Field notes
What we learned by building it.
Articles about the things that cost money when they are wrong: how a fine is taxed, where a rental ends and a finance lease begins, who pays the Salik. We only write about what we had to get right ourselves.
- 8 min read
Long-term rental or finance lease? In the UAE the difference is a licence
A monthly rental and a lease look identical on a schedule. One is ordinary rental; the other is licensed activity under Federal Decree-Law 32/2023, and the line between them is a single clause.
- 7 min read
VAT on car rental in the UAE: what is taxed, what isn't, and what gets it wrong
Rental is standard-rated at 5%, but traffic fines are out of scope, a refundable deposit is not a supply at all, and the finance element of a lease can be exempt. The distinctions decide your return.