ورشة عمل رحلة التقاضي امام اللجان الضريبية الثلاثاء 8ديسمبر 2020

Concise overview

This document is a practical walkthrough of litigation before Saudi tax committees (General Secretariat of Tax Committees). It covers organizational roles, procedural stages, filing/representation rules, evidence and electronic case management, timelines and KPIs, remedies (appeal/reconsideration), and operational recommendations for taxpayers, tax/legal teams, in-house counsels, and accounting/tax firms.

Key organizational facts (operations & structure)

• General Secretariat of Tax Committees
  • Independent support body providing legal, administrative, technical and accounting support.
  • Tasks include case registration, numbering/archiving, website/e-portal management, publishing committee decisions, research and annual statistics.
  • Provides claim templates on the e-portal.
• Committees and departments
  • Total committees: 12 (10 primary/adjudication committees + 2 appeals committees).
  • Income tax (including Zakat): 4 departments (2 Riyadh, 1 Dammam, 1 Jeddah).
  • VAT: 5 departments (3 Riyadh, 1 Dammam, 1 Jeddah).
• Panels and decision-making
  • Standard panel: 3 members + 1 alternate.
  • Decisions by majority; chair casts tie-breaking vote.
  • Remote hearing capability and full electronic exchange via portal, SMS, verified email and national address.
  • Official language: Arabic. Interpreters required if a party does not speak Arabic.

Process frameworks, playbooks and workflows

High-level procedural journey (three-stage framework)

1. Objection/grievance stage — initial objection to the Authority.
2. Litigation before adjudication committees — primary adjudication.
3. General litigation — appeals and petitions for reconsideration (Appeals Committee; extraordinary reconsideration under Sharia Procedure Law).

Filing & intake checklist (Article 8 requirements)

• Plaintiff full name or commercial registration.
• Main office address.
• Tax/UID number.
• Statement of claims/relief sought.
• Supporting evidence.
• Signature of plaintiff or authorized representative.
• Secretariat provides a claim template on the e-portal.

Case intake validation and routing

• A claim is considered registered on the submission date if it meets the Article 8 requirements.
• Secretariat verifies completeness before referring to the competent department.
• Missing information must be supplied within 15 days or the claim is treated as not served.

Territorial jurisdiction playbook

• Jurisdiction is the defendant’s residence, corporate principal office, or branch location relevant to the dispute.
• The Council defines department boundaries.

Evidence & admissibility

• All forms of evidence allowed consistent with the case nature; expressly includes recorded calls and digital evidence.

Hearings & session management

• Parties considered absent if not present within 30 minutes of session start (unless court extends).
• Sessions are public unless the panel orders a closed session.
• The secretary must record session minutes with standard fields (dates, participants, procedures).
• Supporting experts (accounting, legal, financial consultants) may attend to explain technical matters.

Timelines, KPIs and statutory periods (operational SLAs)

• Objection to the Authority: submit within 60 days from the decision.
• Authority decision on objection: up to 90 days.
  • If Authority rejects the objection or 90 days elapse without a decision → taxpayer has 30 days from notification to either:
    • Request internal committee settlement, or
    • File a grievance before tax committees.
• Filing to tax committees: 30 days after notification of rejection/expiry.
• Secretariat deficiency cure period: 15 days to complete missing data (or treated as not served).
• Committee adjudication target: decision within 60 days of the first session (exceptions where more time is required).
• Appeal periods:
  • General appeal to Appeals Committee: 30 days from the day after the decision date.
  • Default-judgment appeal: 30 days from notification (or public notice if notification is impossible).
• Abandonment/suspension rules:
  • Parties may agree to suspend proceedings up to 180 days; failure to resume within 10 days after expiry = plaintiff abandonment.
• Delivery of decision copy:
  • Set date ≤ 30 days from decision (court may extend by another 30 days).
• Repeated operational time markers: 30‑minute attendance rule; multiple 30‑day windows for appeals and responses.

Enforcement & enforceability rules

• Panels may order expedited enforcement (with or without guarantee) in cases such as judicial admissions, uncontested official documents, or where delay would cause irreparable harm.
• Some committee decisions are final and not appealable further. Certain monetary thresholds (approx. 5,000 — check the rule text for exact threshold and applicability) may render decisions final.

Representation, compliance and governance rules

• Power of attorney and authorized representative requirements are now enforced.
• Who may represent:
  • Registered practicing lawyers (listed in the lawyers’ register) — general right to represent.
  • In-house legal representatives (employees of the taxpaying entity) may represent with no numerical limit if they are employees and hold a university degree in Sharia, law or related fields.
  • Licensed lawyers/agents may represent up to three cases (exceptions exist for relatives up to the 4th degree, guardians, etc.).
  • Accounting/tax consultants or certified public accountants: may represent in limited cases (e.g., an individual CPA can litigate in up to 3 cases unless representing a firm).
• Recusal and panel replacement
  • Rules/process exist for recusal of panel members; replacement by an alternate or members from other panels.
  • Appeals Committee handles recusal of panel heads.
  • Recusal outcomes require final, reasoned decisions.

Operational guidance and actionable items for businesses

• Establish an internal runbook aligned to statutory timelines:
  • Track all tax assessments/notifications and trigger calendar reminders for 60-day and 90-day windows and subsequent 30‑day windows for escalation/filing.
• Use the Secretariat e-portal and ensure registered contact details (mobile, verified email, national address) are current — notifications and case status rely on these channels.
• Prepare standardized claim templates and evidence bundles (digital-friendly; include recorded communications and metadata where relevant).
• Ensure Arabic translations where needed; arrange certified interpreters for non‑Arabic-speaking stakeholders.
• Maintain authorized representatives and up-to-date powers of attorney; use in-house qualified legal personnel when available to avoid the 3-case limitation for external agents.
• Consider internal committee settlement negotiations early — this suspends proceedings and can be final if accepted in writing.
• For high-risk or time-sensitive matters, prepare to request expedited enforcement or to argue against enforcement that would be harmful.
• Preserve audit trails and electronic evidence; confirm admissibility standards (digital evidence accepted).
• Monitor published committee decisions and annual statistics to develop precedent-led defense and appeal strategies.

Practical operational risks and constraints

• Non-compliance with procedural formalities (missing claim data, wrong jurisdiction, failure to use Arabic) risks dismissal or the case being treated as not served.
• Tight statutory windows (60/90/30 days) require robust intake and escalation processes within taxpayer organizations and advisors.
• Limited avenues for further appeal in many cases → emphasize getting first-instance process and representation right.
• Potential delays in exchange stages (document requests, opposing party responses) may occur; the Secretariat aims to expedite but businesses should plan for procedural delays.

Where to get templates, decisions and further guidance

• Secretariat e-portal: electronic claim templates, case status tracking, decision delivery, notifications via SMS/email.
• Secretariat publishes guidance manuals and committee decisions via its website and official social channels (e.g., Twitter, LinkedIn).

Presenters and sources

• Presenter: Ali Al‑Saqqaf — Legal Researcher, General Secretariat of Tax Committees.
• Organizational/sourced material:
  • General Secretariat of Tax Committees
  • Royal Decree No. 100/113 (11/2/1438 AH)
  • Board Resolution No. 488 (20/4/1439 AH)
  • Royal Decree No. 26040 (1441 AH / 2019 CE) approving Rules of Procedure
  • Ministerial Decision No. 4649 (Lawyers’ System implementing regulations)
  • Rules of Procedure for Committees Adjudicating Tax Violations and Disputes
  • Sharia Procedure Law (as referenced)