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Finance & tax in United Arab Emirates

Mainland and free-zone companies adjusting to the corporate-tax era, founders choosing between free zones, and international groups using the UAE as a regional hub.

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Everything we do here

Every service, available in United Arab Emirates.

The complete finance function for United Arab Emirates — each with its own detail page. Local framework: IFRS. Regulator: the Federal Tax Authority (FTA).

Taxation

Individual and corporate returns, registrations, VAT/GST and disputes — filed with the Federal Tax Authority (FTA).

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GAAP / IFRS & Accounting Advisory

UAE entities report under IFRS — and corporate tax now makes clean, standard-compliant financials mandatory, not optional.

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Deal Advisory (M&A)

Regional M&A and free-zone-to-mainland restructuring, with tax structuring baked in.

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Risk & Governance

Substance requirements and corporate-tax readiness make controls and documentation newly important here.

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Bookkeeping & CAS

Corporate tax means books must now support a filing — VAT-registered, IFRS-based and audit-ready from day one.

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Outsourced Controller

A controller who owns FTA registration, VAT and free-zone substance is exactly what the new regime demands.

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FP&A & Fractional CFO

Hub-entity planning and multi-currency treasury for groups running the region from Dubai or Abu Dhabi.

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Headline rates

The numbers that matter.

Corporate tax — first AED 375,000 of profit0%

Corporate tax — profit above AED 375,0009%

Qualifying Free Zone income0% (conditions apply)

VAT5%

Figures mirror our tax-estimator data · Last reviewed: 7 July 2026 · Confirmed against primary sources at engagement time

How remote engagement works

Fully remote through the FTA's online systems. We handle registration, return preparation and filing, and free-zone qualification analysis — the structuring question that decides whether the 0% rate is actually available to you.

Key filings

Corporate tax registrationOne-time registration with the Federal Tax Authority — required for most businesses, including many free-zone entities.

Corporate tax returnTypically due nine months after the end of the financial year.

VAT returnsUsually quarterly for registered businesses.

Economic substance & other notificationsWhere activities fall in scope, on the regulatory timetable.

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Questions

United Arab Emirates — your questions

Is free-zone income automatically 0%? +

No — Qualifying Free Zone Person status has substance and income-type conditions, and disqualifying mainland business can cost the entire benefit. This is exactly where structuring matters.

Do small businesses really pay 0%? +

Profit up to AED 375,000 is taxed at 0%, and separate small-business relief may be available — but registration is still generally required.

Does the 9% rate apply to large multinational groups? +

Groups above the international revenue threshold can face a separate 15% minimum top-up under the OECD's Pillar Two rules — the 9% headline is not the whole story for big groups.

Do you handle VAT too? +

Yes — registration, quarterly returns and advisory on the 5% regime.

We've never filed before. Is that a problem? +

The corporate-tax regime is new for everyone — a registration and readiness review is the standard starting point, and late-registration exposure is assessed honestly up front.

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