Entity formation and the filings that keep it current
Business setup and compliance
Finbryn prepares the paperwork behind forming a UAE company, mainland or free zone, and the filings that keep it in good standing: Corporate Tax and VAT registration, UBO declarations, and annual licence renewal. The entity's owner, its PRO, or an authorised corporate service provider submits each filing; a dispute before the FTA needs a licensed tax agent.
Compliance calendar
Illustrative client · August 2026
AED
- Entity formed and registration numbers recordedDone
- Chart of accounts set up for your modelDone
- Annual report date added to the calendarDone
- Sales tax or VAT position confirmedIn progress
- First filing prepared for reviewNext
Illustrative. An example of the document, not a client's figures.
Mainland or free zone, decided before anything else
A new UAE company forms either onshore under the Ministry of Economy and Tourism's Commercial Companies Law or inside one of the free zones (DMCC, DIFC, ADGM, JAFZA, RAKEZ, IFZA and others), and the choice shapes ownership rules, the licence type, and later whether the entity can elect Qualifying Free Zone Person status for its Corporate Tax rate. We gather the activity, ownership and location details, then prepare the trade licence application and constitutive documents for review before anything is submitted.
Registering for Corporate Tax and VAT
Every UAE business needs to register for Corporate Tax with the Federal Tax Authority, generally within the window the FTA sets after incorporation; a late registration carries an AED 10,000 penalty, though the FTA's waiver initiative can lift it if the first return is filed within seven months of the entity's first tax period. VAT registration becomes mandatory once taxable supplies pass AED 375,000 over the preceding 12 months, with a voluntary option from AED 187,500. We prepare both applications and the supporting data for the entity's owner or authorised filer to submit.
Staying current after formation
A UAE licence renews annually, the UBO register has to stay accurate as ownership changes, and an entity carrying out a Relevant Activity under the Economic Substance Regulations still has to file its ESR notification and report each year. We track each of these against one calendar, so a lapsed licence or a missed UBO update does not surface mid-tender or mid-bank-review.
Who actually submits
This is preparation and coordination work. The trade licence application, the FTA registrations and the UBO filing are each submitted by the entity's owner, its public relations officer (PRO), or an authorised corporate service provider, since submission on a client's behalf needs that standing. Representing the company before the FTA on an objection or a dispute needs a Tax Agent listed with the Federal Tax Authority, which sits outside this scope. Northlane Solutions Inc. is the company you contract with. See foreign ownership and free zone compliance for the ownership-specific detail, or the pricing page for how this fits into an engagement.
All services
Business setup and compliance: every service
- US LLC formation supportPreparation support for forming a US limited liability company: entity documents drafted for your review, state filing paperwork organised, and the post-formation checklist tracked so the entity is ready to open a bank account and start trading.
- EIN application supportPreparation of the employer identification number application so a new entity has the number it needs to open a bank account, run payroll and file returns, with the form checked before it goes to the filer.
- Registered agent coordinationCoordination between your registered agent and your compliance calendar, so service-of-process notices and state correspondence are logged, forwarded and acted on instead of sitting unopened.
- State annual report and franchise tax filing supportTracking and preparation support for the annual reports and franchise tax filings that keep an entity in good standing in every state it is formed or registered in, so a missed deadline never triggers an administrative dissolution.
- Foreign-owned LLC compliance supportPreparation support for the extra record-keeping and information-return requirements that apply once a US entity has a foreign owner, so the paperwork is ready well ahead of the deadline that carries the largest penalty on the books.
Questions
Frequently asked questions: Business setup and compliance
Do you file our trade licence or FTA registration for us?
The application data is prepared and checked here. Submission is handled by the entity's owner, its PRO, or an authorised corporate service provider, since filing on a client's behalf needs that standing.
Should a new company set up on the mainland or in a free zone?
It depends on where the business actually trades, who its customers are, and whether Qualifying Free Zone Person status would apply to its activity. We lay out the trade-offs against the entity's real plans rather than a default answer.
What happens if Corporate Tax registration is missed?
A taxable person that misses the FTA's registration window is subject to an AED 10,000 penalty, though the FTA's waiver initiative can lift it if the first tax return is filed within seven months of the entity's first tax period.
Do you also work with companies in Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain or Oman?
Yes, on request. Qatar and Kuwait have no VAT in force yet, Oman charges VAT at 5% and Bahrain at 10%, so the setup and filing detail differs by market rather than following one Gulf-wide rule.
Who reviews our filings before they reach us?
Every deliverable under business setup and compliance goes through senior review before it reaches you, and our delivery team gives you a same-day turnaround in your time zone once a filing is ready for your sign-off.
Do you act as our registered agent or PRO?
No. A public relations officer or corporate service provider is appointed by the company itself. We coordinate with whoever holds that role so notices and deadlines are tracked, not missed.
Next step
Talk to the team that would run your books
A short call covers your setup, your software and what a first month would look like. You get a written scope and price after it.