{"id":517,"date":"2026-06-06T10:11:26","date_gmt":"2026-06-06T10:11:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.dariba.co\/?p=517"},"modified":"2026-06-06T10:11:26","modified_gmt":"2026-06-06T10:11:26","slug":"rett-on-islamic-finance-structures","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.dariba.co\/?p=517","title":{"rendered":"RETT on Islamic Finance Structures: Murabaha, Ijara and Finance Lease"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<!DOCTYPE html>\n<html lang=\"en\">\n<head>\n<meta charset=\"UTF-8\">\n<meta name=\"viewport\" content=\"width=device-width, initial-scale=1.0\">\n<title>RETT on Islamic Finance Structures: Murabaha, Ijara and Finance Lease | Dariba.co<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"How RETT applies to Islamic finance structures in Saudi Arabia \u2014 Murabaha, Ijara ending in ownership, Finance Lease \u2014 and the one-transaction rule that prevents double taxation.\">\n<link rel=\"preconnect\" href=\"https:\/\/fonts.googleapis.com\">\n<link 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2px 8px rgba(5,150,105,0.08)}.dariba-article .also-card .also-label{font-size:0.68rem;font-weight:700;text-transform:uppercase;color:var(--green);letter-spacing:0.08em;margin-bottom:0.35rem}.dariba-article .also-card .also-title{font-size:0.875rem;font-weight:600;color:var(--text-primary);line-height:1.4}.dariba-article .disclaimer{font-size:0.78rem;color:var(--text-muted);border-top:1px solid var(--border);padding-top:1rem;margin-top:2.5rem;font-style:italic;line-height:1.6}<\/style>\n<\/head>\n<body>\n<div class=\"dariba-article\">\n\n<div class=\"article-meta\">\n  <span>Taxable Events<\/span>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<div class=\"series-banner\">\n  Part of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dariba.co\/rett-saudi-arabia\/\">RETT in Saudi Arabia: The Complete Guide<\/a> \u2014 Cluster 2: Taxable Events \u00b7 Article 2.6\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"section-block\" id=\"context\">\n  <div class=\"section-number\">\n    <span class=\"section-num-badge\">01<\/span>\n    <h2>Why Islamic Finance Structures Receive Special Treatment<\/h2>\n  <\/div>\n  <p>Islamic finance accounts for the vast majority of residential and commercial property financing in Saudi Arabia. Murabaha, Ijara structures, and Finance Lease arrangements all involve at least two legal transfers of ownership as part of delivering what is, economically, a single financed transaction. Without a specific rule, two RETT liabilities would arise on what is fundamentally one purchase \u2014 creating a structural penalty on Islamic finance versus conventional financing.<\/p>\n  <p>The RETT Law and its Implementing Regulations (Article 2(l)) address this directly: a real estate transaction shall be subject to tax <strong>only once<\/strong>, provided the conditions for single-transaction treatment are met. This is not an exemption \u2014 it is a characterisation rule. One economic transaction, one RETT liability.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"section-block\" id=\"how-it-works\">\n  <div class=\"section-number\">\n    <span class=\"section-num-badge\">02<\/span>\n    <h2>How the One-Transaction Rule Works<\/h2>\n  <\/div>\n  <p>In a standard Murabaha or Finance Lease arrangement for real estate, there are two transfers:<\/p>\n  <ol class=\"article-list\">\n    <li><strong>First transaction:<\/strong> The financing entity (bank) purchases the property from the original seller (developer or individual owner). This is the taxable RETT event \u2014 RETT is assessed at 5% of the sale price, and the bank (as assignee\/buyer at this stage, becoming the assignor on notarization to the financing entity) or the original seller pays RETT in the usual way.<\/li>\n    <li><strong>Second transaction:<\/strong> The financing entity transfers ownership to the customer, typically upon completion of all installment payments. This second transfer is <strong>not a new taxable RETT event<\/strong> \u2014 provided the conditions below are met.<\/li>\n  <\/ol>\n\n  <p>The three conditions for single-transaction treatment under Article 2(l):<\/p>\n  <ul class=\"article-list\">\n    <li>The first transaction from the original transferor to the licensed financing entity is subject to RETT in the normal way.<\/li>\n    <li>Both transactions are included in the contracts issued by the financing entity, specifying the parties, the real estate, and the value for both legs.<\/li>\n    <li>The description and value of the real estate stated in the financing contracts do not change between the two legs.<\/li>\n  <\/ul>\n\n  <div class=\"callout callout-warning\">\n    <div class=\"callout-label\">When the Protection Falls Away<\/div>\n    <p>If any of the three conditions are broken \u2014 for example, the parties change (a different entity becomes the intermediate owner), or the property description is amended, or the contract structure changes \u2014 the second transfer becomes a new taxable RETT event. The same applies if a financing entity sells the property to a different buyer than originally specified in the financing contract. Structure changes mid-financing = potential second RETT liability.