The Zakat, Tax and Customs Authority (ZATCA) urged conveyors of real estate transactions tax (RETT) to take advantage of the services offered via the Real Estate Transactions Platform on its website (zatca.gov.sa), which enables taxpayers to efficiently and automatically complete all services.
The Platform offers a variety of real estate transaction tax-related services, the most notable of which is the new real estate transaction registration request service, which enables the property to be registered in the RETT service before the real estate emptying process is finished or the contract is documented. This also enables the determination of the portion of the property involved in the anticipated sale that is subject to real estate transaction tax.
The Platform also offers information on how to object to the real estate transaction tax, update the real estate transaction tax request, amend the property registration request prior to emptying or documenting the property, and verify the real estate transaction registration request. Conveyors can cancel the request to register the property with the Real Estate Transaction Tax service. In addition, conveyors can check the status of the real estate transaction registration request in the RETT service and know if the property is subject to tax and the status of payment, as well as the possibility of tax refund upon cancellation and amend in accordance with laws and regulations.
ZATCA urged conveyors to read the comprehensive user guide for the platform, which is available on the website and contains an overview of the platform and specific information that will assist taxpayers in using the platform to its fullest potential.
It is worth mentioning that RETT shall be imposed at a rate of 5% on real estate whose ownership has been transferred from a person or enterprise to another by sale, trade-off, assignment, donation or similar manners, with some exceptions such as the disposition of real estate by a natural person to an affiliated company or an investment fund who owns all its shares and stocks provided that no changes shall be made in his percentage ownership for a period not less than five years in accordance with Real Estate Transaction Tax Implementing Regulations . As well as the disposition of real estate between companies and investment funds whose all of their shares and stocks are owned by the same person, on the condition that no changes occur in the percentage of ownership in the dispositioned company for a period not less than five years based on the provisions of the Real Estate Transaction Tax Implementing Regulations. Any real estate ownership transfer process must be documented on the RETT platform at ZATCA's website first by showing the real estate transaction's data and determining the type of real estate transaction before the real estate is emptied or documented with the competent authorities.
It is noted that the state bears RETT of the first home at no more than one million riyal when buying the first home in order to achieve the objectives of Saudi Vision 2030, which intends to enable citizens to own their first home.
