Venue and catering software for Qatar's wedding halls, ballrooms and caterers

Tax basics for venues and caterers

Qatar has no VAT, so hall hire and catering are invoiced without a VAT line. Income tax of 10% on taxable income applies under Law No. 24 of 2018, falling on the foreign partner's share in mixed ownership companies. Excise tax applies to tobacco, energy drinks and special purpose goods, and from 6 July 2026 to sweetened drinks by sugar content. A draft e-invoicing law was approved by the Council of Ministers in May 2026 and is not yet in force.

Tax in Qatar: no VAT on your bills, but not tax free

There is no value added tax in Qatar today. Your quotations and invoices to clients carry no VAT line, and a ballroom package priced at QAR 120,000 is the amount the family pays. Qatar signed the GCC VAT framework agreement years ago but has not brought VAT into force, so keep watching announcements from the General Tax Authority rather than guessing a start date.

Other taxes still touch an events business. Income tax is 10% of taxable income under Law No. 24 of 2018, and in a company with Qatari and foreign partners the tax falls on the foreign partner's share of the profit. Excise tax sits on tobacco, energy drinks and special purpose goods at 100%, and from 6 July 2026 sweetened drinks are taxed per litre by sugar content. Importers and producers pay excise, but caterers feel it in supplier prices for soft drinks and juices.

One more change is coming. In May 2026 the Council of Ministers approved a draft electronic invoicing law prepared with the General Tax Authority. It still needs further approval and publication, and no start date for venues has been set. If it applies to you later, you will need an invoicing setup that meets the published rules.

How banquets are usually sold in Qatar

Most wedding business runs through hotel ballrooms in Doha, standalone wedding halls and larger family venues. Many families hold separate celebrations for women and for men, sometimes in two halls on the same evening and sometimes on different nights. For a venue that means two event files under one client, two guest counts and often two very different menus and service teams.

Prices are normally quoted per guest with a minimum number, plus fixed items such as the kosha stage, flowers, lighting and sound. Families compare packages carefully, so the quote that is clearest about what is included tends to win. A deposit secures the date, and the balance falls due before the event, often split across more than one payment.

Corporate work adds a second calendar: product launches, conferences, national day events and Ramadan iftars and suhoors for staff and clients. These are booked by companies that want a formal quotation, a purchase order reference and an invoice that matches it exactly.

Venue software and catering software for Qatar

Venura has two products and a page for each. The venue page covers wedding halls and ballrooms: the date diary, hall holds, quotes per guest, deposits and event sheets. The catering page covers caterers who cook for weddings, majlis gatherings and offices: orders, menus, kitchen sheets, staff and payments.

• Venue management software for Qatar: diary, halls, deposits and event sheets
• Catering management software for Qatar: orders, menus, kitchen and delivery

Running this in Venura

Venura keeps enquiries, bookings, quotations, invoices, receipts and payments in one place for each event, in Qatari riyals. The calendar warns you before a hall is double booked. Quotes and invoices carry the tax setting you choose on each line, so they show no VAT today and can take a tax line later without new templates. Documents are shared on WhatsApp or email straight from the booking.

The apps run on the web, on Android and on iOS. There is a free 30-day trial, and plans for Qatar are priced on request. If you need Arabic on your client documents, ask to see that in the demo before you decide.

Questions from Qatar