Essence Accounting & Tax Consultancy is an FTA-registered tax agency in Business Bay, Dubai, providing accounting, VAT and corporate tax services for foreign-owned companies and international founders with a UAE entity. Fully remote onboarding. English-speaking team. We keep your UAE company compliant whether you're in London, Amsterdam, New York or anywhere else in the world.
Quick Answer: Essence Accounting provides accounting, VAT and corporate tax compliance for foreign-owned UAE companies and subsidiaries. Fully remote, English-speaking, FTA-registered. We handle everything — bookkeeping, VAT returns, corporate tax filing, FTA correspondence and tax residency certificates — so founders in Europe, the UK and the USA never miss a UAE deadline. Speak to our team →
This service is for two groups: individual founders from Europe, the UK or the USA who set up a UAE company and need it properly managed from abroad — and international groups that have a UAE subsidiary or branch and need a local accounting and tax partner.
Both groups face the same core problem: UAE tax and accounting rules are specific, change regularly, and differ significantly from UK, EU or US frameworks. Getting them wrong — late VAT registration, missed corporate tax deadlines, inadequate record-keeping — carries real FTA penalties.
We work with founders and finance teams from across Europe, the UK and North America. We correspond in English and have no requirement for in-person meetings in Dubai.
Tell us about your UAE entity — we'll confirm what you need and when.
We respond within one business day.
Everything. Our service is designed to run without requiring your physical presence in Dubai. Here is what we manage on behalf of international founders and groups.
We maintain your UAE company's books every month — categorising transactions, reconciling bank statements and keeping records to UAE corporate tax standards. Financial statements are shared digitally on request.
We handle VAT registration for UAE companies (including non-resident businesses), prepare and file VAT returns to the FTA every period, and manage the EmaraTax portal on your behalf.
We register your UAE entity for corporate tax, prepare the annual CT return — including transfer pricing disclosures where required — and file via EmaraTax as your FTA-appointed tax agent.
As an FTA-registered tax agency, we can be appointed as your authorised tax agent. We handle all FTA queries, audit support and correspondence — you do not need to deal with the FTA directly.
We manage UAE Tax Residency Certificate applications for companies seeking to claim Double Tax Agreement benefits in the UK, Europe and elsewhere. Eligibility assessment and Ministry of Finance submission included.
If your UAE company employs staff, we manage payroll processing, WPS (Wage Protection System) compliance, and end-of-service calculations — all handled remotely with monthly payroll reports delivered digitally.
See all Essence services →
Yes. UAE corporate tax applies based on where a company is incorporated or effectively managed — not on the nationality of its owners. A UAE subsidiary of a British, French or American group is subject to UAE corporate tax on the same terms as any UAE-incorporated entity.
The standard rate is 9% on taxable income above AED 375,000 per financial year (0% below this threshold). All companies must register, file an annual corporate tax return via EmaraTax, and pay any tax due within 9 months of their financial year-end.
Free zone subsidiaries of foreign groups can qualify as a Qualifying Free Zone Person (QFZP) — earning 0% tax on qualifying income — provided they maintain adequate economic substance in the UAE, their income comes from qualifying activities, and they do not elect out of the free zone regime. Determination of QFZP eligibility requires careful analysis; Essence reviews this for every free zone client.
For groups with significant related-party transactions between the UAE entity and its foreign parent, transfer pricing rules apply. The UAE follows the OECD arm's length principle. Groups exceeding the relevant thresholds must maintain a transfer pricing disclosure form and, for larger entities, a master file and local file.
Read our detailed guide: Accounting & tax compliance for foreign-owned companies in UAE →
VAT registration rules apply based on the company's own taxable activity in the UAE, regardless of where its owners are based. A UAE entity owned by a European group follows the same VAT rules as any UAE company: mandatory registration once taxable turnover exceeds AED 375,000 in any 12-month period, with the option for voluntary registration from AED 187,500.
For non-resident businesses — foreign companies making taxable supplies in the UAE but with no physical establishment here — the rules are stricter: mandatory VAT registration applies with no turnover threshold. The first taxable supply in the UAE triggers an obligation to register. Non-resident registrants must appoint a tax representative in the UAE.
VAT returns are filed quarterly (or monthly for large taxpayers) via the FTA's EmaraTax portal. The standard VAT rate in the UAE is 5%. Essence manages end-to-end VAT compliance for foreign-owned UAE entities and non-resident registrants — from initial registration through to periodic filing and FTA correspondence.
| Mandatory registration | AED 375,000 |
| Voluntary registration | AED 187,500 |
| Non-resident supplier | No threshold |
| Standard rate | 5% |
Place of Effective Management (PoEM) is the location where the key management and commercial decisions of an entity are made in substance. Under the UAE Corporate Tax Law (Federal Decree-Law No. 47 of 2022), a foreign entity whose PoEM is in the UAE is treated as a UAE resident for tax purposes and must register and file UAE corporate tax returns.
