Newly incorporated in the UAE? ETaxFlow gets you compliant from the first invoice — VAT registration tracking, Corporate Tax assessment, WPS payroll setup, and FTA-format invoicing ready in under an hour.
From incorporation to your first annual return — here is what every UAE startup needs to handle, and how ETaxFlow manages each step.
ETaxFlow comes pre-configured for UAE businesses — chart of accounts, VAT codes, and FTA-compliant invoice templates ready from day one. Issue your first tax invoice in minutes.
UAE businesses must register for VAT once taxable supplies exceed AED 375,000 in any 12-month rolling period. ETaxFlow tracks your running total and alerts you when you're approaching the threshold — so you register on time and avoid penalties.
As soon as you hire your first employee, ETaxFlow sets up WPS payroll — collecting IBAN details, structuring the salary package, and generating the SIF file for your first salary transfer via WPS.
At the end of your first financial year, ETaxFlow computes your Corporate Tax position. If your revenue is under AED 3 million, it assesses Small Business Relief eligibility and guides you through the election — potentially keeping your CT liability at zero.
ETaxFlow tracks your CT return filing deadline (9 months after financial year end) and prepares the CT300 report from your accounting data — ready to submit through the MoF EmaraTax portal.
Everything a new UAE business needs to stay compliant — without needing a full-time accountant from day one.
Real-time monitoring of your 12-month rolling taxable supplies with alerts when you approach the AED 375,000 mandatory registration threshold.
Automatic check of Small Business Relief eligibility each financial year — protecting early-stage startups from CT liability while revenue is still growing.
Issue correct tax invoices from the first sale — with TRN field, VAT amount, sequential numbering, and all FTA mandatory fields pre-filled.
Set up payroll for your first hire in under 10 minutes and generate WPS SIF files from your first salary run onwards.
P&L, Balance Sheet, and Cash Flow reports formatted for investor decks, bank financing applications, and board presentations — always current.
Invite your accountant or CFO as a user — they get read/write access to review, adjust, and sign off entries without a separate tool.
Early-stage UAE businesses typically focus on growth and delay compliance setup. The FTA and MOHRE have published penalty schedules that make this expensive. These are the first-offense penalties that apply to most startups — subsequent violations attract higher amounts.
| Compliance Obligation | First-Offense Penalty | Subsequent Penalty | Deadline |
|---|---|---|---|
| Corporate Tax registration | AED 10,000 | AED 10,000 | Issued by FTA — register promptly |
| VAT registration (once threshold met) | AED 20,000 | AED 20,000 | Within 30 days of crossing AED 375K revenue |
| Late VAT return filing | AED 1,000 | AED 2,000 per return | 28 days after tax period end |
| Non-compliant tax invoice | AED 5,000 per invoice | AED 10,000 per invoice | Assessed during FTA audit |
| Late WPS salary payment | Visa quota block | Labour ban, MOHRE complaint | Within 10 days of pay date (WPS) |
| Failure to maintain accounting records | AED 10,000 | AED 50,000 | Records required for 5 years minimum |
| Late CT return or CT payment | AED 500/month (return) + 14% p.a. on unpaid tax | Additional 1% monthly surcharge on outstanding tax | 9 months after financial year end |
Penalty amounts based on FTA published schedules as of 2025. Consult a UAE tax adviser for advice specific to your situation.
Building an early-stage company requires total focus on finding product-market fit and growing your runway. ETaxFlow handles your bookkeeping and local tax setup automatically from day one, ensuring you build an organized financial history that investors and the FTA will accept.
Monitors your gross revenue limits to ensure you can confidently claim Small Business Relief — 0% CT on all income when revenue stays below AED 3 million.
Visually maps operational cash trends, giving founders early warning on capital requirements and fundraising horizons. Updated from live bank feeds in real time.
IFRS-compliant balance sheet, P&L, and cash flow statement generated at any time. Clean cap table tracking and shareholder loan accounting included.
Step-by-step prompts for FTA registration when you cross AED 375,000 in taxable supplies. CT registration timeline tracked from your incorporation date.
Tax questions every UAE founder should know the answers to
All UAE businesses must register for Corporate Tax regardless of revenue. The FTA began accepting registrations in 2023 and has issued penalties for late registration. ETaxFlow's onboarding checklist walks you through CT registration as your first compliance step, whether or not you yet have taxable income.
Small Business Relief allows businesses with revenue up to AED 3 million per tax period to elect to be treated as having zero taxable income for that period. This relief is available until the tax period ending 31 December 2026. ETaxFlow tracks your revenue against this threshold and flags when you are eligible to make the election.
Voluntary registration at AED 187,500 can make sense if your customers are VAT-registered businesses who can reclaim input tax — it makes you a more credible vendor. However, if your customers are end consumers, the extra 5% on your prices may deter sales. ETaxFlow's advisors can model both scenarios for your specific situation.
All private-sector employers in the UAE must pay salaries through the Wage Protection System (WPS), generate a Salary Information File (SIF), and submit it to the Ministry of Human Resources. ETaxFlow generates compliant SIF files automatically each pay run, with no manual formatting required.
ETaxFlow maintains a complete audit trail: every transaction is time-stamped, linked to its source document, and traceable to the ledger entry. If the FTA selects your business for a VAT or CT audit, you can produce the full workings package — returns, supporting journals, and source invoices — in a single export.
Everything a new UAE company needs to get right from day one.
Required for WPS payroll (IBAN for SIF files) and VAT payment to FTA. Most UAE banks take 4–8 weeks to open.
All UAE businesses must register for CT through EmaraTax. Staggered deadlines by licence date — register by your deadline to avoid AED 10,000 penalty.
UAE VAT registration is mandatory when taxable supplies exceed AED 375,000 in any 12-month period. ETaxFlow tracks this automatically.
All UAE employees must be paid through WPS-registered payroll. Late WPS payments can block visa renewals. ETaxFlow generates SIF files immediately after payroll approval.
Once VAT registered, every sale requires a tax invoice showing your TRN, VAT amount, and required fields. AED 5,000 fine per non-compliant invoice.
UAE CT law requires financial records to be kept for 7 years (10 years for real estate). ETaxFlow stores all records in the cloud with automated backups.