Stop the mistake before the penalty lands.

VAT registration is mandatory once your taxable turnover exceeds the AED 375,000 threshold in any rolling 12-month period, and voluntary from AED 187,500. The standard VAT rate in the UAE is 5%. Our VAT services in Dubai handle the registration and ongoing returns.

The standard VAT rate in the UAE is 5%, applied to most goods and services. Certain supplies are zero-rated (0%) such as exports and international transport, and others are exempt, such as residential rent and some financial services. There is no separate luxury or reduced VAT band.

Most businesses file VAT returns quarterly. The VAT-201 return and any payment are due within 28 days of the end of each tax period. We prepare and file your return well before that deadline.

A first late filing carries an AED 1,000 penalty, rising to AED 2,000 for a repeat within 24 months, plus monthly penalties on any unpaid VAT. Keeping books current each month is the simplest way to avoid them.

Zero-rated supplies (for example exports, certain healthcare, education and international transport) are taxed at 0% but still recoverable for input VAT. Exempt supplies (such as residential rent, some financial services, local passenger transport and bare land) carry no VAT and generally do not allow input VAT recovery.

VAT registration is completed on the FTA's EmaraTax portal. You'll need your trade licence, owner/manager Emirates ID and passport copies, proof of turnover and bank details. We prepare the application and supporting documents so the TRN is issued without repeated FTA queries.

Yes. If your taxable supplies fall below the AED 187,500 voluntary threshold, or you stop making taxable supplies, you must apply to deregister on EmaraTax within 20 business days to avoid penalties. We handle the application and the final VAT return.

Two or more related UAE entities under common control can register as a single VAT group with one TRN, so supplies between them fall outside VAT. It can simplify compliance for groups, though we check whether it actually benefits your structure before applying.

Input VAT on costs used to make taxable supplies is generally recoverable on your VAT-201 return, with exceptions such as entertainment and certain motor vehicles. Where input VAT exceeds output VAT, the excess is carried forward or refunded by the FTA.

The UAE corporate tax rate is 0% on taxable profit up to AED 375,000 and 9% on profit above that threshold. A 15% domestic minimum top-up tax applies to large multinational groups under the global Pillar Two rules. Our corporate tax services cover the computation and return.

Corporate tax registration is completed on the FTA's EmaraTax portal using your trade licence, Emirates ID and company details. The FTA set staggered registration deadlines by trade-licence issue month, and missing yours carries an AED 10,000 penalty. We prepare and submit the registration so your Corporate Tax Registration Number is issued cleanly.

Transfer pricing rules require transactions between related parties and connected persons to be priced at arm's length, with supporting documentation. UAE businesses may need a disclosure form, and larger groups a master file and local file. Our transfer pricing support documents related-party pricing so it holds up to FTA review.

Corporate tax applies to financial years beginning on or after 1 June 2023, so most SMEs are now in their first or second corporate tax cycle.

The corporate tax return must be filed within 9 months of the end of the relevant tax period. We track that deadline alongside your monthly close so the filing is never a last-minute scramble.

A free zone company may qualify for 0% corporate tax on its qualifying income as a Qualifying Free Zone Person (QFZP) if it meets the conditions; income that does not qualify is taxed at 9%. We review your activities to confirm where you stand.

Almost every UAE business must register for corporate tax on EmaraTax and file an annual return, free zone entities included, even the ones taxed at 0%. The FTA sets registration deadlines by trade-licence issue month, and late registration carries an AED 10,000 penalty.

Resident businesses with revenue of AED 3 million or less in the current and previous tax periods can elect Small Business Relief and be treated as having no taxable income. It's available for tax periods ending on or before 31 December 2026. We check eligibility and make the election in your return.

A natural person doing business in the UAE is only within corporate tax scope if their total business turnover exceeds AED 1 million in a calendar year. Personal salary, dividends and personal investment income are not subject to corporate tax.

