Records must stay in Qatar for ten years
Our accounting is done by the group in India. Can we keep the books there?
The situation
Qatar requires books, registers and documents for Qatar activity to be kept in Qatar for ten years.
The law
- Executive Regulations of Law No. 24 of 2018 (books and records): Books and documents for Qatar activity are kept in Qatar for ten years
What it means for you
Group shared service accounting is common, but the Qatar entity still needs its records available in Qatar for ten years. A practical setup is a local copy of the ledger, contracts and invoices, stored in Qatar, with the group system as the working tool. During a GTA review, missing local records can weaken your position on deductions.
What to do
- Keep a full local copy of ledgers and documents in Qatar.
- Note the storage location in your tax file.
- Keep ten years of records.
- Check access rights for the local finance contact.
We can do this for youAnnual corporate income tax return on Dhareeba for a foreign owned company or branch: QAR 6,500