Glossary and Abbreviations

Accrual Basis

The basis of accounting under which transactions and other events are recognised when they occur (and not only when cash or its equivalent is received or paid).  Therefore, accounting transactions and events are recorded and recognised in financial statements of the periods to which they relate. Elements recognised under accrual accounting are assets, liabilities, net assets/equity, revenue, and expenses.

Source: Manual of Federal Government Accrual Accounting Standards

Balanced budget

In a balanced budget, expected expenses do not exceed expected revenues.

Source: Budget Planning Handbook- 2010

Chart of Accounts

The Chart of Accounts is structured into chapters; for the federal budget, Chapters 1 (“Revenues”), 2 (“Expenditures”), 3 (“Assets”) and 4 (“Liabilities”) are the most important. Chapters are broken down hierarchically into groups and line items.

Source: Budget Planning Handbook- 2010

Credit Information

 The person’s financial data, financial obligations, current and previous payments, financial rights including the revenue, movable and immovable assets thereof, any banking transactions and other significant data and information relating to the credit information and indicating the person’s eligibility and creditworthiness submitted by the information provider and based on which the credit record is created.

Source: Federal Law No (6) of 2010 on Credit Information

Catalogue

A list of standardised products or services offered by suppliers, including clear specifications and fixed prices. Federal entities can directly request purchases through the procurement system from approved suppliers listed in the catalogue.

Source: Guide to Digital Procurement Procedures for the Federal Government (2024). 

Digital Procurement Platform

The Digital Procurement Platform (DPP) is a comprehensive system that digitalises the procurement process across the UAE federal entities. Developed by the Ministry of Finance, it brings together the federal entities and registered suppliers on a single platform, where all the stages of the procurement process including announcement, bidding and following up on tenders, placing purchase orders, and generating invoices, can be completed online.

Source: Digital Procurement Platform

Double Tax Agreements

A DTA is an international agreement signed by two countries for the avoidance of double taxation and the prevention of fiscal evasion of taxes on income and capital. DTAs provide a means of settling the most common problems that arise in the field of international double taxation, on a uniform basis.

Source: UAE Mutual Agreement Procedure Guidance

Electronic Invoicing System

An electronic system designated for the issuance, transmission,

exchange and sharing of invoice and credit note data.

Source: Ministerial Decision No 64 of 2025 On the Eligibility Criteria and Accreditation Procedure for Service Providers Under the Electronic Invoicing System.

Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (“FATCA”)​

FATCA is a United States (“US”) automatic exchange of information regime designed to curb offshore tax evasion by US persons. It was enacted by the US in 2010 as part of the Hiring Initiative to Restore Employment (“HIRE”) Act. FATCA requires Foreign Financial Institutions (“FFIs”) outside the US to report information on financial accounts held by US persons.

Source: Automatic Exchange of Information – FATCA and CRS

General Budget

The government budget approved by federal law, which includes the estimated public revenues to be collected and the estimated public expenditures to be disbursed by various federal entities during a specific fiscal year.

Source: Federal Decree Law No (26) of 2019 on Public Financial Management

General Revenues

The Federal Government Revenues resulting from its public and private properties, charges and taxes collected by the competent Federal Entities, the returns on investment in various economic activities, in addition to transfers, contributions and other financial revenues handed over or transferred to the Treasury Single Account and allocated to meet Public Expenditures in the General Budget of the State.

 

Source: Federal Decree Law No (26) of 2019 on Public Financial Management

Government's Own Stable Revenue

Financial revenue generated from the provision of services and implementation of various activities by the Government and Government Entities –whose revenue is part of the Government’s Own Stable Revenue, including the annual recurring revenue, for which no fixed and compulsory amount is required to be generated in order to classify such revenue as stable. This revenue may vary between specific percentages, up or down, but

not exceeding ten percent [10%] of the arithmetic mean for the latest three (3) years.

Source: Federal Decree-Law No (9) of 2018, Regarding Public Debt

Public Debt

Direct and indirect outstanding obligations, denominated in the UAE Dirham or any other foreign currencies, owed by the Government, in accordance with the provisions of Decretal Federal Law No (9) of 2018, Regarding Public Debt.

Source: Decretal Federal Law No (9) of 2018, Regarding Public Debt

Registered and Accepted Supplier

A Supplier registered in the Supplier Registry who has successfully completed the registration and acceptance process on the Procurement System and whose registration has been activated as a Registered and Accepted Supplier by way of a notification sent to them in confirmation of the same.

Source: Cabinet Resolution No (122) of 2024 Regarding Implementing the Regulations of Federal Law No (11) of 2023 on Procurement in the Federal Government

Supplier Registry

 The electronic database of Registered and Accepted Suppliers in the Procurement System, in accordance with the provisions of the Law, this Resolution, and the Federal Government’s Procurement Procedures

Manual.

Source: Cabinet Resolution No (122) of 2024 Regarding Implementing the Regulations of Federal Law No (11) of 2023 on Procurement in the Federal Government

T-Bonds

T-Bonds are fixed-income investment securities offered for subscription for investors. Purchasing T-Bonds means lending the federal government (bond issuer) an agreed amount of money for a specific period of time. In return, the investor (bondholder) receives interest payments from the government at regular intervals, known as the ‘coupon’. The bond issuer fulfils its debt obligation once the bond reaches its ‘maturity date’ or the date on which the bond’s principal amount, known as the ‘face value’ or ‘par value’, must be paid in full.

Source: T-Bonds

T-Sukuk

Islamic Sharia-compliant financial instruments issued by the federal government of the UAE denominated in the Emirati Dirham (AED).

Source: T-Sukuk

The Common Reporting Standard (“CRS”)

The Common Reporting Standard (“CRS”) is the agreed global standard for the automatic exchange of financial account information (“AEOI”). It was developed by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (“OECD”) in February 2014. The main aim of the CRS is to facilitate tax transparency by allowing CRS participating jurisdictions to automatically exchange information obtained from local Financial Institutions (“FIs”) on an annual basis with exchange partners where reportable persons are resident for tax purposes. Financial Account information can then be used by the receiving tax authorities to help ensure compliance by their taxpayers.

Source: Automatic Exchange of Information – FATCA and CRS

Value Added Tax (VAT)

A tax imposed on the import and supply of Goods and Services at each stage of

production and distribution, including the Deemed Supply.

Source: Federal Decree-Law No (8) of 2017 on Value Added Tax

Zero-Based Budgeting

Zero-Based Budgeting (ZBB) is a method of

budgeting in which all expenses must be justified for each new period. Zero-Based Budgeting is conducted at regular intervals as a project which starts

from a “zero base” and analyses every function within an organisation

regarding its needs and costs. Budgets – within the limits of the budget caps –

are then built around what is needed for the upcoming period, regardless of

whether the budget is higher or lower than the previous one. It provides

bottom-up costing for performed activities. The budget is based on the costing and prioritisation of activities,

taking into account resource limitations.

Source: Budget Planning Handbook- 2010

Customer Pulse Survey Button

About Ministry

About Ministry

About Ministry