Manama: The National Bureau for Revenue (NBR) conducted 260 inspection visits to local markets across the Kingdom of Bahrain during the third quarter of 2025, as part of the NBR's continuous commitment to ensure business compliance with VAT and Excise.
According to Bahrain News Agency, these visits also aim to maintain market monitoring, ensure high levels of protection for consumer rights, and combat VAT and Excise evasion.
The NBR confirmed that effective market oversight resulted in reporting 41 VAT violations, in which administrative fines were imposed in accordance with the Law. The most frequently reported violation was the failure to comply with the conditions for issuing VAT invoices, in addition to other violations such as failure to show prices inclusive of VAT, failure to display a VAT certificate in a visible location, failure to issue VAT invoices, and issuance of VAT invoices on non-VATable supplies.
As part of ensuring proper excise implementation in the local market, the NBR reported 10 violations related to the acquisition of excise goods with unpaid excise dues, and the supply of excise goods without a valid and active digital stamp for which administrative fines were imposed.
The NBR's intensified oversight efforts also led to identification of suspicious cases of VAT and Excise evasion, in which legal actions have been 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 or by imprisonment for one year and a fine equivalent to double the evaded excise.
The NBR stressed the importance of adhering to all regulations and legislation to ensure the effective implementation of VAT and Excise. The NBR also urges all concerned parties to report any violations by contacting the NBR call center at 80008001 available 24 hours, 7 days a week, or through the National Suggestions and Complaints System (Tawasul). Additionally, more information is available on the NBR's website www.nbr.gov.bh.