Reviewed 7 October 2026: Licensing, tax and banking requirements must be checked separately.
Keep books current so the tax return, bank review and licence renewal tell the same story. A monthly routine is useful even where no tax is payable.
Monthly checks
Reconcile bank balances and invoices, classify expenses, retain contracts, review related-party transactions and check turnover and tax-period deadlines. Document any tax treatment with the relevant professional advice.
Small Business Relief is an election
The FTA Small Business Relief guidance sets conditions including resident-person status and revenue no more than AED 3 million in the current and previous relevant tax periods. Qualifying Free Zone Persons and members of specified large multinational groups cannot elect. Under the published relief window, eligible tax periods end on or before 31 December 2026. Do not assume a future extension or that relief removes registration and records.
Ownership and mainland activity
Many mainland activities permit 100% foreign ownership, subject to activity-specific restrictions: see the official ownership guide. Free-zone permission to operate outside the zone is also activity- and authority-specific. Dubai’s Executive Council Resolution 11/2025 provides licences or permits for eligible outside-zone activities and requires separate financial records; it is not an unrestricted UAE-wide permission or a rule for every DIFC financial establishment.
Free-zone tax is conditional
A free-zone licence does not guarantee zero Corporate Tax. FTA guidance distinguishes Qualifying Free Zone Persons: 0% on Qualifying Income and 9% on taxable income that is not Qualifying Income. The general 0% band up to AED 375,000 taxable income and 9% above it must not be applied indiscriminately to a Qualifying Free Zone Person. Registration, records and filing obligations still matter; VAT is a separate assessment.
Prepare for banking before you buy a package
Ask the bank for its current documentary requirements. Prepare ownership and beneficial-owner records, licence documents, business activity, expected customers and payments, and source-of-funds evidence. Requirements depend on the bank and risk assessment. A consultant cannot guarantee approval. Read SME Banking Rights 2026 before submitting a complete application.
Compare support by the outcome you need
Shortlist business-setup providers, accountants or tax advisers according to the work required. Check each provider’s licence, experience, fees and scope yourself; directory inclusion is not a guarantee of regulatory approval or suitability.
General information, not personalised legal, tax or financial advice. Confirm requirements with the licensing authority, bank and relevant adviser before committing.