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The licence is the easy part. Whether the company actually works turns on the free zone choice, genuine substance, and a bank that will open the account.
Follow the chain in order, or open any term for the full definition and its legal basis.
A company incorporated within a designated UAE economic zone that permits full foreign ownership and operates under the zone’s own licensing regime. Free zone entities are a common route for non-residents establishing a UAE presence.
A UAE company licensed by an emirate’s Department of Economic Development to trade directly in the local market, rather than within a free zone. Since 2021 most mainland activities allow full foreign ownership.
A UAE free zone entity that meets the conditions to benefit from a 0% corporate tax rate on its qualifying income. Keeping that status depends on adequate substance, audited accounts, and staying within the qualifying activity rules.
The federal corporate tax the UAE introduced in 2023, applying to business profits with a standard rate, a small-business relief for lower turnovers, and a zero rate on qualifying free zone income. An in-scope company must register and file a return even when no tax is payable.
The requirement that an entity claiming to be resident or active in a jurisdiction has genuine operations there, such as staff, premises, and decision-making, rather than existing only on paper. Substance rules determine whether a structure is respected for tax purposes.
The official statutory address of a company, used for legal correspondence from the registrar, tax authority, and courts. It must be a genuine address in the jurisdiction of incorporation where documents can be delivered and acknowledged.
The natural person who ultimately owns or controls an entity, however many layers of ownership sit in between. Identifying the UBO is a core requirement of anti-money-laundering and corporate transparency regimes.
A director will review your enquiry and respond to scope the work and next steps.