VAT consultants in Dubai for returns and registration

Alliance CA prepares and files VAT returns on EmaraTax for UAE businesses from Deira, Dubai, and handles VAT registration, amendments and de-registration. VAT filing starts from AED 500 per tax period and registration from AED 500, both exclusive of VAT, with the final fee agreed after we scope your records and before any work starts.

What VAT filing covers

  • VAT computation, return submission and advisory for each tax period
  • nil returns, and returns prepared from data that is readily available
  • computing your sales and purchases from your records, at one business location or several
  • reconciliations where you operate from multiple locations

Fees and timing


What the FTA charges or expects

Our fee, exclusive of VAT

VAT registration

No fee. About 20 business days once your application is complete

From AED 500

VAT return

Return and any VAT due within 28 days of the end of each tax period

From AED 500 per tax period

The FTA figures come from its VAT registration service card and its page on filing VAT returns and making payments. Amendments and de-registration also start from AED 500. VAT return preparation and filing is included in our Compliance & Finance packages, from AED 1,800 a month for turnover up to AED 5M, and in our fractional CFO packages.

The fee depends on your invoice volume, the number of business locations, complexity and the quality of your data, and is confirmed after scoping. If you also need a voluntary disclosure or a refund application, ask for it to be included in your agreed scope.

Who has to register for VAT in the UAE?

Registration is mandatory for a UAE-resident business when its taxable supplies and imports exceed AED 375,000 over the previous 12 months, or are expected to exceed that amount in the next 30 days. Voluntary registration may be available where qualifying supplies, imports or taxable expenses exceed AED 187,500 under the applicable tests. Non-resident businesses can have registration obligations without meeting the resident threshold. Once you are required to register, the FTA expects your application within 30 days (FTA: VAT registration).

For the application, the FTA asks for documents including:

  • your trade licence and any branch licences, and incorporation documents such as the Memorandum of Association
  • Emirates ID and passport copies of the owners and authorised signatories
  • a signed and stamped declaration of your total taxable supplies and monthly sales from the date your business was established
  • supporting documents such as invoices, contracts or purchase orders

All branches of one company are registered under a single Tax Registration Number (TRN) and file one VAT return (FTA).

What we need from you

  • your trade licence, and the owners' passports and Emirates IDs
  • a signed engagement letter, which we send once you accept our proposal
  • access to your EmaraTax account
  • your sales and purchase records for the period

If your records are behind, our accounting and bookkeeping team can bring them up to date; backlog cleanup is quoted separately. For corporate tax returns, see corporate tax filing.

Who handles your VAT?

Our tax practice is led by Kiran Kumar CR, Co-Founder & Strategic Finance Director, who has over 13 years across corporate finance, taxation, audit and FP&A (our founders).

Questions about VAT returns and registration

How much does VAT return filing cost in Dubai?

At Alliance CA, VAT filing starts from AED 500 per tax period, exclusive of VAT. The final fee depends on invoice volume, business locations and the state of your records, and is agreed after scoping.

How much does it cost to register for VAT in the UAE?

The FTA charges no fee for VAT registration, and our registration service starts from AED 500, exclusive of VAT. Once the FTA has a complete application, it estimates 20 business days to process it, and the registration certificate then appears in your EmaraTax dashboard (FTA).

When is a VAT return due?

The return, and any VAT payable, must reach the FTA within 28 days of the end of each tax period (FTA). The standard tax period is quarterly; businesses with annual turnover of AED 150 million or more file monthly, and the FTA can assign a different period (UAE Government portal).

Can you file nil VAT returns?

Yes. A VAT-registered business must submit a return for every tax period (VAT Law, Article 72), and for a period with no business transactions the FTA requires a “nil” return by the same due date (FTA VAT Returns User Guide). We file nil returns as well as returns for active periods.

Is VAT registration included in the filing fee?

No. Registration, amendments and de-registration are quoted separately, from AED 500, and the FTA itself charges no registration fee.

Does a VAT consultant charge VAT?

Yes, if the consultant is registered for VAT: a registered business must charge VAT on the taxable services it supplies, and the standard rate is 5% (UAE Government portal). Our published fees are exclusive of VAT. A VAT-registered client can generally reclaim the VAT it pays on business-related services.

Can I file VAT returns myself?

Yes. A registered business can file its own returns on EmaraTax, and appointing a tax agent is optional (Tax Procedures Law, Article 14). The return has separate boxes for reverse-charge supplies, zero-rated and exempt supplies and imported goods, and an error in an earlier return can require a voluntary disclosure instead of a correction in the next return (FTA VAT Returns User Guide).

What changed in UAE VAT on 1 January 2026?

Federal Decree-Law No. 16 of 2025 made three main changes from 1 January 2026 (Ministry of Finance):

  • a business applying the reverse charge no longer issues a self-invoice, but must keep the supporting documents
  • excess refundable VAT must be reclaimed within five years, after which the right lapses
  • the FTA can refuse input tax where a supply is part of a tax-evasion arrangement, so you are expected to verify your supplies before deducting it

Sources