Saudi Gazette report
RIYADH — The Saudi Zakat, Tax and Customs Authority (ZATCA) announced that the minister of finance has issued a decision to extend the initiative to waive fines and financial penalties for taxpayers subject to all tax systems for another period of six months, starting from January 1, 2026. The decision was taken following the expiry of the six-month period of the tax penalty waiver on Dec. 31, 2025.

ZATCA clarified that the initiative gives exemption for taxpayers from payment of fines for late registration in all tax systems, late payment, and late filing of returns in all tax systems, in addition to fines for correcting VAT returns, fines for field inspection violations related to the application of electronic invoicing regulations, and other general VAT provisions.

The authority cited the requirements for taxpayers to take advantage of the waiver initiative. According to the requirements, the taxpayer must be registered in the tax system, submit all required tax returns to the authority, and pay the full principal amount of the outstanding tax debt.

Taxpayers may apply to the ZATCA for an installment plan, provided the application is submitted during the initiative's validity period and all installments are paid on their due dates according to the installment plan approved by the authority. The authority emphasized that the initiative does not include penalties related to tax evasion violations or penalties paid before the initiative's effective date.

ZATCA urged taxpayers to review the details of the initiative through its simplified guide, available on its website. The guide provides a comprehensive explanation of the key aspects of the decision to extend the initiative to waive fines and penalties, including the types of fines covered, the conditions for exemption, and the steps for paying outstanding amounts in installments. It also outlined the field enforcement violations covered by the initiative, providing illustrative examples.

ZATCA urged all taxpayers to take advantage of the initiative's extension that ends on June 30, 2026. For any inquiries, taxpayers can contact ZATCA through its unified call center number (19993), which operates 24/7, or via the "Ask Zakat, Tax and Customs" account on the X platform (@Zatca_Care), email (info@zatca.gov.sa), or live chat on the ZATCA website (zatca.gov.sa).