VAT & Corporate Tax Registration
Two separate FTA registrations, two separate deadlines, two separate TRNs — and penalties that accumulate fast if either one is missed.
What You're Actually Registering For
VAT and Corporate Tax are filed separately through the FTA’s EmaraTax portal, each with its own threshold, deadline and Tax Registration Number. VAT is a 5% tax on most goods and services, mandatory above AED 375,000 in taxable supplies (voluntary from AED 187,500). Corporate Tax is a 9% tax on profits above AED 375,000, and registration is required within roughly 3 months of incorporation — regardless of whether you’re profitable yet.
Where Businesses Get This Wrong
- Assuming Corporate Tax registration can wait until the business turns a profit — it can't
- Missing the VAT threshold and registering late, triggering administrative penalties
- Free zone companies assuming automatic Corporate Tax exemption without checking Qualifying Free Zone Person criteria
- Treating VAT and Corporate Tax as one registration instead of two separate filings
- Not knowing whether related entities could benefit from VAT tax grouping
What Hayakom Handles
- VAT registration and Tax Registration Number (TRN) issuance
- Corporate Tax registration with the FTA
- Threshold assessment to confirm mandatory vs. voluntary registration
- Free Zone / Qualifying Free Zone Person eligibility review
- Tax group registration guidance where multiple related entities are involved
- Deregistration support if your business closes or falls below threshold
How It Works
1. Assessment
We review your turnover, structure and free zone status to confirm what you need to register for and by when.
2. Documentation
We prepare and compile the documents EmaraTax requires for your entity type.
3. Submission
We file the registration(s) through EmaraTax and respond to any FTA follow-up queries.
4. TRN Issued
You receive your TRN(s) and a clear summary of your ongoing filing obligations.
What Late Registration Actually Costs
The FTA applies administrative penalties for late registration on both VAT and Corporate Tax, and these accumulate the longer registration is delayed — it’s one of the more common and most avoidable costs UAE businesses incur. We confirm your specific deadline based on your incorporation date and turnover, rather than leaving you to work it out from general guidance.
Related Services
Questions We Get Asked
What business owners ask before registering.