You need books prepared on an accruals basis with supporting documents, plus audited financial statements depending on your revenue and free-zone status. We keep your records corporate-tax-ready through the year so the return is straightforward, not a year-end rebuild.

Yes. UAE businesses must maintain proper accounting records and supporting documents, generally retained for at least 5 years, to support VAT, corporate tax and audit requirements.

Each month we post transactions, reconcile your bank accounts, review VAT treatment and produce a management report. Your books stay current and VAT-ready instead of being rebuilt at year-end.

We work on mainstream cloud accounting platforms such as Zoho Books, and can set up your chart of accounts, bank feeds and reconciliation workflow from scratch if needed.

Yes. We support SMEs across Dubai mainland and the UAE free zones, with the bookkeeping, VAT and corporate tax treatment matched to your licence structure.

Standard plans include a monthly management report covering profit and loss, balance sheet and key figures, plus VAT-ready records every cycle. If you want a closer view of the business, we can add cash-flow forecasting and KPI dashboards.

Yes. We set up multi-currency accounting with a clear foreign-exchange gain/loss treatment and reconciliation workflow. It's common for UAE consultancies and traders billing in USD, EUR or GBP against an AED base currency.

We clear the backlog first, which means catch-up bookkeeping, bank reconciliations and any overdue VAT preparation, then move you onto a clean monthly cycle. Backlog work is quoted after a short review of the state and size of your records.

Yes. We prepare audit schedules, working papers and reconciliations and support auditor queries. Where a statutory audit is required, our books are kept in an audit-ready state throughout the year.

Designated non-financial businesses (DNFBPs), such as dealers in precious metals and stones, real estate firms and certain professional services, must register on goAML, perform customer due diligence and file suspicious transaction reports. We provide AML advisory, policy and risk-assessment support to help you meet these obligations.

goAML is the UAE's reporting platform for registering DNFBPs and submitting suspicious transaction reports to the authorities. We guide you through registration and the ongoing screening and reporting workflow.

Many UAE free zones (DMCC, JAFZA, DAFZA and others) require audited financial statements for licence renewal, and corporate tax rules require audited accounts for larger taxable persons and Qualifying Free Zone Persons. We prepare everything the auditor needs and liaise through to sign-off.

Designated Non-Financial Businesses and Professions include real-estate agents and brokers, dealers in precious metals and stones, auditors and accountants, and company/corporate service providers. DNFBPs carry specific AML obligations under UAE law.

It covers goAML registration, a written AML/CFT policy, customer due diligence (KYC), name screening against sanctions lists, suspicious-transaction reporting, staff training and a periodic business risk assessment. We provide advisory and documentation support across all of these.

E-invoicing replaces PDF and paper invoices with a structured digital invoice in the PINT AE format, exchanged through an FTA-accredited service provider over the Peppol network, with a copy reported to the Federal Tax Authority in real time.

A pilot phase begins in July 2026, with mandatory adoption rolling out in waves through 2027. Larger businesses are in scope first, and by 2027 most VAT-registered businesses are expected to comply.

The rules ultimately apply to VAT-registered businesses making B2B and B2G supplies in the UAE. Even small businesses should prepare their data and systems early, because the cutover is difficult to rush at the last minute.

Most of the work is data cleanup: accurate TRNs, consistent VAT classifications and a chart of accounts your software can map to the PINT AE format. We run a readiness review and coordinate accredited-provider onboarding.

The Wage Protection System (WPS) is the UAE's electronic salary-transfer system that routes wages through approved banks and exchange houses so the Ministry can confirm staff are paid in full and on time. Most mainland companies with employees must run payroll through WPS. We handle WPS-compliant payroll processing alongside your books.

For unlimited contracts, gratuity is 21 days' basic salary for each of the first five years of service and 30 days' basic salary for each year beyond five, capped at two years' total pay. It is based on basic salary, not the gross package, and requires at least one year of continuous service.

