Joe Biden plans to sign a stack of executive orders on his first day in office as 46th president of the United States, his newly appointed chief of staff said.
“He is going to implement a Covid-19 plan on day one,” Ron Klain said on Thursday in his first interview since Mr Biden chose him as chief of staff.
Mr Biden will also sign orders to return of the US to the Paris climate accords, and to protect migrants whose parents came to the US illegally, often referred to as “Dreamers”.
"He is going to have a busy first day," Mr Klain said on the MSNBC cable news show Last Word With Lawrence O'Donnell.
Asked if Mr Biden had spoken with Republican Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell since winning the election, Mr Klain said he had not. However, Mr Biden had reached out to and spoken with various Republican senators and state governors, and several party members had contacted the president-elect, he said, without mentioning names.
“I’m not naming names because they’re private conversations,” Mr Klain said when the host asked whether Republican senators and governors feared President Donald Trump's anger if it became known they had spoken to Mr Biden.
“His focus is on doing his job as president-elect,” he said. “They [voters] want to see an incoming president who can work with both parties and get things done and that’s exactly what’s going to happen going forward."
Mr Klain said that although the Trump administration was not relaying messages to Mr Biden from various world leaders, the president-elect was managing to work around the problem.
“A lot of these world leaders already know how to reach him,” he said. “You’re seeing a very positive reaction all over the world,” he added, noting that British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Pope Francis had all spoken to Mr Biden.
Mr Klain did not hide his frustration that the US General Services Administration (GSA) was not giving the necessary resources to the Biden transition team, but said the president-elect was moving forward with preparations for taking office on January 20.
“It has been minor so far, but as time passes, the unreasonable position of the GSA will have an impact,” he said, referring to Mr Biden's plan to launch a new strategy against the Covid-19 outbreak in the US.
“The sooner we can get our experts into meetings, the more seamless a transition can be … the need to get the access the American people want us to have grows each day.”
Mr Kain said vice president-elect Kamala Harris would be front and centre throughout the Biden administration.
“She is going to be a very important vice president,” he said. “She is incredibly insightful and her views are being heard … she’ll be the last person in the room when Biden makes a decision.”
Mr Klain previously served as Mr Biden's chief of staff from 2009 to 2011, while Mr Biden was vice president in the Obama White House.
He also served as Barack Obama’s Ebola response co-ordinator in 2014
He was vice president Al Gore's chief of staff during the Bill Clinton administration.
The biog
Favourite Emirati dish: Fish machboos
Favourite spice: Cumin
Family: mother, three sisters, three brothers and a two-year-old daughter
World record transfers
1. Kylian Mbappe - to Real Madrid in 2017/18 - €180 million (Dh770.4m - if a deal goes through)
2. Paul Pogba - to Manchester United in 2016/17 - €105m
3. Gareth Bale - to Real Madrid in 2013/14 - €101m
4. Cristiano Ronaldo - to Real Madrid in 2009/10 - €94m
5. Gonzalo Higuain - to Juventus in 2016/17 - €90m
6. Neymar - to Barcelona in 2013/14 - €88.2m
7. Romelu Lukaku - to Manchester United in 2017/18 - €84.7m
8. Luis Suarez - to Barcelona in 2014/15 - €81.72m
9. Angel di Maria - to Manchester United in 2014/15 - €75m
10. James Rodriguez - to Real Madrid in 2014/15 - €75m
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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
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