Not all veggies, fruits are VAT free

Quite contrary to the general understanding among the public about the Value Added Tax (VAT) in Bahrain, it emerged that not all vegetables and fruits are exempted from the tax. Speaking to Tribune, a VAT expert said that the word ‘exempt’ is slightly misleading many customers while gaining a detailed knowledge on the newly-introduced tax. “To make it more clear, I must say that no product is exempted from VAT.

Some are 5 per cent rate, while others are zero-rated. “While most of the vegetables and fruits are zero-rated, there are many for which VAT is applicable,” he pointed out. Tribune reported yesterday about an alleged VAT violation at a leading supermarket in Tubli. However, the representatives of the supermarket told Tribune that there have been no VAT violations.

“The VAT-charged vegetables shown in the bill are not zero-rated and thus the tax,” the representatives pointed out. In another development, the National Bureau for Taxation (NBT) yesterday introduced a new service that allows consumers to verify vendors’ VAT registration status through a search tool accessible on www.nbt.gov.bh.