Guide for UAE jewellers · VAT
UAE VAT on gold and jewellery
What a jewellery shop in Dubai, Abu Dhabi or Sharjah charges on gold, what is zero-rated, how the reverse charge between dealers works since 2025, what the tax invoice must show, and when e-invoicing starts.
What is the VAT on gold jewellery in the UAE?
Gold jewellery sold to a consumer in the UAE carries VAT at 5% on its full value: the metal, the making charges and any stones. Investment precious metals, meaning gold, silver and platinum of 99% purity or more in a form traded on global bullion markets, are zero-rated. Between VAT-registered businesses, supplies of gold and other precious metals and stones, and of jewellery whose precious content is worth more than its other components, fall under the reverse charge when the buyer intends to resell them or use them in production: the seller charges no VAT and the buyer accounts for it. This wider reverse charge came in with Cabinet Decision No. 127 of 2024 in February 2025.
Updated 5 November 2026.
| Supply | VAT | Who accounts for it |
|---|---|---|
| Jewellery sold to a consumer (metal, making, stones) | 5% | The jeweller, on the tax invoice |
| Investment gold, silver or platinum, 99% purity or more, tradeable on bullion markets | 0% | Zero-rated; the jeweller keeps its input tax credit |
| Gold, precious metals, stones or jewellery sold to a VAT-registered dealer for resale or production | 5%, reverse charge | The buyer, in their own VAT return; the seller keeps the buyer's declaration |
| Jewellery bought by a tourist under the tax-free shopping scheme | 5%, refundable | Refunded to the tourist at departure, less a fee |
Federal Decree-Law No. 8 of 2017 on VAT, its Executive Regulation, and Cabinet Decision No. 127 of 2024 (which replaced Cabinet Decision No. 25 of 2018). The FTA explains the reverse charge in public clarification VATP043.
The reverse charge since February 2025
- Covers gold, silver, platinum and palladium; natural and synthetic diamonds, pearls, rubies, sapphires and emeralds
- And jewellery made of them, where the precious component is worth more than the other components
- Applies when both sides are VAT-registered and the buyer will resell the goods or use them to make such goods
- The buyer gives the seller a written declaration before the supply; the seller keeps it
- The invoice shows no VAT and states that the reverse charge applies
What a tax invoice shows
- The words Tax Invoice
- Your name, address and TRN; the customer's, with their TRN if registered
- A sequential invoice number, the date of issue, and the date of supply if different
- Each item with its description, quantity and price
- The VAT rate and amount in AED, any discount, and the total payable
- A statement when the reverse charge applies
E-invoicing: the dates
- Ministerial Decisions No. 243 and 244 of 2025 set up the e-invoicing system
- Pilot from 1 July 2026, by invitation
- Businesses with revenue of AED 50 million or more: from 1 January 2027
- All other businesses in scope: from 1 July 2027
- Government entities: from 1 October 2027
- Invoices go as structured data through an Accredited Service Provider (ASP); a PDF is not an e-invoice
Cash and AML rules for jewellers
- Dealers in precious metals and stones are covered by the UAE's anti-money-laundering rules
- A cash transaction, or linked transactions, of AED 55,000 or more needs customer due diligence and a Dealers in Precious Metals and Stones Report (DPMSR) on goAML
- Suspicious transactions are reported on goAML whatever the amount
- Check the current rules with the Ministry of Economy and Tourism, your supervisor for mainland and commercial free zone shops
What Infovion JMS does in the UAE
- Bills in AED with rates per gram for 24K, 22K, 21K and 18K
- 5% VAT on metal, making and stones; VAT can be switched off for a reverse-charge bill
- Tax invoice with your TRN and the customer's TRN
- Customer ID stored encrypted, and the payment method on every bill
Not in Infovion JMS yet
- Arabic or bilingual invoices
- Reverse-charge wording printed automatically: it is added by hand
- UAE e-invoicing through an Accredited Service Provider
- DPMSR reports for goAML
| Metal value | 18.42 g × AED 374.25 | AED 6,893.69 |
|---|---|---|
| Making charges | 18.42 g × AED 22 | AED 405.24 |
| Taxable amount | AED 7,298.93 | |
| VAT 5% | AED 364.95 | |
| Invoice total | AED 7,663.88 |
Rates are for illustration only. Sold to a registered dealer for resale under the reverse charge, the same invoice would show no VAT and total AED 7,298.93.
Sources: UAE Federal Tax Authority · UAE Ministry of Finance: eInvoicing · PwC: Cabinet Decision on the reverse charge for precious metals and stones · EY: UAE Ministerial Decisions on e-invoicing · UAE Financial Intelligence Unit (goAML)
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Is VAT charged on gold in Dubai?
Yes, 5% on gold jewellery sold to consumers, on the full value including making and stones. Investment gold of 99% purity or more is zero-rated.
Is VAT applicable on 24 carat gold in Dubai?
It depends on the form. 24K bars, coins and wafers of 99% purity or more, in a form traded on global bullion markets, are investment gold and zero-rated: no VAT. 24K jewellery is not investment gold, so it carries 5% VAT on its full value like any other jewellery.
How much is VAT on gold in Dubai?
5% on gold jewellery, charged on the metal, making charges and stones together. 0% on investment gold bars and coins of 99% purity or more. Tourists can claim the 5% back, less a fee, on eligible purchases when they leave.
Is VAT charged on making charges in the UAE?
Yes. For jewellery sold to a consumer, the making charges are part of the price, and 5% VAT applies to them along with the metal and stones.
What changed for gold dealers in 2025?
Cabinet Decision No. 127 of 2024, in force since February 2025, extended the reverse charge from gold and diamonds to silver, platinum, palladium, pearls, rubies, sapphires and emeralds, and to jewellery whose precious content dominates, for supplies between registered businesses for resale or production.
Can tourists get the VAT back on jewellery?
Yes, on eligible purchases from shops registered in the tax-free shopping scheme, claimed when leaving the UAE, less a fee.
When does e-invoicing start for jewellery shops?
1 January 2027 for businesses with revenue of AED 50 million or more, and 1 July 2027 for other businesses in scope, after a pilot from July 2026.
Does Infovion JMS support UAE e-invoicing?
Not yet. It prints VAT tax invoices with your TRN today. Sending invoices through an Accredited Service Provider is not supported.
See Infovion JMS on a free demo call
Book a free demo call and we set up your shop for the United Arab Emirates: AED, 5% VAT and Gulf karats. About AED 390 per shop, then a yearly AMC.