This week the spotlight is on tax developments in Oman, where the country has joined the Organisation of Economic Development’s Base Erosion and Profit Shifting framework. It aims to curtail multinational group tax avoidance and improve the resolution of tax disputes between countries. By joining it, Oman has agreed to adopt minimum standards developed in 2015 by the Organisation and G20 nations. The country will now have to adopt provisions to prevent tax treaty ‘shopping’, implement country-by-country reporting on multinationals and exchange country-by-country reports. It will also have to limit the benefits of any intellectual property or other preferential tax regimes established in Oman and will need to fully implement the mutual agreement procedures in its tax treaties with other countries to aid resolution of tax disputes. The Sultanate becomes the 103rd country to join the framework.

Elsewhere, the country’s Health Ministry has announced it is considering introducing a junk food tax following concerns over obesity and other related health issues in the country. It comes as Oman amongst the other GCC countries work towards implementing an excise tax on energy and fizzy drinks as well as tobacco. Ministry officials said the tax could see junk food prices increased from 100 or 200bz to 500bz.