An external audit is an independent examination of a company's financial statements conducted by a licensed auditor. In the UAE, audited financial statements are required for trade licence renewal in most free zones, for compliance with the Commercial Companies Law on the mainland, in support of corporate tax filings, and wherever banks, investors or government bodies require assurance. Cressford Chartered Accountants conducts ISA-compliant external audits for mainland and free zone companies, senior-led, confidential, and delivered at a fixed fee agreed before the engagement begins.
Provide your trade licence and latest trial balance and receive a fixed quotation within one working day. Your documents remain confidential.
No obligation. Your details remain confidential.
Audited financial statements are required in the following circumstances:
Most authorities, including DMCC, JAFZA, DAFZA, DIFC and ADGM, require audited financial statements for trade licence renewal, generally within 90 to 180 days of the financial year end.
Under the UAE Commercial Companies Law (Federal Decree-Law No. 32 of 2021), these companies must appoint a licensed auditor and maintain audited accounts.
Under Ministerial Decision No. 84 of 2025, audited financial statements are mandatory for corporate tax purposes, and for Qualifying Free Zone Persons irrespective of revenue. This is addressed in detail below.
Audited statements are routinely required for credit facilities, funding rounds and shareholder reporting.
Audited accounts are required for company liquidation and for consolidated group reporting abroad.
Uncertain whether your licence category requires an audit? Send us your trade licence and we will confirm the requirement without charge.
These terms are frequently used interchangeably; they are not equivalent.
Licence renewal and corporate tax in the UAE require an external (statutory) audit; internal audit is a separate, value-adding engagement.
Corporate tax has made audited financial statements a matter of tax compliance, not merely licensing. Under Ministerial Decision No. 84 of 2025, issued pursuant to the Corporate Tax Law (Federal Decree-Law No. 47 of 2022), audited financial statements are mandatory for tax periods commencing on or after 1 January 2025 for:
Taxable persons with annual revenue exceeding AED 50 million, where the business is not part of a tax group.
All QFZPs claiming the 0% rate, irrespective of revenue.
Tax groups must prepare audited special-purpose financial statements.
Timing is material. Corporate tax returns fall due within nine months of the financial year end; a 31 December 2025 year end therefore requires filing by 30 September 2026, with the audit completed well in advance. As the Federal Tax Authority treats inconsistencies between audited accounts and tax returns as a matter for enquiry, Cressford Chartered Accountants coordinates the audit and the corporate tax filing so that the two remain consistent.
Corporate Tax Services →For an SME with complete records, the timeline is agreed as a fixed number of working days at scoping. Expedited delivery is available for urgent licence-renewal deadlines.
Most UAE free zones accept audit reports only from firms recognised by the relevant authority. Cressford Chartered Accountants delivers audits accepted across major UAE free zones, directly or through approved-partner arrangements, including for DMCC, JAFZA, DAFZA, DIFC and ADGM companies, so that reports are accepted for licence renewal without additional verification. Zone-specific deadlines and requirements are set out on our Freezone Approved Auditors page.
Our auditors act for the sectors that constitute Dubai's SME and mid-market economy:
Businesses in other sectors are welcome to enquire; we audit companies of most types and sizes.
Audit reports accepted across major UAE free zones for direct use in licence renewal.
From initial consultation to signed report, engagements are conducted by senior professionals familiar with the client's business.
The fee quoted at scoping is the fee payable, with no revisions without prior agreement.
Audits conducted to International Standards on Auditing, with IFRS-compliant financial statements accepted by authorities, banks and the FTA.
Office 2514, DAMAC Smart Heights, Barsha Heights (Tecom), Dubai. Engagements conducted in person or fully remotely.
In most free zones, yes. Authorities including DMCC, JAFZA, DAFZA, DIFC and ADGM require audited financial statements for trade licence renewal, generally within 90 to 180 days of the financial year end. Qualifying Free Zone Persons additionally require audited statements to maintain the 0% corporate tax rate.
Mainland LLCs and PJSCs are required under the Commercial Companies Law (Federal Decree-Law No. 32 of 2021) to appoint a licensed auditor and maintain audited accounts. Corporate tax thresholds may also make an audit mandatory irrespective of legal form.
Under Ministerial Decision No. 84 of 2025, audited financial statements are mandatory for tax periods commencing on or after 1 January 2025 where annual revenue exceeds AED 50 million, and for all Qualifying Free Zone Persons claiming the 0% rate, irrespective of revenue.
Fees depend on the size of the company, transaction volume and the condition of the records. Cressford Chartered Accountants provides a fixed fee at scoping, agreed before any work begins, with no subsequent revisions without prior agreement.
For an SME with complete records, the engagement is agreed as a fixed number of working days at scoping. Expedited delivery is available where a licence-renewal deadline is imminent.
Yes. Audit reports are delivered for companies across major UAE free zones, directly or through approved-partner arrangements, and are accepted for licence renewal. Zone-specific requirements are confirmed at scoping.
Typically the trade licence, trial balance, bank statements, VAT returns, sales and purchase invoices, and material agreements. A single tailored checklist is provided at the outset of the engagement.
A statutory audit is an external audit required by law or by a regulator. The procedure is the same; the term denotes obligation rather than a different form of engagement.
Provide your trade licence and latest trial balance and receive a fixed quotation within one working day.