VAT Refund – UAE Citizens' Housing Construction
Building your own home comes with a VAT bill most people don’t realise they can partly reclaim — if the application goes in within 12 months of completion, with the right invoices.
Who This Is For
This refund is for UAE nationals building a new residence for personal or family occupation. It’s a genuinely valuable entitlement that a lot of families either don’t claim, or under-claim, simply because the eligible-versus-excluded expense list isn’t intuitive and the deadline is easy to miss once construction wraps up.
Where This Usually Trips People Up
- Not knowing the 12-month deadline from completion, or what triggers "completion" for this purpose
- Submitting invoices for excluded items (furniture, pools, landscaping) alongside qualifying costs
- Missing required proof of active bank account ownership (IBAN letter)
- Jointly owned properties needing notarised power of attorney that wasn't prepared in advance
- Not tracking the 2026 scheme expansion that adds newly eligible categories
What Hayakom Handles
- Eligibility check under the FTA scheme for UAE nationals
- Collection and verification of qualifying invoices and contracts
- Refund application preparation and submission via Maskan/EmaraTax
- Follow-up with the FTA through to disbursement
- Guidance on qualifying versus non-qualifying costs
How It Works
1. Eligibility Review
We confirm your application falls within the scheme and the completion deadline.
2. Invoice Collection
We gather and verify invoices against the eligible-expense list.
3. Submission
We submit through Maskan/EmaraTax with supporting documents.
4. Follow-Up
We track the FTA’s review through to refund disbursement.
What to Expect
The FTA has a stated evaluation window plus a further verification review step, so this isn’t an instant refund — but it is a reliable one when the application is complete the first time. Built-in items like air conditioning, kitchens and sanitary fixtures typically qualify; furniture, pools, landscaping and loose appliances generally don’t. A 2026 scheme expansion added categories like staff accommodation, home gyms and smart-home systems — since rules are actively evolving, we confirm current eligibility against the FTA’s published guidance at the time you apply.
Related Services
Questions We Get Asked
What UAE nationals ask before applying for their refund.