• Mert Akkok carries a straw bale for his blind horse and donkey at his farmhouse near Istanbul. Mr Akkok lives with 18 dogs, three cats, a blind horse, a donkey and 46 seagulls at his animal shelter. EPA
    Mert Akkok carries a straw bale for his blind horse and donkey at his farmhouse near Istanbul. Mr Akkok lives with 18 dogs, three cats, a blind horse, a donkey and 46 seagulls at his animal shelter. EPA
  • Mr Akkok with his blind horse and a crippled seagull at his farmhouse. The 48-year-old entrepreneur takes in injured or sick animals in his garden. EPA
    Mr Akkok with his blind horse and a crippled seagull at his farmhouse. The 48-year-old entrepreneur takes in injured or sick animals in his garden. EPA
  • Mr Akkok took in only dogs initially, but then the number of animals he helped began to increase steadily. EPA
    Mr Akkok took in only dogs initially, but then the number of animals he helped began to increase steadily. EPA
  • Mr Akkok's growing venture meant he moved from his apartment in downtown Istanbul to a farmhouse in a village near the city. EPA
    Mr Akkok's growing venture meant he moved from his apartment in downtown Istanbul to a farmhouse in a village near the city. EPA
  • Mr Akkok checks on crippled seagulls at his farmhouse. EPA
    Mr Akkok checks on crippled seagulls at his farmhouse. EPA
  • Mert Akkok feeds abandoned dogs in the countryside of the city during the dog feeding event he organized with a call to his followers on his Instagram account in Istanbul, Turkey, 06 February 2022 (issued 17 May 2022). Mert Akkok lives with 18 dogs, three cats, a blind horse, a donkey and 46 seagulls. The 48-year-old entrepreneur takes in injured or sick animals in his garden in Istanbul. At first it was just the dogs, Mert said, "but now I don't know the actual numbers of them. " Sometimes he brought an injured or sick stray dog home when he lived in an apartment in downtown Istanbul. After a while, as the number of animals increased and he moved to a farm house in a village close to the city. EPA / ERDEM SAHIN
    Mert Akkok feeds abandoned dogs in the countryside of the city during the dog feeding event he organized with a call to his followers on his Instagram account in Istanbul, Turkey, 06 February 2022 (issued 17 May 2022). Mert Akkok lives with 18 dogs, three cats, a blind horse, a donkey and 46 seagulls. The 48-year-old entrepreneur takes in injured or sick animals in his garden in Istanbul. At first it was just the dogs, Mert said, "but now I don't know the actual numbers of them. " Sometimes he brought an injured or sick stray dog home when he lived in an apartment in downtown Istanbul. After a while, as the number of animals increased and he moved to a farm house in a village close to the city. EPA / ERDEM SAHIN
  • Mr Akkok entertains his canine friends by playing the saxophone. EPA
    Mr Akkok entertains his canine friends by playing the saxophone. EPA
  • The kind-hearted entrepreneur says the animals he takes in are like his children. EPA
    The kind-hearted entrepreneur says the animals he takes in are like his children. EPA

MENA

Turkish entrepreneur turns home into shelter for animals

Mert Akkok takes in injured or sick animals in his Istanbul farmhouse

The National

May 22, 2022

  • English
  • Arabic

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How to get there

Emirates (www.emirates.com) flies directly to Hanoi, Vietnam, with fares starting from around Dh2,725 return, while Etihad (www.etihad.com) fares cost about Dh2,213 return with a stop. Chuong is 25 kilometres south of Hanoi.
 

Mohamed bin Zayed Majlis
More from Neighbourhood Watch
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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.

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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

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The biog

Year of birth: 1988

Place of birth: Baghdad

Education: PhD student and co-researcher at Greifswald University, Germany

Hobbies: Ping Pong, swimming, reading

 

 

While you're here
Updated: May 22, 2022, 3:07 PM
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