Tax Card Registration and Tax Compliance in Qatar
Every company that does business in Qatar must register with the General Tax Authority on the Dhareeba portal and apply for a tax card within 60 days of its commercial registration, approval or first income, whichever comes first. You then file an income tax return every year, even if your company is exempt. We guide you through each step.
Tax in Qatar at a glance
- To register and apply for the tax card
- 60 days
- Income tax on taxable income
- 10%
- Withholding tax on some payments to non-residents
- 5%
- After the year end, to file the return
- 4 months
From the Income Tax Law and its Executive Regulations (GTA 2024 edition) and Dhareeba; see the sources at the end of the page.
Who needs a tax card
Every taxpayer
Anyone doing business or earning taxable income in Qatar.
Exempt companies too
Qatari and GCC-owned companies still register and file.
Within 60 days
Of approval to start, entry in the CR or first income, whichever is first.
One card
Per taxpayer: tax number, CR, branches, start date, issue and expiry dates.
Corporate tax compliance we help with
Corporate tax compliance in Qatar runs from registration, through withholding, to the yearly return. These are the parts we take on.
Dhareeba registration
Guiding you through Self-Registration with your own login.
Registration documents
CR, licence, partner IDs and articles, checked first.
Notifying changes
Changes that affect tax, reported within 30 days.
Withholding calendar
What to withhold each month and when it is due.
Records and schedules
The figures and schedules your return needs.
Your tax agent and auditor
Preparing the file they need to sign and audit.
How to get your tax card on Dhareeba
You register on the Dhareeba portal yourself: log in through the National Authentication System and choose Self-Registration. The General Tax Authority lists the service time as two working days.
Any change that affects tax is notified within 30 days. Not registering, or not notifying, carries a QAR 20,000 penalty.
What Dhareeba asks for
- CR
- A valid commercial registration
- Licence
- A valid commercial licence
- Establishment ID
- If it has been issued
- Partners
- Each partner’s ID
- Articles
- The articles of association
Corporate income tax basics
A flat 10%
Of taxable income, with no brackets; at least 35% for petroleum and petrochemical activities.
Qatari and GCC ownership
Wholly owned companies are exempt; in a mixed company only the foreign share of profit is taxed.
Salaries
Salaries, wages and allowances fall outside the Income Tax Law.
No VAT
The General Tax Authority states that Qatar has not applied VAT.
Withholding tax
When your company pays a non-resident for certain services, it keeps back part of the payment and pays it to the General Tax Authority.
On what
Royalties, interest, commissions and service fees paid to non-residents without a permanent establishment in Qatar.
How much
5% of the gross amount.
By when
Before the 16th of the following month, with a certificate to the payee.
Not withheld
On payments to tax card holders or QFC-registered persons.
Filing deadlines and penalties
- After the end of the tax year, the return is due
- 4 months
- Extension, if asked at least 60 days before the deadline
- + 4 months
- End of the filing window for the 2025 financial year, open from 1 January
- 30 April 2026
- Files on Dhareeba, exempt and Qatari or GCC-owned companies included
- Every CR
Set by the General Tax Authority for every entity with a CR or trade licence.
| What happens | Penalty |
|---|---|
| Return filed late | QAR 500 a day, up to QAR 180,000 |
| Tax paid or withholding remitted late | 2% a month, up to the tax due |
| Audited accounts and books not kept or submitted | QAR 30,000 |
| Not registering, or not notifying changes | QAR 20,000 |
| Contracts not notified | QAR 10,000 |
| Exempt taxpayer not filing | QAR 10,000 |
| Tax not withheld | The tax itself, plus an equal amount |
Whether your return must carry audited accounts depends on your ownership, capital and income. Your tax agent or auditor confirms the rule for your company.
Who signs your return
You or your tax agent
The return is signed by the taxpayer or its tax agent.
A registered tax agent
Registered with the GTA; required if the company lacks accounting expertise.
Not your auditor
The person who audited the accounts cannot act as tax agent.
Qatari and GCC-owned
Not legally required to appoint an accredited accounting office to file.
We prepare the records and schedules your return needs, and work with your registered tax agent and auditor.
Related services
Common questions about tax in Qatar
Is Qatar tax free?
Not for companies. Income tax is a flat 10% of taxable business income, with no brackets. The share of profit owned by Qatari or GCC nationals is generally exempt, and salaries, wages and allowances fall outside the Income Tax Law. Exempt companies must still register and file a return each year.
Is there VAT in Qatar?
No. The General Tax Authority states that Qatar has not applied value added tax. The taxes a company is most likely to meet are income tax at 10%, withholding tax at 5% on certain payments to non-residents, capital gains tax, and excise tax on specific goods.
How do I register on Dhareeba?
You log in to the Dhareeba portal through the National Authentication System and choose Self-Registration. You need a valid commercial registration and commercial licence, the establishment ID if it has been issued, the partners’ IDs and the articles of association. The Authority lists the service time as two working days.
Source: Dhareeba, Taxpayer registration
How can I check my tax ID number?
Look at the company’s tax card. The General Tax Authority issues one card per taxpayer, and the tax number is printed on it next to the CR or licence number, the branches and the issue and expiry dates. You get the number when you register on Dhareeba, so a company that has not registered yet has no number to look up.
Source: General Tax Authority, Income Tax Law and its Executive Regulations, 2024 edition (PDF)
How do I get a tax clearance certificate in Qatar?
Through Dhareeba. Sign in, open Requests, pick Request for Non-Objection Certificate and then Tax Clearance. The request goes through only once every return is in and nothing is left unpaid. Say which of the three uses it is for (cancelling the CR, releasing dues or discharging liabilities) and attach the papers that go with it.
Source: Dhareeba, Request for a Non-Objection Certificate (NOC), Tax Clearance
Does a Qatari-owned company need a tax card?
Yes. Registration applies to every taxpayer that carries on business in Qatar, and the General Tax Authority asks all companies holding a commercial registration or trade licence, including tax-exempt companies and those owned by Qatari or GCC nationals, to file a yearly return on Dhareeba within the filing period.
Source: General Tax Authority, Tax return filing period for the financial year 2025
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
- General Tax Authority, Taxes in Qatar
- General Tax Authority, Law No. 11 of 2022 amending the Income Tax Law (PDF)
- General Tax Authority, Tax return filing period for the financial year 2025
- Dhareeba, Taxpayer registration
- Dhareeba, Financial penalties
- Dhareeba, Request for tax return deadline extension
- Dhareeba, Request for a Non-Objection Certificate (NOC), Tax Clearance
Tell us when your CR was issued, who owns the company and when your year ends.
We tell you what is due and when, and help you prepare it.