The Q3 VAT return: due by 31 October

Hello,
This is the first issue of alFatora’s weekly newsletter: each week, what matters to your business in e-invoicing and tax, and what is new on the platform, in a few minutes.
This week the Zakat, Tax and Customs Authority sent VAT-registered businesses a text message reminding them to file the VAT return for Q3 2026. If you received one, there is no need to worry: the date is clear, and the way there is short.
The Authority’s message
We appreciate your cooperation, and would like to remind you to file your VAT return for the period Q3 2026.
Please file the return and pay the tax due before 31-10-2026, to avoid the statutory measures.
For enquiries, call 19993 around the clock or visit our website.
Zakat, Tax and Customs Authority
What does it mean for you?
- The deadline to file and pay: Saturday 31 October 2026 for July to September.
- If you file monthly, the September return is also due at the end of October.
- Late filing carries a fine of 5% to 25% of the tax due, so don’t leave the return to the last day.
- Before filing, match the sales on your return with what reached Fatoora; differences between them are among the things the Authority watches most.
Your return, ready from your invoices
In alFatora the VAT return is built from the same documents that reach the Authority, so you never add the figures up by hand:
- The return’s boxes from your sales and purchases, every figure opening the documents behind it
- A line on how the period stands: how many you issued, how many the Authority accepted, how many are waiting, how many were refused
- Exports in their own box, apart from domestic zero-rated sales
- Working papers ready for your accountant, to carry the figures to the Authority’s portal
Issuing your invoices in alFatora? Open “VAT return” and choose Q3. If this quarter’s invoices came from another system, start today so next quarter’s return is ready from the first invoice — and our team is on WhatsApp for any question about this quarter’s return.
500 SAR a year
Plans start at 5,000 documents a year · VAT included
Start nowSet your business up and try issuing an invoice in the simulation before you pay.
New in alFatora: from sales order to invoice
For businesses that sell in volume and deliver in parts: three documents that work together, each explained with a worked example.
Sales orders: one big order, invoiced in partsRecord a sales order, invoice from it as goods go, and always know what is left on each line.
Delivery notes: deliver first, invoice what actually arrivedRecord each delivery on a signed note, invoice only what was delivered, and never miss an uninvoiced delivery.
Many deliveries, one invoice for the customerCombine the delivery notes on one invoice, each line traced to its order.
Watch: sales invoices
A playlist of short videos on YouTube, starting with issuing your first sales invoice in seconds.
Watch the playlist on YouTubeThis week’s articles
Written on the most common mistakes the Authority has recently pointed to.
Reconciling Fatoora with your VAT returnWhy return sales differ from the Authority’s data, and six reconciliation steps before every return.
VAT category and exemption reason codes on e-invoicesThe S, Z, E and O categories, and four misuses of exemption codes that change your return.
National address and buyer ID: invoice data mistakesBuilding number, postal code and the buyer’s VAT number — and what to enter when there is none.
Tool of the week
All free toolsA question about your return or subscription? Message us on WhatsApp: 0559696453
Best regards,The alFatora team#BeSmarter
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