Setup and compliance
State annual report and franchise tax filing support
Finbryn tracks the recurring filings a UAE entity owes every year beyond its Corporate Tax return: trade licence renewal, the UBO register update, and, for an entity carrying out a Relevant Activity, the annual Economic Substance Regulations notification and report, each prepared or checked ahead of its own deadline.
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.
Licence renewal, on its own clock
A UAE trade licence, mainland or free zone, renews annually and the renewal usually needs an updated lease or flexi-desk contract, current shareholder documents, and payment of the authority's renewal fee. We track the renewal date against the entity's other filings and prepare the supporting documents ahead of the window rather than at the deadline itself.
The UBO register
Every UAE company keeps an Ultimate Beneficial Owner register current with its licensing authority, and a change in ownership, even a small one, has to be reflected in that register, not just at the next renewal cycle. We check the UBO record whenever ownership moves and keep it reconciled against the entity's actual cap table.
Economic Substance Regulations, still active
A UAE entity carrying out a Relevant Activity, such as banking, insurance, fund management, headquarters, shipping, holding-company, intellectual-property or distribution and service-centre business, still has to file an ESR notification within six months of its financial year end and, if it earned income from that activity, a full Economic Substance Report within twelve months, under the framework as amended by Cabinet Resolution No. 98 of 2024. We check whether an entity's activity falls inside that list before assuming ESR does not apply, since the exemption threshold is about the activity, not the entity's size.
One calendar, not three
Licence renewal, the UBO update and ESR filings run on different clocks from the Corporate Tax return, and a business tracking them separately is where one quietly lapses. We put all four on one calendar so a licence renewal due in month four does not get missed while the team is focused on a Corporate Tax deadline in month nine.
Who submits
Licence renewal, the UBO filing and the ESR notification and report are each submitted by the entity's owner, its PRO, or an authorised corporate service provider. Northlane Solutions Inc. is the company you contract with. See the pricing page for how this fits into an engagement.
Questions
Frequently asked questions: State annual report and franchise tax filing support
Do the Economic Substance Regulations still apply in the UAE?
Yes, for entities carrying out a Relevant Activity, as amended by Cabinet Resolution No. 98 of 2024. It has not been withdrawn, and we check an entity's activity against the list rather than assuming it no longer applies.
How often does the UBO register need updating?
Whenever ownership actually changes, not only at the annual licence renewal. We reconcile the register against the entity's real cap table each time a change happens.
What happens if a licence renewal lapses?
The entity falls out of good standing, which can affect its ability to trade, renew employee visas or hold a bank account, and reinstatement is usually slower and more expensive than a timely renewal.
Do you file the ESR notification and report for us?
The data is prepared and checked here. Submission through the relevant Ministry of Finance or Ministry of Economy platform is completed by the entity's owner, its PRO, or an authorised corporate service provider.
What happens if an annual report is missed?
States vary, but most move a delinquent entity toward administrative dissolution after a grace period, which can cost more in reinstatement fees than the original filing would have.
Do you file the annual report yourselves?
The data and calculation are prepared and reviewed here; the filing is submitted by the entity's owner, its registered agent, or a filing service authorized to submit in that state, depending on the state's rules.
Do you track franchise tax for entities registered in more than one state?
Yes. Each state's deadline and calculation method sits on the same calendar, so a business registered in several states does not have to track each one separately.
How do we get started with state annual report and franchise tax filing support?
Getting started with state annual report and franchise tax filing support begins with a short review of your current records and software access. Once that is done we confirm scope and timing in writing, and ongoing work begins on the schedule agreed with you.
Related services
- Setup and complianceRegistered 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.
- Setup and complianceUS 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.
Industries
- Real estate and property managementBookkeeping for property owners and managers tracking income, expenses and reserves at the level of each individual property.
- Construction and job costingBookkeeping for contractors and builders who need cost and profitability tracked by job, not just by month.
- Restaurants and multi-entity franchise groupsBookkeeping for restaurant groups and franchise operators running several locations or legal entities at once.
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.