VAT Registration
VAT Registration in the UAE
We work out whether you actually have to register, then do it properly, so the TRN arrives without three rounds of FTA queries.
- Threshold tested on the right 12-month basis, backwards and forwards
- Application built with the documents the FTA asks for, first time
- Group registration assessed where you run more than one entity
Who this is for
- You are near AED 375,000Mandatory registration. The test is rolling, not per financial year.
- You are over AED 187,500Voluntary registration is open, and sometimes worth it for input tax recovery.
- Your customers are asking for a TRNCommon when you sell B2B and they want to recover input tax.
- You registered and got queriesApplications stall on trade licence mismatches and unclear turnover evidence.
What is included
- Turnover analysis against the mandatory and voluntary thresholds
- Advice on whether voluntary registration helps or costs you
- EmaraTax application prepared and submitted
- Supporting file: licence, ownership, bank letter, turnover evidence, customs code
- Tax group assessment for connected entities
- FTA follow-up queries answered until the TRN issues
- First return period explained, so the first filing is not a surprise
How it works
- Send 12 months of revenuePlus the trade licence and ownership documents.
- Free threshold checkWe tell you whether registration is mandatory, optional or premature.
- Fixed quote in 24 hoursOne-off fee, and the ongoing filing fee shown separately.
- Submitted and chasedWe answer FTA queries until the TRN is issued.
VAT Registration in the UAE — questions we get asked
What is the VAT registration threshold in the UAE?
Mandatory registration at AED 375,000 of taxable supplies and imports over the previous 12 months, or where you expect to exceed it in the next 30 days. Voluntary registration is available from AED 187,500, measured on supplies or on expenses.
How long does VAT registration take?
Usually around 20 business days from a clean submission. Applications that are missing turnover evidence or that do not match the trade licence take considerably longer, because each FTA query restarts the clock.
Should I register voluntarily?
It helps if your customers are VAT-registered businesses and you carry real input tax on rent, stock or services. It hurts if you sell to consumers, because you then add 5% to your price or absorb it. We model both before you decide.
What happens if I registered late?
There is an administrative penalty for failing to register on time, and you may owe VAT on supplies made from the date registration should have taken effect. Register now rather than later; the exposure grows with the supplies, not with the wait.
Do I need to register if I only export?
Exports are generally zero-rated, not exempt, which means they still count toward the threshold. A pure exporter often has to register and then reclaims input tax. This catches people out regularly.
Can several of my companies register together?
If they are under common control and meet the conditions, a tax group files one return and ignores intra-group supplies. It is not automatically better; it also makes every member jointly liable.
Book your free compliance review
Fifteen minutes, no charge, and you leave with a written summary of where you stand whether or not you engage us.
