Corporate tax registration in the UAE
Every UAE company must register for corporate tax, whatever its size or profit. We prepare the application, submit it in EmaraTax and confirm your tax registration number.
- Who must register
- All UAE companies, including free zone and dormant
- New companies
- Apply within 3 months of incorporation
- Individuals
- Business turnover above AED 1 million a year
- Late registration penalty
- AED 10,000
Registration is mandatory, even with no tax to pay
A common mistake is to assume that a company earning less than AED 375,000, or a free zone company on the 0% rate, does not need to register for corporate tax. It does. Registration depends on being a taxable person, not on owing tax.
Each legal entity registers separately and receives its own corporate tax registration number (TRN). If you are already registered for VAT, the corporate tax registration is added to the same EmaraTax account, and it is still a separate application with its own number.
The FTA sets application deadlines by reference to your licence and incorporation date. Miss the date and the penalty is AED 10,000. We check your deadline first, then file.
Figures on this page reflect UAE rules as understood in October 2026. We confirm what applies to your company before any filing.
What we do for you
Deadline check
We confirm your registration deadline from your licence and incorporation details and tell you if it has already passed.
Document preparation
We review your trade licence, constitutional documents and ID copies and fix mismatches before they cause a rejection.
EmaraTax application
We create or use your EmaraTax account, complete the corporate tax registration and submit it.
FTA queries
If the FTA asks for clarification or more documents, we respond on your behalf until the application is approved.
TRN and next steps
You receive the registration certificate, your first tax period and the date your first return is due.
Amendments
We update your tax record when your licence, address, activities or shareholders change.
How to register for corporate tax
A typical registration takes a short call and one round of documents from you.
Send us your documents
Share your licence, memorandum of association and owner ID copies over WhatsApp or a secure link.
We check eligibility and dates
We confirm the entity type, financial year and deadline, and flag anything unusual such as a branch or a foreign parent.
We prepare the application
Entity details, business activities, ownership, authorised signatory and contact details are entered to match your documents exactly.
You approve, we submit
You review a summary. We submit in EmaraTax and send you the application reference.
TRN issued
When the FTA approves the application, you receive your corporate tax TRN and certificate, and we note your first filing date.
Documents required for corporate tax registration
Have these ready and the application is usually filed in one sitting.
Nothing is stored. The list is only put into your message.
Registration cases we handle
The form is the same for everyone. The right answers are not.
- New companies that need to register soon after incorporation
- Existing companies that have not registered yet and want to limit the damage
- Free zone companies, including those expecting the 0% rate
- Branches of foreign companies and non-residents with UAE income
- Sole establishments and freelancers with turnover above AED 1 million
- Groups registering several entities at once
Is corporate tax registration mandatory in the UAE?
Yes. All companies incorporated or effectively managed in the UAE must register for corporate tax, including free zone companies, dormant companies and companies with income below AED 375,000.
What is the deadline to register for corporate tax?
A company incorporated on or after 1 March 2024 must apply within three months of its incorporation date. Companies that existed before that date were given deadlines based on the month their licence was issued, and those dates have passed. If you have not registered, do it now.
What is the penalty for late corporate tax registration?
The administrative penalty for failing to apply on time is AED 10,000. The FTA has offered a waiver in some cases where the first return is filed promptly. Ask us whether it applies to you.
Is the corporate tax TRN the same as the VAT TRN?
No. Corporate tax and VAT are separate registrations. A company registered for both has a registration number for each tax, both managed in the same EmaraTax account.
Do individuals need to register for corporate tax?
Only if they carry on a business in the UAE and its turnover is more than AED 1 million in a calendar year. Salary, personal investment income and personal real estate investment income do not count towards that figure.
How long does registration take?
We normally submit within a few working days of receiving complete documents. The FTA then reviews the application, which commonly takes up to 20 business days.
Related services
Corporate Tax Filing
Corporate tax return prepared from your accounts, reviewed with you and filed in EmaraTax on time.
Corporate Tax Advisory
Impact assessment, structuring, registration and return filing from corporate tax consultants in Dubai.
VAT Registration
VAT registration in Dubai: threshold check, documents, EmaraTax application and TRN certificate.
Business Setup
Mainland and free zone company formation in Dubai, with tax registration and accounting from day one.
Register for corporate tax today
Send your trade licence on WhatsApp. We will confirm your deadline and what we need from you.