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16/12/2025
YOUNG AND RIGHT ACCOUNTING & TAX CONSULTANCY
From corporate tax registration to audits and bookkeeping, Young & Right offers personalized solutions that keep your business compliant and stress-free. Let’s take the complexity off your plate—starting with a free consultation.
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Corporate tax has moved from being a theoretical discussion to a day-to-day reality for every serious business in Abu Dhabi. With the implementation of UAE corporate tax at 0% on taxable income up to AED 375,000 and 9% above that threshold, businesses can no longer treat tax as a once-a-year compliance tick-box.
For Abu Dhabi companies—whether mainland, free zone, or part of a wider UAE group—the real question today is:
Who is guiding your organisation through corporate tax law, FTA expectations, and the risks of getting it wrong?
That is exactly where a corporate tax specialist in Abu Dhabi becomes essential. Not just an accountant, not just an auditor, but a specialist who understands:
• Federal Decree-Law No. 47 of 2022 on the Taxation of Corporations and Businesses
• How corporate tax applies differently to mainland vs free zone entities
• The conditions for Qualifying Free Zone Persons (QFZP) and 0% qualifying income
• Transfer pricing, related-party rules, and group reorganisations
An accounting and tax consultancy serving clients across the UAE, supports Abu Dhabi businesses with specialised corporate tax advisory and audit assistance. This guide explains what a corporate tax specialist actually does, how this ties into audit, advisory, and accounting support, and why partnering with a specialist like Young & Right can protect your business while supporting sustainable growth.
The introduction of UAE Corporate Tax under Federal Decree-Law No. 47 of 2022 on the Taxation of Corporations and Businesses has fundamentally changed how businesses operate. No longer a tax-free environment, the new tax framework levies:
• 0% Corporate Tax on taxable income up to AED 375,000.
• 9% Corporate Tax on taxable income above AED 375,000.
Abu Dhabi's diverse sectors—from energy to professional services—must also consider special rules for:
• Qualifying Free Zone Persons (QFZP): Eligibility for a 0% corporate tax rate on Qualifying Income is conditional and requires strict compliance with substance and activity rules.
• Large Multinational Groups: Potential 15% effective minimum tax under global minimum tax rules (Pillar Two).
• Exempt Entities: Specific government and public benefit organisations are excluded.
Without a corporate tax consultant in Abu Dhabi, a business risks:
• Overpaying Tax: Missing legitimate deductions and reliefs.
• Underpaying Tax: Misclassifying income streams, leading to potential tax liabilities and penalties from the Federal Tax Authority (FTA).
• Losing Free Zone Benefits: Failing to meet the substance requirements and de minimis threshold for non-qualifying income.
To build the right support model, you need to clearly distinguish between three roles:
Accountant / Bookkeeper
This role focuses on:
• Recording day-to-day transactions
• Reconciling bank, supplier, and customer balances
• Preparing periodic management accounts and basic financial statements
They are essential, but their primary focus is accurate recording, not necessarily optimal tax structuring or legal interpretation.
External Auditor
The statutory auditor’s job is to:
• Examine your financial statements and records
• Provide an independent opinion on whether they present a true and fair view
• Assess internal controls from a financial reporting perspective
Auditors are not your tax advocates. They assess compliance with accounting standards and, to some extent, regulations—without acting as your corporate tax planner.
Corporate Tax Specialist (Abu Dhabi Focus)
The corporate tax specialist:
• Interprets UAE corporate tax law, Cabinet decisions, Ministerial decisions, and FTA guidance
• Translates those rules into:
• Tax computations
• Group tax planning
• Transfer pricing documentation
• Free zone qualifying income assessments
• Analyses the impact of business decisions on tax outcomes
• Interfaces with the FTA in case of clarifications, audits, or disputes
The introduction of corporate tax has positioned expert tax consultants as essential partners for businesses, offering comprehensive taxation services across the UAE Government's fiscal framework. Our consultant services in Abu Dhabi are highly specialized, focusing on services such as corporate tax planning, diligent corporate tax registration, and accurate file tax returns, alongside integrated VAT consultancy services in Abu Dhabi to manage Value Added Tax. A dedicated consultant helps your business navigate complex taxation services to ensure full compliance and strategic optimization, providing leading consultancy services in Abu Dhabi and across the services in the UAE.