<\/p>\n  <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"section-block\" id=\"tax-base-finance\">\n  <div class=\"section-number\">\n    <span class=\"section-num-badge\">03<\/span>\n    <h2>The Tax Base in Islamic Finance: Profit Margin Excluded<\/h2>\n  <\/div>\n  <p>A critical point for calculating RETT on financed purchases: the implicit profit margin in licensed financing contracts is <strong>excluded<\/strong> from the RETT base. RETT is assessed on the underlying real estate value \u2014 the original purchase price \u2014 not on the total amount the customer pays including the bank&#8217;s profit markup.<\/p>\n\n  <div class=\"callout\">\n    <div class=\"callout-label\">Worked Example \u2014 Murabaha Purchase (from ZATCA Guideline, Example 9)<\/div>\n    <h4>Scenario<\/h4>\n    <p>A customer wishes to purchase a residential unit for SAR 1,000,000. He proceeds through bank financing, with an approximate financing cost (profit markup) of SAR 400,000, to be paid in periodic installments over 10 years. The total amount the customer pays over the financing term: SAR 1,400,000.<\/p>\n    <h4>RETT Calculation<\/h4>\n    <p>RETT is assessed on SAR 1,000,000 \u2014 the underlying real estate value. Rate: 5%.<br><strong>RETT = SAR 50,000.<\/strong><br>The SAR 400,000 financing cost (profit markup) is not included in the tax base. The customer does not pay RETT on the financing premium.<\/p>\n  <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"section-block\" id=\"ijara-ownership\">\n  <div class=\"section-number\">\n    <span class=\"section-num-badge\">04<\/span>\n    <h2>Islamic Ijara Ending in Ownership<\/h2>\n  <\/div>\n  <p>An Islamic Ijara (lease) ending in ownership \u2014 where a financing entity acquires the property and leases it to the customer with an arrangement for the customer to ultimately acquire ownership \u2014 follows the same one-transaction principle. The financing entity&#8217;s initial acquisition is the taxable RETT event. The transfer of ownership to the customer at the end of the Ijara term is not a second RETT event, provided the contract conditions are unchanged.<\/p>\n  <p>A temporary transfer between an investment fund and its custodian (or between custodians of the same fund) in accordance with Capital Market Law arrangements is separately exempt from RETT under Article 3(10) of the Implementing Regulations. This covers the collateral-type transfers that occur in Islamic fund structures.<\/p>\n\n  <div class=\"callout callout-info\">\n    <div class=\"callout-label\">ZATCA Guideline Example on Ijara<\/div>\n    <p>ZATCA&#8217;s Guideline confirms: where a developer paid RETT in December 2020 on a property transferred to a financing entity under an Ijara structure, and the final ownership transfer to the beneficiary (customer) occurs in 2030 after full installment payment \u2014 no new RETT arises on that 2030 transfer, provided the contract conditions remain unchanged throughout. A decade between first and second transfer does not create a new liability.<\/p>\n  <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"section-block\" id=\"guarantee-transactions\">\n  <div class=\"section-number\">\n    <span class=\"section-num-badge\">05<\/span>\n    <h2>Real Estate as Collateral: Temporary Transfers for Financing<\/h2>\n  <\/div>\n  <p>The Implementing Regulations (Article 3(14)) provide a separate exemption for temporary real estate transactions for the purpose of using the real estate as a guarantee (security) for financing or credit by a licensed entity \u2014 provided the real estate ownership is not permanently transferred to the financier or a third party.<\/p>\n  <p>This covers Islamic and conventional mortgage structures where title is temporarily passed to a lender as security. The key condition is &#8220;temporary&#8221; \u2014 the property must return to the original owner, not be permanently transferred away. If the lender exercises and permanently takes title (e.g. on default), that permanent transfer is a taxable event.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"section-block\" id=\"faq\">\n  <div class=\"section-number\">\n    <span class=\"section-num-badge\">06<\/span>\n    <h2>Frequently Asked Questions<\/h2>\n  <\/div>\n  <div class=\"faq-list\">\n    <div class=\"faq-item\">\n      <button class=\"faq-q\">In a Murabaha, who pays RETT \u2014 the bank or the customer?<span class=\"faq-icon\">+<\/span><\/button>\n      <div class=\"faq-a\">RETT on the first transaction (the bank&#8217;s purchase from the developer or seller) is the responsibility of the seller (the developer or original owner) as the assignor. In practice, the commercial arrangement often results in the bank or the customer bearing this cost \u2014 but the legal obligation to ZATCA is on the seller. The customer&#8217;s subsequent ownership transfer from the bank is not a RETT event and carries no RETT liability.<\/div>\n    <\/div>\n    <div class=\"faq-item\">\n      <button class=\"faq-q\">The bank in our Finance Lease structure sold the property mid-term to another financial institution. Is this a new RETT event?