Tax services
Withholding tax in Qatar
Thiqa Consulting helps companies manage withholding tax in Qatar. We find the payments to non-residents that need tax withheld, work out the amount, prepare the monthly return and support you through filing and payment on Dhareeba. We also keep the records ready for a General Tax Authority audit. Tell us how you pay foreign suppliers to start.
Coloured pins marking places on a map
- Payments checkedWhich foreign payments need tax withheld
- Monthly return preparedReady for filing and payment on Dhareeba
- Audit-ready recordsFigures that tie back to your books
- Fixed feeAgreed in writing before we start
Who has to deal with withholding tax
Any company in Qatar that pays a non-resident for certain kinds of work or rights may have to hold back part of the payment and pay it to the General Tax Authority. The payer is responsible, not the supplier abroad.
It is easy to miss. Fees to a foreign consultant, a software licence or interest on an overseas loan can all be in scope. Missed amounts tend to come to light in a tax audit.
What we do
From finding the payments to the records behind them, the work comes in six parts. You choose what you need.
Find payments in scope
We go through payments to non-residents and flag the ones that need tax withheld.
Work out the tax
We calculate the amount to hold back on each payment.
Tax treaty check
We check treaty eligibility and the GTA process for claiming any relief or refund.
Monthly return
We prepare the withholding tax return and support you through filing on Dhareeba.
Paying the GTA
We help you settle the amount due. The payment is made by your company.
Audit-ready records
We keep the workings and support so the figures stand up in a General Tax Authority audit.
How the work runs
- 1
Review your payments
We look at what you pay to non-residents and why.
- 2
Agree the scope
A written proposal with the work and a fixed fee.
- 3
Prepare each month
We work out the tax and prepare the return.
- 4
File and pay
We support filing on Dhareeba and payment by your company.
Documents we need from you
- List of payments to non-residents for the month
- Contracts and invoices from foreign suppliers
- Details of whether the supplier has a presence in Qatar
- Supplier tax card or QFC registration, where they have one
- Bank records of the payments
- Tax card number and access to Dhareeba
No tax card yet? Dhareeba registration and tax card
Get expert advice for your business
Tell us what you need. We reply with a written proposal covering the scope, the documents we need and the timeline.
Common questions about withholding tax
Answers about the service, the work involved and what to prepare. Open a question to read more.
How much withholding tax is deducted in Qatar?
The general rate is 5% of the gross payment for royalties, interest, commissions and fees for services performed wholly or partly in Qatar, paid to non-residents for activities not connected to a permanent establishment here. The payer withholds and remits the tax. Tax-card and QFC exceptions and any treaty relief must be checked for the payment concerned.
When must withholding tax be paid to the GTA?
The payer must remit the tax to the General Tax Authority before the 16th day of the month after the month in which it was withheld. So tax held back from a payment made in March is due before 16 April. Each month’s payments to non-residents need to be reviewed in time to meet this.
Which payments are subject to withholding tax in Qatar?
The rules cover royalties, interest, commissions and fees for services performed wholly or partly in Qatar, paid to non-residents for activities not connected to a permanent establishment here. For services, work in Qatar can include data collection or site visits, even by another party. Receiving a service in Qatar alone does not decide the result. We review the contract and how the work is performed.
Is tax withheld on payments to suppliers with a tax card?
No. Under the Executive Regulations, no tax is withheld on amounts paid to persons who have been issued a tax card, or to persons registered with the Qatar Financial Centre. Ask the supplier for a copy of its tax card or QFC registration and keep it with your records before you pay.
Who is responsible for withholding tax, the payer or the supplier?
The payer. The company in Qatar that makes the payment holds back the tax and remits it to the General Tax Authority. The foreign supplier receives the payment less the tax. That is why the payer needs to check each payment to a non-resident and keep the records that support it.
Answers checked against the General Tax Authority’s published texts on 13 October 2026. General Tax Authority
Tell us what you need. We reply with a written proposal.
You get the scope, the papers we need and the time it takes.
- 1You send your details by WhatsApp or email.
- 2We read them and ask anything we need to know.
- 3You get a written proposal: scope, papers and timing.