The era of “de facto” confidentiality is fading, even in jurisdictions such as the United Arab Emirates. The steady expansion of automatic exchange of information is strengthening tax authorities’ oversight capabilities and making robust, transparency-aligned planning indispensable for High-Net-Worth Individuals and international investors.
A new era of global tax information sharing
The international tax landscape is evolving rapidly, driven by a clear and largely irreversible trend: the growing exchange of information between states. From well-established Automatic Exchange of Information (AEOI) mechanisms such as the Common Reporting Standard (CRS), to the latest developments covering crypto-assets and real estate, transparency has become the new rule of the game.
Today, even jurisdictions traditionally viewed as “confidential”, including the United Arab Emirates, are aligning with this direction. It is a shift that reinforces the global commitment to combating tax evasion, money laundering and the opaque use of cross-border wealth.
UAE: transparency for crypto-assets
A meaningful step forward is the UAE’s adoption of the Crypto-Asset Reporting Framework (CARF), the OECD standard for the automatic exchange of tax information relating to digital assets. From 2028, exchanges, custodians and wallet providers based in the UAE will be required to collect and share information on clients and their crypto transactions with foreign authorities.
For local tax residents, the practical impact is limited, as the UAE does not levy personal income tax. For international investors, however, this is a paradigm shift: home-country tax authorities will gain access to data that has historically been hard to trace, opening the door to cross-checks and potential tax audits.
A global trend: real estate also enters the exchange framework
In parallel, a new multilateral agreement dedicated to the automatic exchange of information on real estate is taking shape internationally. Already signed by 25 jurisdictions, including Italy, France, the United Kingdom, Norway, Korea and New Zealand, the agreement provides that each state will transmit to others the information it has available on properties owned by non-residents, including identification details, purchase and sale values, any rental income and capital gains.
This goes beyond tracing ownership. It lays the groundwork for future checks on the correct reporting of real estate income, wealth taxes and inheritance-related matters. Here too, the direction is toward a more integrated and automated global system.
Looking ahead, the UAE’s step on crypto-assets and its alignment with new automatic exchange standards may be read as a signal of an Emirati trajectory toward growing transparency. Should this path eventually extend to other asset classes, such as real estate, the impact could be significant: markets like Dubai, with a high concentration of foreign property owners, would further enhance tax authorities’ ability to reconstruct cross-border wealth positions and intensify cross-checks at scale.
Growing complexity for HNWIs and cross-border operators
In this fast-evolving environment, HNWIs, investors holding diversified assets across multiple countries, and anyone with cross-border economic interests face a tax landscape that is increasingly complex, technical and dynamic. The interaction of local rules, international standards and new cooperation tools makes the support of experienced, up-to-date professionals essential.
The future is transparent, but it requires the right tools
The world is moving, without ambiguity, toward a tax ecosystem that is increasingly transparent, interconnected and regulated. Crypto-assets and real estate are no longer insulated from cross-checks and automatic information flows. In this context, relying on qualified advisors is no longer simply a preference, but a strategic necessity.
Fidinam: supporting global investors
With offices worldwide, FIDINAM supports international clients daily in managing complex wealth structures, tax planning and adapting to continuously evolving regulations.
Our long-standing experience, combined with a multidisciplinary and cross-border approach and an international footprint, enables us to proactively assist private clients, entrepreneurs and family offices in managing global wealth effectively, compliantly and with a long-term perspective.
This article is edited by Iacopo Carraro - Italian Desk, Fidinam Dubai. If you require clarification or wish to request a tax consultancy, please use the form below.