A high-quality corporate tax specialist Abu Dhabi provides a full lifecycle of services, helping UAE businesses with both proactive planning and reactive compliance:
Corporate Tax Planning & Advisory
This goes beyond simple calculation. A specialist will:
Conduct a corporate tax impact assessment.
• Advise on structural changes, such as forming a Tax Group or managing related-party rules, to optimize tax positions.
• Evaluate how new transactions or investments affect taxable income and tax liabilities.
Registration, Filing & Representation
The specialist manages the mandatory administrative duties with the FTA:
• Register for Corporate Tax and obtain the Tax Registration Number (TRN).
• Prepare and manage corporate tax filing and tax return filing within the nine-month deadline.
• Act as a tax agent or representative, managing correspondence with the FTA in case of clarifications or penalty notices.
Audit Assistance and Risk Management
The specialist ensures the business is prepared for scrutiny:
• Pre-emptively identify and mitigate tax risk areas, such as weaknesses in documentation for Transfer Pricing.
• Provide audit assistance during statutory external audits by reconciling accounting profit to taxable income and preparing supporting schedules.
• Assist in navigating an FTA tax audit, ensuring the business’s position is technically defensible and compliant with UAE tax laws.
Accounting & Bookkeeping with a Tax Perspective
This service ensures the foundation for accurate filing is sound:
• Structuring the Chart of Accounts to clearly separate allowable and non-allowable expenses.
• Providing accounting services and bookkeeping support that align with tax obligations and tax regulations, preventing the need for costly last-minute corrections.
The Corporate Tax Rate in Abu Dhabi is aligned with the federal UAE regime, establishing a tiered structure to support small and medium-sized enterprises. Businesses in Abu Dhabi are subject to corporate tax at 0% on taxable income up to AED 375,000, with a standard rate of 9% applied to all taxable income that exceeds this threshold. Furthermore, Qualifying Free Zone Persons may benefit from a 0% rate on their Qualifying Income, provided they meet specific compliance and substance requirements set by the Federal Tax Authority (FTA).
Abu Dhabi’s free zones are important hubs for logistics, industrial operations, professional services, and technology. Free zone entities often assume that “we are tax-free,” but under the corporate tax regime, the picture is more nuanced.
A corporate tax specialist in Abu Dhabi helps free zone businesses to:
• Determine whether they are a Free Zone Person and, more specifically, a Qualifying Free Zone Person
• Assess whether their income is qualifying income eligible for the 0% corporate tax rate, or non-qualifying income subject to 9%
• Understand the impact of:
• Transactions with mainland entities
• Ownership or use of immovable property
• Having domestic or foreign permanent establishments
A Corporate Tax Consultant in Abu Dhabi serves as your primary guide in navigating complex tax issues arising from the UAE Government's new tax regime. Their essential role involves more than just ensuring compliance; the consultant provides strategic advice to optimize your tax position, manages all interactions with the Federal Tax Authority (FTA), and is directly responsible for the accurate preparation and timely submission of your mandatory corporate tax return.
The need for a dedicated corporate tax specialist is now universal, but the following entities benefit most:
• SMEs and mid-market companies whose taxable income exceeds the AED 375,000 threshold.
• Free Zone Entities that must prove QFZP status and manage cross-border or mainland transactions.
• Group Structures requiring advice on Tax Groups, related-party transactions, and international tax implications like Domestic Minimum Top-up Tax.
• Businesses in sectors with complex revenue models, such as logistics, professional services, and technology firms.
By engaging a leading tax advisor, businesses can avoid common pitfalls like Late or incorrect registration, misclassification of expenses, and assuming “free zone = 0% tax” without checking the strict corporate tax rules. This ensures you stay compliant with UAE tax laws and reduces your overall tax burden through informed tax strategies.
