UAE Tax & Business Changes
Updates
Short notes on what changed in UAE tax, accounting and compliance: the change, the date it bites, and who it applies to. Longer explanations live in the blog.
A Cabinet Decision lands, a guide is reissued with a new date, a regulator amends its rules, and most companies hear about it from a penalty notice.
We check the Federal Tax Authority — its news, its guides and its legislation page — along with ADGM and DMCC every six hours, and publish what changed in the authority's own words, linked to the original. Updates from bodies that block automated access are added by hand, after we have checked them against the issuing authority.
Quoted items reproduce a short extract of the issuing authority's own announcement, with a link to the original. Exiloz is a private consultancy and is not the Federal Tax Authority or any UAE government body. Always read the official text before acting on it.
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FTA Conducts 103,680 Inspection Visits in Six Months, Up 21% AED 174 Million in Tax Liabilities and Administrative Penalties Associated with 8.5 Million…#
“The Federal Tax Authority (FTA) conducted approximately 103,680 field inspection visits across local markets during the first six months of 2026, compared to approximately 86,000 inspection visits during the first half of last year, representing a 21%…”
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Federal Tax Authority and Dubai Police Seize 3.5 Million Non-Compliant Excise Goods Packages#
“The Federal Tax Authority (FTA) announced that inspection campaigns carried out in cooperation with the General Department of Criminal Investigation of Dubai Police during the first half of 2026 resulted in the seizure of 3,587,315 non-compliant packages…”
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Small Business Relief extended to tax periods ending on or before 31 December 2029#
Ministerial Decision No. 131 of 2026 amends the 2023 decision and pushes the relief out by three years. The AED 3 million revenue threshold is unchanged, and so is everything else: you still register, still make the election inside the return, and still file for every tax period. Nil tax is not nil compliance.
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Number of Retail Outlets Connected to Digital Tourist VAT Refund System Reaches More Than 19,300#
“Abu Dhabi, 5 August 2026: The Federal Tax Authority (FTA) has confirmed that the Digital Tourist VAT Refund System continues to expand across the UAE, delivering strong operational results during the first half of 2026.”
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Pillar Two information return: who files it, and who only has to notify#
Ministerial Decision No. 133 of 2026 names who files the Pillar Two Information Return with the FTA: every Constituent Entity in the UAE other than an Investment Entity, every Joint Venture and JV Subsidiary here, and any Stateless Constituent Entity that is a reverse hybrid formed under UAE law. A Designated Local Entity may file on their behalf. Where the Ultimate Parent Entity or a Designated Filing Entity already files in a jurisdiction that has a Qualifying Competent Authority Agreement with the UAE for that year, the UAE entity does not file at all — but it must still tell the FTA which entity is filing and where. That notification is the part groups overlook. It applies to fiscal years starting on or after 1 January 2025, so the first reporting year is already behind you.
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FTA Confirms Taxable Persons Eligible for the Small Business Relief Must Submit Simplified Corporate Tax Returns Within Prescribed Legal Deadline#
“Abu Dhabi, 3 August 2026: The Federal Tax Authority (FTA) has emphasised that Taxable Persons eligible for the Small Business Relief must continue to fulfil all their obligations under the Corporate Tax Law for each tax period. These obligations include registering for Corporate…”
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ADGM’s Registration Authority Activates Broker Classification Framework to Strengthen Brokers’ Role in the Real Estate Market#
“The Registration Authority (RA) of ADGM, the international financial centre of Abu Dhabi, has activated the Broker Classification Framework, marking the next phase of its commitment to enhancing professionalism by recognising top-performing brokers and strengthening their role…”
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CBUAE Maintains the Base Rate at 3.65%#
Press release published by the Central Bank of the UAE. Read the original notice for the full text.
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Corporate Tax return for a 31 December 2025 year-end is due 30 September 2026#
Nine months after the end of the tax period, and the same date for paying. Two months left. The return needs finalised financials, so the audit or close work has to start well before September.
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FSRA Publishes Proposed Regulatory Framework for Transfer Schemes#
“The Financial Services Regulatory Authority (FSRA) of ADGM has published Consultation Paper No. 2 of 2026, which sets out proposed enhancements to the framework governing the transfer of business within ADGM.”
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