid through the Wage Protection System, and a tax card within 60 days with a yearly return. We help you set each one up and keep the dates.
The first-year dates at a glance
- To register for tax and apply for the tax card
- 60 days
- After the 1st of each month, to pay wages through WPS
- 7 days
- After the year end, to file the tax return, even if exempt
- 4 months
- How long books and records are kept
- 10 years
From the income tax regulations, the Ministry of Labour WPS decision and the Labour Law; see the sources at the end of the page.
Accounting and tax services that share one set of records
Corporate bank accountThe bank must identify the company, its signatories and its real owners before it opens the account.
Corporate bank account
Accounting and bookkeepingA general journal, ledger and inventory book, kept for ten years, and statements for your auditor.
Accounting and bookkeeping
Payroll and WPSMonthly wages due on the 1st and transferred within seven days, in Qatari riyals.
Payroll and WPS
Tax card and tax returnsDhareeba registration within 60 days, then a return every year, even if exempt.
Tax card and tax returns
Which finance service fits
| Your situation | Service | When you need it |
|---|---|---|
| A new company that will pay staff and suppliers | Corporate bank account | At formation; for an LLC the capital is paid in and released after the CR |
| Every company from its first transaction | Accounting and bookkeeping | From day one; books and records are kept for ten years |
| Staff on the payroll | Payroll and WPS | Every month; wages are due on the 1st and paid through WPS within seven days |
| A company registered in Qatar | Tax card and tax returns | Within 60 days to register; a return within four months of the year end, even if exempt |
In what order
- Bank account
For an LLC, the capital is paid in and released after the CR.
- Books from day one
Every transaction, with the papers behind it.
- Tax card
Within 60 days of the CR, approval or first income.
- First payroll
Wages into each worker’s account through WPS.
- Year end
Statements, the auditor and the return within four months.
What it costs to miss a date
- Not registering for tax, or not notifying changes
- QAR 20,000
- A late tax return, up to QAR 180,000
- QAR 500 a day
- Required books and records not kept
- QAR 30,000
- Fine for breaking the wage rule, with or without prison
- QAR 2,000 to 10,000
From Dhareeba, the Income Tax Law and Law No. 9 of 2026 amending the Labour Law. The Arabic texts are the official versions.
Corporate services in Qatar we help with
On the finance side, our corporate services come down to six jobs. The tax return and the salary transfer still go out in your company’s name.
The bank file
Company papers, signatories and ownership, in one set.
Monthly books
Recording, reconciliation and a short monthly report.
Payroll
The calculation and the salary file, for you or your bank to send.
Tax registration
Guiding you through Dhareeba with your own login.
The calendar
Every tax, wage and renewal date in one list.
Year end
Statements and schedules for your auditor and tax agent.
The choice of accounting software is yours. The tax rules let books be kept on a computer system, on conditions our accounting page sets out.
Related services
- Corporate bank accountThe file a bank asks for
- Accounting and bookkeepingMonthly books and year-end statements
- Payroll and WPSMonthly wages through WPS
- Tax card and tax returnsRegistration and yearly returns
- Audit preparationYear-end files for your auditor
- Budgeting and forecastingBudgets and cash flow forecasts
Common questions about finance and compliance in Qatar
What must a new company in Qatar do for tax?
Register with the General Tax Authority on Dhareeba and apply for a tax card within 60 days of its commercial registration, approval or first income, whichever comes first. It then files an income tax return within four months of each year end, even if it is exempt, and keeps its books for ten years.
Source: Income Tax Executive Regulations, Cabinet Decision No. 39 of 2019 (Al Meezan)
Is income tax charged on companies in Qatar?
Yes, though how much depends on who owns the company. Say a WLL makes QAR 200,000 of taxable profit and its foreign partner holds 49%. Tax is 10% of that partner’s QAR 98,000 share, so QAR 9,800. Had every owner been a Qatari or GCC national, the bill would be nil. Salaries are not taxed, and Qatar has not applied VAT.
What is the difference between accounting and tax services?
Accounting records each transaction, and tax works from the year’s totals. A sale made on 3 March goes into the journal and the ledger, stays in the books for ten years and ends up in the year’s financial statements. Tax deals with it later, when the profit goes on the return four months after the year end. Before any of that, the company needs its tax card, within 60 days.
Source: Income Tax Executive Regulations, Cabinet Decision No. 39 of 2019 (Al Meezan)
How are wages paid in Qatar?
By transfer, in Qatari riyals, through the Wage Protection System. Wages for a month fall due on its first day, so pay due on 1 April has to reach each worker’s account at a financial institution in Qatar by 7 April. Nobody may be paid a basic wage under QAR 1,000 a month.
Source: Minister of Labour Decision No. 50 of 2026 on the Wage Protection System (Al Meezan)
Did not find your question? Ask an adviser. We reply with what applies to your case.
Sources
Official sources for the facts on this page, last checked 19 Oct 2026.
- General Tax Authority, Income Tax Law and its Executive Regulations, 2024 edition (PDF)
- General Tax Authority, Investors guide
- Income Tax Law No. 24 of 2018 (Al Meezan)
- Income Tax Executive Regulations, Cabinet Decision No. 39 of 2019 (Al Meezan)
- Dhareeba, Financial penalties
- Minister of Labour Decision No. 50 of 2026 on the Wage Protection System (Al Meezan)
- Labour Law No. 14 of 2004 (Al Meezan)
- Ministerial Decision No. 25 of 2020 on the minimum wage (Al Meezan)
- Law No. 20 of 2019 on Combating Money Laundering and Terrorism Financing (Al Meezan)
- Commercial Companies Law No. 11 of 2015, as amended (Al Meezan)
When was your CR issued, and how many people are on the payroll?
Those two answers are enough for us to list your dates for the year, and what each one needs from you.