The National Bureau for Revenue (NBR) conducted 358 inspection visits within the local markets across different governorates in Bahrain during the first quarter of 2025.
These visits are part of the NBR’s continuous commitment to enhancing the level of businesses’ compliance within the local markets and ensuring adherence to all regulations and legislation for the effective implementation of VAT and Excise, including the Digital Stamps Scheme.
The NBR also aims to monitor the market and provide high levels of protection for customer rights and combat VAT and Excise evasion, along with spreading awareness on the rightful ways of implementation.
The NBR has confirmed that effective oversight of the local market has resulted in reporting a total of 46 violations, in which administrative fines have been imposed following the law.
The reported violations were related to the failure to comply with the conditions for issuing VAT invoices, failure to show prices inclusive of VAT, supply of excise goods without a valid and active digital stamp, failure to display a VAT certificate in a visible location, failure to issue a VAT invoice, and issuance of VAT invoices on non-VATable supplies.
The NBR identified several violations that are considered suspicious of VAT evasion, in which legal actions are being taken against violators, and reported those who are proven to have committed evasion crimes which may be punishable by imprisonment for five years and a fine equivalent to three times the amount of VAT due.
The NBR emphasised that the co-operation of businesses and consumers is integral to the success of the ongoing inspection campaigns to achieve the highest compliance standards, and to advise all businesses registered with the NBR to adhere to the application of legislation to prevent violations and to ensure the success of the various stages of implementation.
The NBR also urges all concerned parties to report any violations or evasions of the VAT or Excise law by contacting the NBR call centre at 80008001, available 24 hours, seven days a week, or through the National Suggestions and Complaints System (Tawasul). Additionally, detailed information is available on the NBR’s website (www.nbr.gov.bh).
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