UAE corporate tax came into effect for financial years starting on or after 1 June 2023. Returns are generally due within nine months of year-end, transfer pricing documentation must be in place before filing, and free zone entities can lose their 0% rate if substance and de minimis conditions are not met.
Businesses new to UAE operations need to understand what corporate tax means for their specific structure before they set up. We cover the full lifecycle, from impact assessment through to FTA audit defence.
Assessment and Setup
Corporate Tax Impact Assessment
A structured assessment mapping business structure, entity types, revenue streams and inter-company arrangements against the corporate tax framework: producing a clear picture of the tax position, applicable rate, free zone considerations and required compliance steps.
Corporate Tax Implementation Support
End-to-end implementation for businesses ready to put the infrastructure in place: compliant accounting records, chart of accounts and cost centre structure, and preparation for the first return: a one-time engagement that sets the foundation for ongoing compliance.
Compliance
Corporate Tax Compliance
Annual tax computation, identification of available deductions and reliefs, and return filing with the FTA within the statutory deadline: including group relief elections, tax loss transfers, tax group formation, registration, de-registration and tax period changes.
Free Zone and Qualifying Free Zone Person Analysis
Annual analysis of QFZP status against the substance requirements, qualifying income types and de minimis threshold, documenting the position and advising on the operational or structural changes needed to maintain the 0% rate.
Transfer Pricing
Master file, local file and disclosure form preparation aligned with the OECD BEPS framework for related-party transactions and payments to connected persons above the prescribed thresholds, with benchmarking support consistent with the return.
Advisory and FTA Support
Corporate Tax Advisory Opinions
Formal written opinions on transactions or structures that raise a treatment question, grounded in the Corporate Tax Law, implementing decisions and OECD guidance: used for board decisions and relied upon for regulatory filings.
Private Clarifications
Preparation and filing of private clarification requests where the FTA’s view is needed, particularly for QFZP positions, group restructuring and cross-border arrangements where the DTAA interaction is not straightforward.
FTA Audit and Inquiry Support
Management of FTA notices and reviews: correspondence, factual and technical responses, a formal basis of return filing as a defence record, and voluntary disclosure submissions with timing and disclosure strategy.
Cross-Border Advisory and Structuring
Advice on the interaction between UAE corporate tax and the relevant double taxation agreements, permanent establishment and POEM considerations, and the participation exemption, including the tax consequences of restructuring at entry and exit.
How We Work
Engagements are partner-led and staffed by chartered accountants. We know the Corporate Tax Law, the ministerial and cabinet decisions under it, and how the FTA interprets them in practice, and we apply that directly to your situation rather than working from a standard template.