Is Your UAE Company Fully Compliant?

Audit & reports 13.05.2026

Requirements applicable to companies in the UAE are constantly evolving. Corporate tax, accounting, beneficial ownership reporting, licence renewals, visa matters, regulatory filings and compliance obligations can no longer be treated as mere formalities.

Even if a company is dormant and does not conduct active business, it may still have ongoing obligations, including corporate tax registration, maintenance of accounting records, retention of financial documentation, updating beneficial ownership information and timely licence renewal.

Mistakes in these areas may result in penalties, banking issues, difficulties with licence renewals or complications during restructuring.

Check your current position by answering a few simple questions:

• has your company been registered for corporate tax;
• is accounting properly maintained, even if business activity is minimal;
• are your financial documents ready in case of an audit or review;
• do you know the deadline for filing your first tax return;
• are the details of directors, shareholders and beneficial owners up to date;
• are there any expired trade licences, immigration cards or visas;
• do you maintain a calendar of tax and corporate deadlines.

If you could not confidently answer “yes” to at least one of the above, it may be advisable to conduct a prompt review of your company’s compliance status.

Corporate Tax in the UAE Today

The UAE corporate tax regime is now fully in force. Companies are required to register on time, maintain accounting records and submit tax returns within the prescribed deadlines. The UAE Federal Tax Authority also emphasises the importance of timely registration and filing, while providing for possible penalty relief for late registration where certain conditions are satisfied.

What this means in practice:

• the company must be properly registered for corporate tax purposes;
• accounting and financial records must be properly maintained and retained;
• tax returns must be filed within the applicable deadlines;
• even companies with limited activity must understand their reporting obligations.

Accounting: No Longer a Formality

Ensuring proper accounting has now become mandatory. The UAE Federal Tax Authority separately states that companies must retain the relevant records and documentation for at least seven years following the end of the relevant tax period.

As a minimum, all UAE companies should ensure:

• monthly or quarterly bookkeeping;
• proper classification of income and expenses;
• availability of bank statements and supporting documents;
• preparation of financial statements;
• proper retention of tax and corporate records.

This is particularly important for companies planning to open bank accounts, undergo bank or regulatory reviews, attract investors or submit tax filings.

Beneficial Ownership Information (UBO)

Companies in the UAE are required to maintain accurate and up-to-date information regarding their ultimate beneficial owners. These requirements form part of the UAE anti-money laundering framework and are intended to ensure transparency of ownership and control structures.

The following should be reviewed:

• who the actual beneficial owner of the company is;
• whether the current information matches the data filed with the relevant registry or free zone authority;
• whether there have been changes in shareholders, directors or control mechanisms;
• whether internal corporate records and registers are updated on a regular basis.

If the company structure has changed but the beneficial ownership information has not been updated, this should be rectified promptly.

Licence Renewals and Regulatory Filings

Licence renewal is not merely an administrative formality. Delays may result in penalties, visa restrictions, banking issues and operational difficulties for the company.

Please verify:

• the validity period of your trade licence;
• the validity of the company immigration card;
• the validity of visas for owners and employees;
• the validity of office lease or flexi-desk agreements;
• readiness of mandatory filings before the free zone authority or government authorities.

We can assist your company in establishing a compliance calendar to ensure these matters are addressed proactively rather than at the last minute.

How We Can Assist

We offer a prompt review of your UAE company’s current compliance position together with ongoing professional support in relation to:

• corporate tax registration;
• preparation and filing of tax returns;
• accounting and bookkeeping;
• preparation of financial statements;
• review and updating of beneficial ownership information;
• monitoring of licence renewal deadlines;
• tracking of visa and immigration document validity;
• company formation in mainland, free zone and offshore jurisdictions;
• trademark registration.

Compliance Assessment of Your Company

If you are not fully confident that your tax, accounting, beneficial ownership or licensing matters are all in order, we can conduct a prompt review and prepare a practical action plan identifying what is already compliant, what requires updating and which deadlines are critical.

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