VAT Registration in UAE

Get Expert Assistance in UAE for VAT Registration and Filling.

VAT Registration in UAE

As per the Federal Decree-Law No. (8) of 2017, VAT (Value Added Tax) is being implemented in the UAE from January 1st, 2017. The VAT is levied on all products & services at a standard rate of 5%, which is very low compared to other countries that have already implemented it.

Businesses with more than AED 375,000 annual turnover must register with Federal Tax Authority. Businesses with more than AED 187,500 turnover can register voluntarily with FTA.

Documents Required

VAT registration in UAE is done through the Federal Tax Authority (FTA) website. Once you register for VAT in the UAE you will get the tax registration number (TRN) for filing the tax returns and claim refunds if any.

Companies that meet the minimum annual turnover of AED 375,000 must register for VAT in UAE. They will have to maintain the business records all the time for the government authorities to check the tax liability. Also, for a reclaim of VAT paid on business-related goods or services.

Companies must submit the following documents for registering VAT:

Trade License
Certificate of incorporation or registration certificate
Article of association/ partnership agreement or any other document showing ownership information about the business
Copy of Passport and Emirates ID of the manager
Profile of the manager
Physical office location of the business
Contact details
Bank account details
List of other business directories/partners in the UAE in the last five years along with trade license copies

Declaration about:

Business Activities of the applicant
Actual or estimated financial transaction values
Turnover in the last 12 months with supporting documents
Details about expected turnover in the next 30 days
Details about expected exempt supplies
Details about Imports and exports
GCC activities of the business
Details about customs registration

Applying for VAT Registration is a slightly complex and lengthy process. You must be ready with all your personal and business identification documents and the respective scanned copies before you begin the registration process.

For any assistance on VAT Registration or VAT Return Filing, feel free to reach out to our VAT Consultants

VAT Registration for Freezone Companies in UAE

Freezones are out of the territorial scope of the UAE. However, for VAT purpose that is not the case.

Only those Free Zones listed in a Cabinet Decision quality for special VAT treatment and that special VAT treatment has certain limitations. These nominated Free Zones are known as Designated Zones of VAT Purpose.

The effect for businesses operating in Designated Zones will be that many supplies of goods will be outside the scope of UAE VAT, subject to strict criteria and detailed record keeping. Supplies of services are subject to normal UAE VAT rules.

Identification of a Designated Zones

Several criteria must be met for a Designated Zone to be treated as outside the UAE for VAT purposes.

The Designated Zone must be a specific geographic area with in a fence
The designate zone must have security measures and Customs controls in place to monitor the entry and exit of individuals and the movement of goods to and from the designated zones.
The Designated zone must have internal procedures regarding the method of keeping, storing and processing of goods within the free zone.
The operator of the Designated Zone must comply with procedures set out by the FTA.

For any assistance on VAT Registration in Freezone, feel free to reach out to us right away!

VAT Registration for Offshore Companies in UAE

There is a confusion whether the International Business Companies (IBC) popularly known as Offshore Companies in UAE are within the purview of VAT law in the UAE.

As everyone knows, there are three offshore jurisdictions in the UAE – Ajman Offshore, RAKICC & JAFZA Offshore.

“Offshore companies”, as the name indicates, are legally considered to be outside the country. These companies are non-resident companies, with no eligibility to do any business within the country of incorporation. An Offshore Company cannot establish its own office, but the Registered Agent office will be the company address. Also, Offshore companies cannot register with the Chamber of Commerce and they cannot obtain an Import Export Code.

Being a Non- resident company and not doing business within UAE, an Offshore company will not come under the purview of VAT in UAE. It’s also pertinent to note that VAT is payable on the fee charged by Registered Agent for incorporation and annual maintenance of the company.

At Aurion, we have expert VAT Consultants having good knowledge of VAT Law & Legislation published by the UAE Government, in order to assist Clients. We provide accurate and reliable VAT Consultancy services and help Clients to register for VAT & obtain unique TRN (Tax Registration Number). Businesses have to file VAT return every 3 months & Aurion provides guidance & support to make Tax Invoices & file return.

Please find below link to download VAT guidance

VAT De-Registration in the UAE

Termination of VAT or VAT De-registration in the UAE is when a business terminates its VAT Registration with the Federal Tax Authority (FTA). There are multiple reasons why a business chooses for termination of VAT or Closing the VAT transactions.

Businesses operating in the UAE must mandatorily cancel the VAT registration and the reasons must be adhering to guidelines defined by the VAT laws of UAE. Any non-valid conditions or reasons might disapprove of your cancellation and would attract fines for nonpayment of VAT.

A company can apply for VAT De-Registration in the UAE through the Federal Tax Authority (FTA) Online Platform.

However, as per the VAT Decree-Law, there are certain steps and things to know for a company that is applying for the VAT De-Registration.

When to Apply for VAT De-Registration in UAE

If Annual turnover of the Company has not exceeded AED 187,500 in the 12 months after registering with the FTA
If a business stops making taxable supplies
If the companies expenses are below the VAT registration threshold of AED 375,000
12 months have elapsed since the date of voluntary VAT Registration
Upon Liquidation/ De-registration of a Company

The Company must submit the VAT De-Registration application form within 20 working days from the date of any of the events above. In the case of Voluntary VAT Registration, there is no limit on the days to apply for VAT De-Registration. Delaying the application for de-registration of VAT would attract fines from the FTA.

Documents required for Submitting the VAT De-Registration Application Form

Company liquidation letter from authorities if the company is closed.
Audited Financial statement (Signed & Stamped) for the last 12 months stating the taxable supplies are less than the threshold.

Clearances for the approval for VAT De-Registration in the UAE

The business entity must ensure that they have obtained clearance from the Federal Tax Authority by paying all the outstanding taxes, VAT Returns, and Administrative Penalties.

For businesses in UAE, VAT De-Registration is as vital as it is to register for VAT. Businesses must be aware of the rules and processes for VAT Cancellation in the UAE as well as the administrative penalties incurred upon delaying the de-registration process.

To know more about VAT De-registration, talk to our VAT Experts right away!

VAT Registration in UAE