<span class=\"faq-icon\">+<\/span><\/button>\n      <div class=\"faq-a\">Yes \u2014 if the financing entity transfers the property to a different entity that was not specified in the original financing contracts, the conditions for single-transaction treatment are no longer met. The transfer between the two financial institutions is a new taxable RETT event. Portfolio sales and securitisation structures involving real estate-backed financing assets must account for this carefully.<\/div>\n    <\/div>\n    <div class=\"faq-item\">\n      <button class=\"faq-q\">The customer defaulted on their Ijara installments and the bank has taken possession. Is RETT due?<span class=\"faq-icon\">+<\/span><\/button>\n      <div class=\"faq-a\">The bank repossessing the property does not necessarily trigger a new RETT event in itself \u2014 the bank already holds title in an Ijara structure. However, if the bank then sells the property (to a third party or through a forced sale), that sale is a standard taxable RETT event at 5% of the sale price. Note: forced sales pursuant to a court order in bankruptcy\/liquidation proceedings have a separate exemption.<\/div>\n    <\/div>\n  <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"takeaways\">\n  <div class=\"takeaways-title\">&#9670; Key Takeaways<\/div>\n  <ol>\n    <li>Islamic finance structures (Murabaha, Ijara, Finance Lease) create only one RETT event: the financing entity&#8217;s initial purchase from the seller.<\/li>\n    <li>The customer&#8217;s final ownership transfer under the same contract conditions is not a second taxable event \u2014 provided parties, property, and value are unchanged.<\/li>\n    <li>The profit markup (financing cost) is excluded from the RETT base. RETT is assessed on the underlying real estate value only.<\/li>\n    <li>If the financing entity sells to a different party than the original contract specified, or if the structure changes, a new RETT event arises.<\/li>\n    <li>Temporary transfers as collateral for licensed financing are exempt from RETT, provided ownership permanently returns to the original owner.<\/li>\n  <\/ol>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"series-footer\">\n  <p>RETT in Saudi Arabia \u2014 Cluster 2: Taxable Events<\/p>\n  <h4>Continue with the full RETT knowledge library on dariba.co<\/h4>\n  <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dariba.co\/rett-saudi-arabia\/\" class=\"btn-primary\">View all RETT articles \u2192<\/a>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"also-reading\">\n  <h4>Related Articles<\/h4>\n  <div class=\"also-cards\">\n    <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dariba.co\/what-triggers-rett\/\" class=\"also-card\"><div class=\"also-label\">RETT<\/div><div class=\"also-title\">What Transactions Trigger RETT? The Complete Guide<\/div><\/a>\n    <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dariba.co\/rett-sale-of-property\/\" class=\"also-card\"><div class=\"also-label\">RETT<\/div><div class=\"also-title\">RETT on the Sale of Real Estate: The Standard Case<\/div><\/a>\n  <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<p class=\"disclaimer\">Grounded in the RETT Law (Royal Decree No. M\/84, effective 10 April 2025), Implementing Regulations (ZATCA Board Resolution No. 01-03-25, 24 March 2025), and ZATCA&#8217;s Detailed Guideline Version 6 (May 2026). For informational purposes only. dariba.co is an independent knowledge platform.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<script>document.querySelectorAll('.dariba-article .faq-q').forEach(function(btn){btn.addEventListener('click',function(){btn.parentElement.classList.toggle('open');});});<\/script>\n<\/body>\n<\/html>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>RETT on Islamic Finance Structures: Murabaha, Ijara and Finance Lease | Dariba.co Taxable Events Part of RETT in Saudi Arabia: The Complete Guide \u2014 Cluster 2: Taxable Events \u00b7 Article 2.6 01 Why Islamic Finance Structures Receive Special Treatment Islamic finance accounts for the vast majority of residential and commercial property financing in Saudi Arabia. [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-517","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-rett"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.dariba.co\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/517","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.dariba.co\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.dariba.co\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dariba.co\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dariba.co\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=517"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.dariba.co\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/517\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.dariba.co\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=517"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dariba.co\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=517"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dariba.co\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=517"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}