From returns and refunds to audits and full compliance support, Cressford Chartered Accountants manages the complete VAT lifecycle for businesses across Dubai and the UAE. Returns are filed on time, input VAT recovered correctly, and the books maintained to a standard that withstands any FTA inspection, for a fixed monthly fee, without the quarterly scramble.
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VAT obligations are determined by taxable turnover, not profit:
Obligations apply where taxable supplies and imports exceeded AED 375,000 over the preceding twelve months, or are expected to do so within the next thirty days.
The voluntary threshold is reached once turnover or expenses pass AED 187,500, frequently worthwhile for the recovery of input VAT.
Free zone status does not confer exemption. Where taxable supplies exceed the threshold, the same obligations apply.
The position is confirmed from actual figures before any step is taken.
Talk to our VAT team →The UAE standard VAT rate is 5%, but not all supplies are treated alike, and the distinction between zero-rated and exempt is material to input VAT recovery:
The VAT return (Form VAT 201) and any payment are both due within 28 days of the end of each tax period, filed through the FTA's EmaraTax portal.
The FTA assigns the filing frequency. Most businesses file quarterly; those with turnover above AED 150 million file monthly.
A return must be filed for every period even where there was no activity. A late nil return carries the same penalty as any other.
Submitting the return on time but paying late still attracts a penalty. Both are completed before the deadline.
Every return is reconciled to the books, entitled input VAT recovered, and filing completed early, so that a slow EmaraTax evening never becomes a fine.
The UAE overhauled VAT penalties under Cabinet Decision No. 129 of 2025, effective 14 April 2026. The current figures:
Two points are worth noting. The late-payment rule has changed: it is now a flat 14% per annum, replacing the former compounding structure of 2% plus 4% monthly plus 1% daily that could reach 300% of the tax. And unlike corporate tax, VAT carries no automatic penalty waiver, so punctual filing is the only genuine protection. Correcting an error through voluntary disclosure remains considerably less costly than an FTA-raised assessment.
Filing deadlines are built into a managed compliance calendar, so returns are prepared and filed early, every period, without the client chasing.
Because the firm also audits, VAT returns reconcile to the accounts, removing the inconsistencies that trigger FTA queries.
A predictable monthly fee agreed in advance, with senior professionals on the file throughout.
Office 2514, DAMAC Smart Heights, Barsha Heights (Tecom), Dubai. Engagements conducted in person or fully remotely.
The mandatory threshold is AED 375,000 of taxable supplies and imports over the preceding twelve months, or expected within the next thirty days. The voluntary threshold is AED 187,500. Free zone companies are subject to the same thresholds.
The standard rate is 5%. Certain supplies are zero-rated, including exports and international transport, and others are exempt, including certain financial services and residential leases. The classification determines input VAT recovery.
The FTA assigns a monthly or quarterly frequency; most businesses file quarterly, and those with turnover above AED 150 million file monthly. The return and any payment are due within 28 days of the period end.
Under Cabinet Decision No. 129 of 2025, effective 14 April 2026: AED 1,000 for a first late return (AED 2,000 for a repeat within 24 months), late payment at 14% per annum charged monthly, and AED 10,000 where the threshold deadline is missed.
Free zone status does not exempt a company from VAT. Where taxable supplies exceed the threshold, the same filing obligations apply, with specific rules for designated zones.
Yes. The complete lifecycle is managed by one team: periodic filing, refund support, e-invoicing readiness and clean exits.
Tax invoices, credit notes, import and export records, and the accounting records supporting each return, retained for at least five years. Proper record-keeping failures attract penalties of AED 10,000, rising to AED 20,000 for repeat offences.
The complete VAT lifecycle managed by one team, at a fixed fee agreed in advance.