Gratuity is payable when employment ends after at least one completed year, whether through resignation or termination. Under the current UAE Labour Law the resignation reductions of the old law no longer apply, so a full-term employee is generally entitled to the full calculation. Unpaid leave and absconding can affect the figure.

Yes. We process monthly payroll, keep WPS records aligned, and post an end-of-service gratuity accrual so the liability is reflected in your accounts rather than appearing as a surprise at year-end. This keeps both your management reports and audit file accurate.

A Tax Residency Certificate (TRC) is an official document from the Federal Tax Authority confirming UAE tax residence, used to claim relief under a double-taxation treaty. It is applied for on EmaraTax and requires proof of residence, financial statements and, for individuals, a minimum number of days in the UAE. We prepare the application and supporting pack.

Economic Substance Regulations (ESR) require entities carrying on certain relevant activities to demonstrate real substance and file notifications and reports. The rules were amended so that obligations largely apply to financial years up to the end of 2022, but historical filings and any open periods still matter. We review whether your entity had reportable activity.

Country-by-Country reporting applies to large multinational groups with consolidated revenue of AED 3.15 billion or more. The UAE parent entity of such a group files a CbC report and notification setting out income, tax and activity by jurisdiction. Most SMEs are outside scope, but we confirm where a group threshold is close.

Excise tax is a UAE indirect tax on goods considered harmful to health or the environment: tobacco and tobacco products, energy drinks, carbonated drinks, sweetened drinks, and electronic smoking devices and liquids. It is charged at the point of import or production, before VAT.

Rates are 100% on tobacco products, energy drinks, and electronic smoking devices and liquids, 50% on carbonated and sweetened drinks. Excise is calculated on the higher of the designated retail price or the standard price list, so accurate product classification matters.

Any business that imports, produces or stockpiles excise goods, or releases them from a designated zone, must register for excise tax with the FTA. There is no turnover threshold, so a single qualifying activity triggers registration. We handle excise registration and the periodic returns.

It depends on where your customers are, your visa needs, ownership and tax position. Mainland suits trading directly with the UAE market; free zones can offer 0% qualifying corporate tax and simpler ownership. We model the tax and compliance impact before you commit.

Yes. UAE banks require a business account for compliance and WPS payroll. Approval comes down to clean documentation, a clear business activity and source-of-funds evidence. We prepare the financial documents banks ask for so the process moves faster.

Typically: monthly bookkeeping, VAT registration and filing once over the threshold, corporate tax registration and an annual return, licence renewal (often with audited accounts), and AML obligations for regulated activities. We set this calendar up from day one.

Company liquidation in the UAE means settling liabilities, cancelling VAT and corporate tax registrations, preparing a liquidator's report and audited closing accounts, and formally deregistering the licence with the relevant authority. Skipping the tax deregistration leaves penalties running. We prepare the closing financials and coordinate the deregistration steps.

Monthly accounting retainers are quoted to your scope — transaction volume, bank accounts, VAT preparation and corporate tax filing each priced as clear line items. How our quotes work is on the pricing page, and the exact scope and fee are agreed in writing before any work starts.

We provide FTA-compliant accounting, VAT and corporate tax preparation and filing support for UAE SMEs. We are not acting as a registered FTA Tax Agent; where formal Tax Agent representation is required, we will tell you clearly.

Communication is WhatsApp-first. When you have a question about an invoice, a VAT treatment or a deadline, you message the team working on your books and get a straight answer, usually the same business day.

No. We work on fixed monthly retainers with the scope agreed up front and no long-term lock-in. You can adjust your plan as your business changes.

We handle the handover for you. That means getting your trial balance, prior returns and access to your accounting software, then reconciling the opening position so nothing is lost in transition. Most switches complete within the first monthly cycle.

Yes. Your records stay in your own cloud accounting account wherever possible, access is limited to the team on your engagement, and everything is treated as confidential in line with UAE data-protection law.