Your value proposition entity list offers an excellent checklist. When selecting a corporate tax specialist, consider whether the firm has:
Specialised corporate tax expertise
Proven knowledge of UAE corporate tax law and related guidance
Experience applying the law in real-world Abu Dhabi business contexts
Integrated view of audit, accounting & tax
Ability to work with your accountants and external auditors without duplicating roles
Understanding of how internal controls, financial statements, and tax returns interact
Tailor-made approach
No “one-size-fits-all” templates
Willingness to understand your exact corporate structure, sector, and growth plans
Strong ethics and transparency
Clear, written advice
No aggressive schemes that might cause long-term risk
Track record and references
Experience with businesses similar to yours in size and sector
Continued relationships, not one-off engagements
Leveraging our specialized tax services in Abu Dhabi offers your business in the UAE comprehensive tax solutions designed for the post-introduction of corporate tax landscape. As one of the leading tax firms, our corporate tax services in Abu Dhabi are designed to help you proactively manage all tax matters, from corporate tax registration and meticulous tax return filing to complex corporate tax management and global tax strategies. Our expert corporate tax services team, including experienced corporate tax advisors and a dedicated VAT consultant, provides essential consultancy services and advisory services on both federal corporate tax and Value Added Tax (goods and services) as well as Excise Tax implications. We provide an understanding of UAE tax laws and corporate tax regulations to legally minimize tax liabilities, ensure timely tax registration with the FTA, and expertly navigate the requirements for entities subject to corporate tax, ultimately safeguarding your compliance and promoting growth in the competitive Abu Dhabi market.
Abu Dhabi businesses that try to “manage corporate tax internally” without specialised support often run into similar issues:
• Late or incorrect registration
Assuming that registration is only needed once certain conditions are met and missing the statutory timeline.
• Treating tax as an afterthought
Calculating corporate tax only at year-end, instead of planning throughout the year.
• Misclassification of expenses
Treating non-deductible items as fully deductible because internal teams are unaware of restrictions.
• Overlooking free zone technicalities
Assuming “free zone = 0% tax” without checking qualifying conditions, de minimis rules, or the impact of transactions with the mainland or foreign branches.
• Weak documentation
Lack of intercompany agreements, pricing documentation, or board resolutions to support important tax positions.
Working with a corporate tax specialist Abu Dhabi helps to avoid these pitfalls and ensures that your business is building a sustainable, defensible tax position.
Choosing the right corporate tax specialist in Abu Dhabi is no longer optional—it's essential for staying compliant with the rules set by the Federal Tax Authority (FTA) and managing the growing complexities of the UAE’s corporate tax framework. At Young & Right, we provide end-to-end consulting services in Abu Dhabi and across the UAE, helping businesses confidently navigate every stage of the tax cycle.
As one of the region’s leading firms for corporate tax advisory services, our team of tax experts delivers practical, accurate, and future-ready guidance tailored to your business structure. Whether you are newly required to register for corporate tax or preparing for the ongoing compliance cycle, our tax consulting services are designed to ensure full alignment with regulatory expectations.
Our specialised tax consulting services in Abu Dhabi cover a wide spectrum of needs—from initial tax assessment, to preparing and filing your tax returns, to clarifying how Abu Dhabi offering corporate tax rules apply to your specific industry. We also support companies in obtaining their Tax Residency Certificate, understanding their professional tax obligations, and applying best-practice tax practices recommended under UAE’s tax and UAE’s corporate tax regime.
Corporate tax in Abu Dhabi is no longer a distant regulatory concept—it is now part of every major business decision you make, from how you structure your company to how you price related-party transactions and plan future growth. In this new environment, relying only on basic bookkeeping or a year-end audit is not enough. You need a corporate tax specialist in Abu Dhabi who can interpret the law, anticipate FTA expectations, and connect your financial data with practical, defensible tax positions.
Your trusted partner for corporate tax in Abu Dhabi.
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