VAT & Corporate Tax

It depends on the zone and the licence. A DMCC licence starts at around AED 20,285 a year. Cheaper zones like IFZA, RAKEZ and AFZ can start at roughly AED 12,000–15,000. DIFC and ADGM cost more, but they're the ones to look at if you need financial-services activities. Your final number comes down to the office you choose, how many visas you need, your activity, and any approvals that activity requires. We'll give you one all-in figure at the first meeting — no surprises later.

QFZP status is what lets a free zone company pay 0% Corporate Tax on its qualifying income — but only if it ticks every box: real substance in the UAE, income from the right sources, proper Transfer Pricing, and non-qualifying income kept under the limit (the lower of AED 5 million or 5% of revenue). Go over that limit and the 0% disappears — all your income is taxed at 9%. Because the stakes are that high, we'd strongly suggest getting a written Tax Opinion to confirm your position before you file your first return.

There's no single "best" one — it depends on what you do, who your clients are, your tax position and your budget. DMCC works well for commodities, trading, crypto and services. IFZA is easy on the budget for small businesses and consultants. JAFZA is the choice for logistics, industry and import-export. DIFC and ADGM are common-law financial centres — the right call for financial firms, family offices and holding structures that need international legal certainty. We'll walk you through the options that actually fit your plans.

Yes — and this catches a lot of people out. Every UAE company, free zone included, has to register with the FTA and file a Corporate Tax return every year. That holds even if you're on the 0% QFZP rate or made nothing taxable. Your registration deadline is tied to when your licence was issued, and registering late costs AED 10,000. The return itself is due within nine months of your financial year-end.

Once your documents are ready, most free zone companies are set up in one to three weeks. A mainland LLC usually takes two to four. DMCC and IFZA can be done entirely online, even from abroad. DIFC and ADGM take longer — four to eight weeks — because of the extra regulatory review. Then budget another two to six weeks for the bank account. We take care of the paperwork, the government back-and-forth, the lease and the attestations from start to finish.

Yes. Free zone companies have always allowed 100% foreign ownership, and since the 2021 changes to the Commercial Companies Law, most mainland activities do too — no local Emirati partner needed. The exceptions are a short list of strategic sectors like oil & gas and certain security and utilities activities. We'll confirm exactly where your activity stands when we pick the jurisdiction together.

Yes — and it's often the hardest part of the whole process. UAE banks run strict KYC, and applications get stuck or rejected over small things: an unclear business model, a missing document, a UBO mismatch. We prepare the file the way banks expect, introduce you to the right bank for your profile, and stay involved until the account is open.

It's a 10-year UAE residence visa that you hold in your own right — no employer sponsor — and you can bring your family. There are now more than 15 ways to qualify: investors, entrepreneurs, scientists, doctors, engineers, IT and AI specialists, artists, athletes, executives, top students, humanitarian figures, and newer categories like nurses, teachers, content creators, e-sports players and Waqf donors. You can either apply directly (meeting an investment or salary threshold) or be nominated by a body like ICP, GDRFA, ADRO, the Emirates Scientists Council or Dubai Health. We'll tell you which route is yours.

Not all — but more than people think. Some free zones (like DMCC and DIFC) require an annual audit by an approved auditor regardless of size, and certain Corporate Tax positions trigger one too. Even where it isn't mandatory, banks often ask for audited financials. We keep your books to IFRS year-round and match you to the right licensed auditor when one is needed.

Yes — through our sister firm, Emirald Legal Consultants. They draft and register DIFC Wills so your UAE assets pass under common law rather than default Sharia rules, and they handle holding structures, family foundations and Powers of Attorney for asset protection. It's all managed alongside your corporate setup, so nothing falls through the gap between "company" and "personal".

Most setup agents register your company and then move on. We don't. We hold three UAE licences in one group — corporate services, accounting, and executive search — so we stay with you well past day one: picking the jurisdiction, forming the company, introducing you to banks, keeping your books and payroll, handling Corporate Tax and VAT, preparing Transfer Pricing files, lining up your audit, and even hiring your senior people. Same team, same partners, the whole way through. More than 1,000 clients have worked with us since 2015.