• Big waves break at the Magdalena peninsula in Santander, Spain, on February 3, 2017. No incidents have been reported despite some areas registering winds of up to 131 kph overnight. Pedro Puente Hoyos / EPA
    Big waves break at the Magdalena peninsula in Santander, Spain, on February 3, 2017. No incidents have been reported despite some areas registering winds of up to 131 kph overnight. Pedro Puente Hoyos / EPA
  • A visitor walks next to an exhibit titled All The Flowers Are For Me by Pakistani-American artist Anila Quayyum Agha at the India Art Fair in New Delhi, India, on February 3, 2017. Adnan Abidi / Reuters
    A visitor walks next to an exhibit titled All The Flowers Are For Me by Pakistani-American artist Anila Quayyum Agha at the India Art Fair in New Delhi, India, on February 3, 2017. Adnan Abidi / Reuters
  • A bird flies on February 3, 2017, as the morning fog embraces the parliament building, seen from the Buda side in downtown Budapest, Hungary. Balazs Mohai / EPA
    A bird flies on February 3, 2017, as the morning fog embraces the parliament building, seen from the Buda side in downtown Budapest, Hungary. Balazs Mohai / EPA
  • An Indian man feeds migratory birds on the banks of the Yamuna river in New Delhi, India, on February 3, 2017. Prakash Singh / Agence France-Presse
    An Indian man feeds migratory birds on the banks of the Yamuna river in New Delhi, India, on February 3, 2017. Prakash Singh / Agence France-Presse
  • Black rhinoceros Kalusho walks in its enclosure on February 3, 2017, at the zoo in Frankfurt, Germany. The 30-year-old rhino was born in Zimbabwe, but came to Frankfurt when it was three years old. Michael Probst / Associated Press
    Black rhinoceros Kalusho walks in its enclosure on February 3, 2017, at the zoo in Frankfurt, Germany. The 30-year-old rhino was born in Zimbabwe, but came to Frankfurt when it was three years old. Michael Probst / Associated Press
  • A woman on February 3, 2017, inspects a hole in a building damaged by shelling in the rebel-held city of Donetsk, Ukraine. Alexander Ermochenko / Reuters
    A woman on February 3, 2017, inspects a hole in a building damaged by shelling in the rebel-held city of Donetsk, Ukraine. Alexander Ermochenko / Reuters
  • Migrants and refugees are assisted by members of the Spanish NGO Proactiva Open Arms on February 3, 2017, as they crowd a boat adrift in the Mediterranean Sea about 34 kilometres north of Sabratha, Libya. European Union leaders said they are poised to take a big step on Friday in closing off the illegal migration routes from Libya across the central Mediterranean, where thousands have died trying to reach the EU. Emilio Morenatti / Associated Press
    Migrants and refugees are assisted by members of the Spanish NGO Proactiva Open Arms on February 3, 2017, as they crowd a boat adrift in the Mediterranean Sea about 34 kilometres north of Sabratha, Libya. European Union leaders said they are poised to take a big step on Friday in closing off the illegal migration routes from Libya across the central Mediterranean, where thousands have died trying to reach the EU. Emilio Morenatti / Associated Press
  • Surfer Neil Webster rides a wave in the Atlantic Ocean off Noordhoek, Cape Town, South Africa, on February 3, 2017. Nic Bothma / EPA
    Surfer Neil Webster rides a wave in the Atlantic Ocean off Noordhoek, Cape Town, South Africa, on February 3, 2017. Nic Bothma / EPA

World in focus — best photos for February 3, 2017


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A look at the best photos from around the world today.

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Marathon results

Men:

 1. Titus Ekiru(KEN) 2:06:13 

2. Alphonce Simbu(TAN) 2:07:50 

3. Reuben Kipyego(KEN) 2:08:25 

4. Abel Kirui(KEN) 2:08:46 

5. Felix Kemutai(KEN) 2:10:48  

Women:

1. Judith Korir(KEN) 2:22:30 

2. Eunice Chumba(BHR) 2:26:01 

3. Immaculate Chemutai(UGA) 2:28:30 

4. Abebech Bekele(ETH) 2:29:43 

5. Aleksandra Morozova(RUS) 2:33:01  

BUNDESLIGA FIXTURES

Friday (UAE kick-off times)

Cologne v Hoffenheim (11.30pm)

Saturday

Hertha Berlin v RB Leipzig (6.30pm)

Schalke v Fortuna Dusseldof (6.30pm)

Mainz v Union Berlin (6.30pm)

Paderborn v Augsburg (6.30pm)

Bayern Munich v Borussia Dortmund (9.30pm)

Sunday

Borussia Monchengladbach v Werder Bremen (4.30pm)

Wolfsburg v Bayer Leverkusen (6.30pm)

SC Freiburg v Eintracht Frankfurt (9on)

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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