Dubai · UAE — GST +4
04 — Guides

From the index

Everything here is written the way we quote: from tariffs, rules and dates — not from a call script. If a number appears, it has a source; if a rule has an exception, it is named.

Tax

E-invoicing: who, when, and what breaks

The UAE e-invoicing mandate from July 2026 in plain terms: the Peppol five-corner model, phase-in by size, what changes on your invoices, and the prep it.

11 MIN · TAX
FormationTL

Trade licences: types, renewal and fines

Commercial, professional, industrial and specialised licences compared, what renewal actually costs, the late-fine calendar, and how to verify any licence.

10 MIN · FORMATION
VisasFL

The freelance visa, fully costed

The whole freelance visa invoice — permit, entry permit, medical, Emirates ID, insurance and renewal — plus the income level where a small company costs less.

10 MIN · VISAS
FormationVS

Offshore vs free zone

Offshore (RAK ICC, JAFZA) or free zone FZCO? Ownership, visas, banking, tax and cost compared for holding and operating scenarios in the UAE.

10 MIN · FORMATION
Visas10Y

All routes to the golden visa

Every route to the UAE 10-year golden visa — property AED 2M, investment, specialists, entrepreneurs, students — and the evidence file each one really needs.

11 MIN · VISAS
Tax3M

Small Business Relief: the closing window

UAE Small Business Relief zeroes taxable income for revenue ≤ AED 3M — how the election works, who qualifies, and why the window closes end of 2026.

9 MIN · TAX
Tax5%

The VAT thresholds, precisely

When UAE VAT registration is mandatory (AED 375k) versus voluntary (AED 187.5k), how the rolling 12-month test works, and the AED 10,000 late-registration.

10 MIN · TAX
Banking

Why bank accounts get rejected

The real reasons corporate account applications fail in the UAE: activity mismatch, vague flows, thin substance, source of funds — and the file that passes.

10 MIN · BANKING
ComplianceES

Substance after ESR: what remains

The ESR notification regime was abolished for periods after 2022 — but substance moved into corporate tax, QFZP and tax-residency rules. What actually still.

9 MIN · COMPLIANCE
Formation$

The cheapest trade licence, honestly

Where the genuinely cheapest UAE trade licences live (Sharjah, Ajman, UAQ, RAK), what AED 4,888–6,500 actually buys, and the three catches to check before.

10 MIN · FORMATION
FormationEC

The e-commerce licence, decoded

Licensing an online business in the UAE — free zone vs mainland vs e-trader permit, what payment gateways and marketplaces demand, plus VAT, corporate tax.

10 MIN · FORMATION
FormationMIN

The honest minimum to start in Dubai

The honest minimum to start in Dubai: nominal share capital, real licence floors from ~AED 6,000, and a first-year survival budget of AED 60,000–100,000.

11 MIN · FORMATION
TaxTRC

The individual TRC, step by step

A personal TRC from the FTA: the three residency tests (183/90 days), the evidence file, EmaraTax fees and timing, and what the certificate can't do.

11 MIN · TAX
Formation1→7

How to start a business in Dubai, in seven steps

The full sequence from idea to operating company in Dubai — jurisdiction, free zone, licence, visas, bank and books, with real costs and honest timelines.

11 MIN · FORMATION
BankingP·A

The personal account: resident vs non-resident

How personal UAE bank accounts really open: residents get a current account in days on an Emirates ID; non-residents get a savings account with AED 25k–100k.

11 MIN · BANKING
Formation!

Seven expensive mistakes, prevented cheaply

The recurring, expensive mistakes in UAE company setup — wrong zone, wrong activities, missed renewals, no books — and the boring habits that prevent each.

10 MIN · FORMATION
FormationIT

IT and Web3 in the UAE: two businesses, one search

Registering software, SaaS and Web3 companies in the UAE: which zones fit which models, the VARA/ADGM/DIFC licensing reality, and banking notes for tech.

10 MIN · FORMATION
Formation✓TL

Checking a trade licence, emirate by emirate

Verify any UAE trade licence online, free: Dubai DET, Abu Dhabi TAMM, Sharjah SEDD, free zone registers and the National Economic Register — what each shows.

9 MIN · FORMATION
Tax9m

Corporate tax: the calendar and the fines

The two deadlines that matter — EmaraTax registration and the nine-month return — what lateness costs (AED 10,000 and up), and the waiver most companies miss.

10 MIN · TAX
VisasFZV

The free zone visa, mechanically

How UAE free zone residence visas work: quota per licence tier, the establishment card, the ~AED 5,500 all-in cost, timelines, renewal and employer duties.

10 MIN · VISAS
Tax50%

Excise: the other consumption tax

UAE excise tax explained: 50% and 100% rates, why importers and producers register at unit one, how the excise price works, and the 2026 sugar-tier change.

9 MIN · TAX
TaxINV

The tax invoice, field by field

Every required field on a UAE tax invoice, when a simplified invoice is legal, the AED currency rule, the 14-day deadline, and the July 2026 e-invoicing.

10 MIN · TAX
FormationRM

The shelf company, soberly

UAE shelf and ready-made companies: the three cases where the aged premium earns its price, the liabilities you inherit, the due diligence, and why fresh.

10 MIN · FORMATION
TaxΣ

Every UAE tax on one page

Every tax the UAE actually charges — corporate 9%, VAT 5%, excise, customs, DMTT 15% — and every one it still doesn't: income, capital gains, inheritance.

10 MIN · TAX
Tax9%

Who still really pays 0%

QFZP status, Small Business Relief and the AED 375k threshold — the three legal ways UAE profit stays at 0% under the 9% regime, and how companies lose each.

11 MIN · TAX

Tell us what you're building.

We reply with numbers — a line-by-line setup estimate for your case. Not a call script, not a brochure.

Step 1 of 4
What are you setting up?
Step 2 of 4
Where should it be based?
Step 3 of 4
How many residence visas?

Founders, family and team — a rough number is fine.

1
Step 4 of 4
Where do we send the numbers?
REPLIES WITHIN 1 BUSINESS DAY. NO NEWSLETTER, NO DRIP SEQUENCE.
Got it — thank you.

We'll reply with a line-by-line estimate within one business day.

REFERENCE SAVED · EMIRDESK