This matters for founders of foreign-owned UAE entities. If the directors or shareholders of a UAE company routinely make strategic decisions from the UK, Germany or elsewhere — board meetings held abroad, management authority held by a foreign parent — the UAE entity's PoEM could be treated as outside the UAE.
Conversely, a foreign company whose day-to-day decisions are effectively made in Dubai could be classified as a UAE tax resident even if incorporated abroad — creating an unexpected UAE corporate tax liability.
Essence reviews the management structure of every foreign-owned client to assess PoEM risk and advise on compliant arrangements. See our detailed guide: Place of Effective Management (PoEM) in UAE corporate tax →
These are indicators, not automatic disqualifiers. The assessment depends on all facts and circumstances. We review this for every foreign-owned client.
The UAE has an extensive network of Double Tax Agreements (DTAs) — also called Double Taxation Avoidance Agreements (DTAAs) or tax treaties. These treaties reduce or eliminate withholding tax on dividends, interest, royalties and other payments flowing between the UAE and the treaty country.
The following countries are among those with active DTAs with the UAE relevant to European and international business founders [CONFIRM: verify each treaty on mof.gov.ae before relying on this for a specific transaction]:
| Country | Treaty Status | Key benefit |
|---|---|---|
| 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | DTA in force | Reduced withholding on dividends / interest |
| 🇩🇪 Germany | DTA in force | Reduced withholding on dividends / royalties |
| 🇫🇷 France | DTA in force | Reduced withholding; residency tiebreaker |
| 🇳🇱 Netherlands | DTA in force | Reduced withholding on dividends / interest |
| 🇮🇹 Italy | DTA in force | Reduced withholding on dividends / royalties |
| 🇪🇸 Spain | DTA in force | Reduced withholding on dividends / interest |
| 🇨🇭 Switzerland | DTA in force | Reduced withholding; residency rules |
| 🇨🇦 Canada | DTA in force | Reduced withholding on dividends / royalties |
| 🇺🇸 USA | No comprehensive income tax treaty | No DTA — US-UAE transactions not treaty-protected |
Source: UAE Ministry of Finance (mof.gov.ae). Always verify the specific treaty provisions and whether it applies to your situation before relying on treaty benefits.
To claim treaty benefits, a UAE company typically needs a UAE Tax Residency Certificate (TRC) — issued by the UAE Ministry of Finance — to present to the foreign tax authority as evidence of UAE tax domicile. Essence handles TRC applications for companies and individuals.
We confirm the UAE entity meets the Ministry of Finance criteria — typically 12 months of UAE activity and verifiable presence.
Trade licence, bank statements, audited accounts, tenancy agreement, shareholder/director IDs.
We submit the application via the UAE Ministry of Finance portal and manage any follow-up queries.
The TRC is issued digitally. Essence delivers it to you with a summary of how to use it in your treaty claim.
The UAE Corporate Tax Law requires that transactions between a UAE entity and its related parties — including a foreign parent company, sibling entities within the same group, or connected persons — follow the arm's length principle. This means prices and terms must reflect what independent parties would agree to in comparable circumstances.
Businesses that have related party transactions must report them on a Disclosure Form submitted with the CT return. Larger businesses meeting UAE-specific thresholds are also required to maintain a Master File and Local File — comprehensive documentation of the group's global structure, intercompany transactions and pricing methodology.
Common related-party transactions for foreign-owned UAE companies include: management fees paid to a parent company, intercompany loans, royalties for IP licences, and cross-border service charges. All must be documented at arm's length. Undocumented or mispriced transactions risk FTA adjustment and additional tax assessments.
Essence prepares transfer pricing disclosures as part of the CT return service and advises on documentation requirements for groups with significant UAE intercompany activity. Learn more about our corporate tax filing service →
Our onboarding process is fully remote and typically takes 3–5 business days from first contact to active compliance management.
We discuss your UAE entity structure, current compliance status, any pending deadlines and your reporting requirements. This is by email, WhatsApp or video call — no Dubai visit required.
We review your existing records, check registration status (corporate tax TRN, VAT TRN if applicable), and identify any gaps or exposure — late registrations, unfiled returns, missing records.
You sign an engagement letter and, where relevant, a Power of Attorney authorising Essence to act as your FTA tax agent. Both documents can be signed digitally.
We set up your compliance calendar — every registration, filing and payment deadline mapped to your financial year — and share it with you. You always know what is coming next.
We take over bookkeeping, VAT and corporate tax compliance. Monthly updates keep you informed. You approve any significant action before we file. UAE deadlines are never missed.
FTA-registered tax agency in Business Bay, Dubai. We handle accounting, VAT and corporate tax for foreign-owned UAE companies — remotely, in English, on time.
Last updated: November 2026 | Essence Accounting & Tax Consultancy, Business Bay, Dubai
Verify our tax agency registration on the FTA’s official directory →
