1 Take it to heart
Inspired by the petals of the peony flower, Julia Knight’s Heart bowl is handmade in sand-cast aluminium with the company’s trademark blend of enamel infused with crushed mother-of-pearl. In addition to the red “Pomegranate” version pictured here, the bowl comes in deep pink “Rasberry” and white “Snow”.
• Heart bowl, Dh250 for the seven-inch version, Faubourg Design, Business Central Towers, Dubai
2 Down to a tea
No kitchen is complete without a piece of hand-decorated pottery by the quintessentially British brand Emma Bridgewater. With its old-school shape and multicoloured design, the Mr & Mrs Teapot will make a charming addition to any tea set.
• Mr & Mrs Teapot, Dh358, Harvest Home, Jumeirah Centre, Dubai
3 Love birds
We’ve long loved the We Had Everything print by the acclaimed artist Rob Ryan, whose beautifully illustrated screen-prints are both intricate and uplifting. Despite his initial reservations about working with an unfamiliar medium, Ryan has teamed up with The Rug Company to convert the piece into a handmade tapestry wall hanging, which is stretched on a wooden frame and measures 100 centimetres by 100 centimetres.
• We Had Everything wall hanging, Dh6,786, The Rug Company, DIFC
4 Elephant in the room
The Elephant Parade is a global outdoor public-art initiative featuring unique elephant sculptures that are designed by local and international artists, then moulded and hand-painted in the Elephant Parade studio in Thailand. The elephants have so far journeyed as far afield as Copenhagen, Amsterdam, Milan, Singapore, London and California. Limited-edition replicas of the Parade Elephants, including the heart-adorned Forever Love elephant pictured here, can be bought from the HomeArama website, with part of the proceeds from your purchase going to The Asian Elephant Foundation.
• Forever Love elephant, Dh199 for the 10-centimetre version (15-centimetre and 20-centimetre versions also available), www.homearama.co.uk
5 Get the picture
This eye-catching, hand-illustrated print is the work of the Scottish design duo Anais Woolf. Tiny cream hearts and intertwining leaves wrap themselves around a bold central graphic to striking effect. The print is available in A4 size, with mounted and framed options.
• Love, Soul, Grow print, Dh120, www.giftwrappedandgorgeous.com
sdenman@thenational.ae
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Ten tax points to be aware of in 2026
1. Domestic VAT refund amendments: request your refund within five years
If a business does not apply for the refund on time, they lose their credit.
2. E-invoicing in the UAE
Businesses should continue preparing for the implementation of e-invoicing in the UAE, with 2026 a preparation and transition period ahead of phased mandatory adoption.
3. More tax audits
Tax authorities are increasingly using data already available across multiple filings to identify audit risks.
4. More beneficial VAT and excise tax penalty regime
Tax disputes are expected to become more frequent and more structured, with clearer administrative objection and appeal processes. The UAE has adopted a new penalty regime for VAT and excise disputes, which now mirrors the penalty regime for corporate tax.
5. Greater emphasis on statutory audit
There is a greater need for the accuracy of financial statements. The International Financial Reporting Standards standards need to be strictly adhered to and, as a result, the quality of the audits will need to increase.
6. Further transfer pricing enforcement
Transfer pricing enforcement, which refers to the practice of establishing prices for internal transactions between related entities, is expected to broaden in scope. The UAE will shortly open the possibility to negotiate advance pricing agreements, or essentially rulings for transfer pricing purposes.
7. Limited time periods for audits
Recent amendments also introduce a default five-year limitation period for tax audits and assessments, subject to specific statutory exceptions. While the standard audit and assessment period is five years, this may be extended to up to 15 years in cases involving fraud or tax evasion.
8. Pillar 2 implementation
Many multinational groups will begin to feel the practical effect of the Domestic Minimum Top-Up Tax (DMTT), the UAE's implementation of the OECD’s global minimum tax under Pillar 2. While the rules apply for financial years starting on or after January 1, 2025, it is 2026 that marks the transition to an operational phase.
9. Reduced compliance obligations for imported goods and services
Businesses that apply the reverse-charge mechanism for VAT purposes in the UAE may benefit from reduced compliance obligations.
10. Substance and CbC reporting focus
Tax authorities are expected to continue strengthening the enforcement of economic substance and Country-by-Country (CbC) reporting frameworks. In the UAE, these regimes are increasingly being used as risk-assessment tools, providing tax authorities with a comprehensive view of multinational groups’ global footprints and enabling them to assess whether profits are aligned with real economic activity.
Contributed by Thomas Vanhee and Hend Rashwan, Aurifer
THE BIO
Bio Box
Role Model: Sheikh Zayed, God bless his soul
Favorite book: Zayed Biography of the leader
Favorite quote: To be or not to be, that is the question, from William Shakespeare's Hamlet
Favorite food: seafood
Favorite place to travel: Lebanon
Favorite movie: Braveheart
