Corporate tax in the UAE. Registered, filed, sorted.
Corporate tax registration, annual return filing and tax advisory, all tracked in one portal. A qualified account manager handles everything with the FTA, from your first CT registration number to every return after it. No WhatsApp. No chasing. No missed deadlines.
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Zero tax payable still means filing
UAE corporate tax applies to almost every business, including free zone companies and those whose profit falls inside the 0% band. A business that owes nothing still has to register and file a return every year. Missing either is where the penalties start. ComplyUAE keeps every corporate tax date for every entity in one calendar.
From CT registration to annual return, handled for you
Three services cover your full corporate tax obligation. Start with whichever one you need today.
Corporate tax registration
For every UAE company, free zone entity, branch and foreign business with a UAE permanent establishment, plus individuals whose business turnover crosses AED 1 million.
Late registration can cost AED 10,000Your account manager confirms when your registration was or is due, prepares the application on EmaraTax, and follows it through until your corporate tax registration number is issued. If you've already missed the date, we check whether you can still qualify for the FTA's penalty waiver.
What we handle
- Registration deadline check for your entity type
- EmaraTax application and FTA clarification replies
- Tax group registration for related companies
- Financial year and tax period set correctly from day one
- Updates within 20 business days when your details change
Documents you upload
- Trade license and MOA or AOA
- Passport and Emirates ID of owners and signatory
- Shareholder and ownership details
- Proof of authority for the signatory
- Contact and address details of the business
Corporate tax return filing
For every registered business, every financial year, including those with zero tax payable or a tax loss.
File and pay within 9 months of year-endUpload your financial statements and ledgers. Your account manager works out taxable income from your accounting profit, applies the adjustments and reliefs you're entitled to, and submits the return on EmaraTax before the deadline. Filing and payment confirmations are saved in your portal.
What we handle
- Taxable income calculation from accounting profit
- Non-deductible expenses and interest limitation
- Small Business Relief election, where eligible
- Tax loss carry-forward and group loss transfers
- Related-party and transfer pricing disclosures
Documents you upload
- Financial statements for the year, audited where required
- Trial balance and general ledger
- Fixed asset register
- Related-party transaction details
- Prior year return and any tax losses
Corporate tax advisory
For businesses with a decision to make: a new structure, a free zone setup, a group, or a transaction with tax consequences.
Best done before your year-endMost corporate tax savings come from decisions made during the year, not at filing time. Your account manager reviews your structure and transactions, explains how the law applies to them in plain terms, and helps you choose the option that keeps you compliant at the lowest legitimate tax cost.
Advice on
- Qualifying Free Zone Person status and 0% on qualifying income
- Small Business Relief eligibility and its end date
- Tax groups, restructuring and business transfers
- Transfer pricing and related-party pricing
- Exempt income: dividends and participation exemption
What you get
- A written summary of how the rules apply to you
- Clear options with their tax effect
- Impact review before major transactions
- Answers through portal chat, kept on record
Corporate tax all year, not just at filing time
Your account manager stays across your corporate tax position between returns, through the portal.
Record-keeping
Financial statements, ledgers and supporting documents stored by tax period. Corporate tax records must be kept for seven years.
FTA enquiries and notices
When the FTA asks a question, your AM drafts the reply, gathers documents and tracks it to closure.
Tax audits
Records and reconciliations organised in advance, and support through every stage of an FTA audit.
Penalty waivers and reconsideration
We check whether a penalty can be waived or challenged and prepare the request for you.
Compliance calendar
Registration, return and payment dates per entity, alongside VAT deadlines, license expiry and visa renewals.
Year-end tax review
A check of your position before the year closes, so reliefs and elections aren't missed when it's too late to act.
From financial statements to filed return in four steps
No forms to fill out over and over. No chasing. Your account manager handles the rest once you upload.
- 1
Add your company
Register your entity — mainland, free zone or offshore. Your corporate tax dates are built from your financial year-end.
- 2
Upload your accounts
Financial statements, trial balance and ledgers in one batch. AI document scan sorts them by tax period.
- 3
AM prepares the return
Your account manager calculates taxable income, applies reliefs and asks for anything missing via portal chat.
- 4
Filed and tracked
Submitted on EmaraTax before the deadline. Confirmation saved, next year's date already in your calendar.
One dashboard for every tax deadline
UAE business owners who moved their compliance from WhatsApp chaos to the portal.
"We have three companies under our group. Keeping track of all the compliance deadlines was a nightmare. ComplyUAE shows everything in one dashboard. The compliance calendar alone is worth the fee."
Who we help with corporate tax
- Mainland companies (DED, DDA)
- Free zone companies (DMCC, DIFC, JAFZA and all major free zones)
- Offshore entities and branches
- Groups with more than one UAE company
- Freelancers and sole establishments above AED 1M turnover
- 800+
- Active companies
- 24hr
- AM response
- AED 0
- Setup fee
- 14 days
- Free trial
Corporate tax, VAT, trade license and visa deadlines tracked together, per entity.
Corporate tax questions, answered
Can't find what you need? Your account manager replies within 24 hours.
Does my business need to register for UAE corporate tax?
Almost every UAE business does: mainland and free zone companies, branches of foreign companies, and foreign businesses with a UAE permanent establishment. Individuals running a business must register once their UAE business turnover exceeds AED 1 million in a calendar year. Registration is required even if no tax will be payable.
What is the corporate tax rate in the UAE?
Taxable income up to AED 375,000 is taxed at 0%, and income above that at 9%. Qualifying Free Zone Persons can pay 0% on qualifying income. Large multinational groups may also be subject to a 15% domestic minimum top-up tax.
When is the corporate tax return due?
The return must be filed and any tax paid within nine months after the end of your financial year. For a 31 December year-end that is 30 September of the following year; for a 31 March year-end it is 31 December.
Do I have to file a return if I owe no tax?
Yes. Every registered business files a return each year, including businesses with profit inside the 0% band, a tax loss, or Small Business Relief. Not filing leads to late-filing penalties even when no tax is due.
What is Small Business Relief and who can claim it?
Resident businesses with revenue of AED 3 million or less in the current and every previous tax period can elect to be treated as having no taxable income. It must be elected on the return, is available for tax periods ending on or before 31 December 2026, and is not open to Qualifying Free Zone Persons or members of large multinational groups.
Are free zone companies exempt from corporate tax?
Not automatically. Free zone companies must register and file. Those that meet the Qualifying Free Zone Person conditions pay 0% on qualifying income and 9% on the rest. The conditions are strict, so it is worth having your activities and income reviewed each year.
What happens if I registered late?
Late registration carries an administrative penalty. The FTA has offered a waiver for businesses that file their first return within seven months of the end of their first tax period. Your account manager can check whether it still applies to you.
How long do I need to keep corporate tax records?
Corporate tax records and supporting documents must be kept for seven years after the end of the tax period they relate to. Everything you upload to ComplyUAE is stored in your portal by tax period.
General information about UAE corporate tax, not tax advice for your situation. FTA rules change from time to time; your account manager will confirm what applies to your company.
Stop tracking corporate tax on WhatsApp
Join 800+ UAE businesses that handle their corporate tax through a proper system. Registration, annual returns and advisory, managed by your account manager. 14-day free trial. No credit card required.
14 days free · No setup fee · UAE-based support team