Guide to obtaining a VAT certificate in the UAE

Value Added Tax is a consumption tax that applies to goods and services in the UAE. Businesses in the UAE are required to register themselves for VAT on the EmaraTax portal of the Federal Tax Authority. After registration and approval of documents, FTA issues Taxable Persons a VAT certificate that holds the TRN (Tax Registration Number) number. VAT registration UAE assists Taxable Persons to seamlessly register for VAT and obtain a TRN number. 

Service fee and estimated time for obtaining a VAT certificate in the UAE

The VAT registration process for businesses is free of charge, and it takes approximately 45 minutes to fill out and submit the application. The FTA takes around 20 business days to complete the application from the date of receipt. The process, however, may vary if additional information or documents are needed. Once the additional information and documents are submitted, another 20 business days may be required by the FTA to respond to your application. However, kindly note that the application gets automatically rejected if it is not resubmitted within 60 days of receiving the notification from the FTA for the missing information.

For any clarification regarding the application deadline and service fee, always contact the UAE’s tax consultants.

Documents and forms needed for obtaining a VAT certificate in the UAE

Documents required: 

If you wish to register your business for VAT, you need to prepare the following information in the appropriate format and include it in the online application:

1. Trade license for your company that is still valid.
2. Passports and Emirates IDs of the authorized signatories
3. Authorization proof of the authorized signatories
4. The contact information, i.e., mail ID and telephone number, of the concerned person
5. A letter from the bank validating the bank account details of the business

Read more: Required Documents And Info For VAT Registration In UAE

Some of the other documents that might be needed depending on the basis on which the business is being registered are:

For taxable supplies (applicable to all governmental entities except the federal and emirate governments),

• Audit reports on financial statements, whether they are audited or not.
• A calculation sheet that was created by the user and contains information to determine taxable or zero-rated supply using financial records
• A revenue prediction supported by documentation (such as a local purchase order or contract)
• A monthly turnover declaration on the entity’s printed letterhead, signed by the authorized signatory and stamped for the relevant periods.
• Financial supporting papers (such as invoices, LPOs, contracts, title deeds, and tenancy agreements)
• All legal categories except the federal and emirate governments are subject to taxable expenses.

An expense budget report, as well as an audited or unaudited financial statement, will be required.

1. If appropriate, the articles of association or partnership agreement
2. A legal person’s certificate of incorporation, if applicable
3. Proof of ownership documents for the company
4. Customs information (if applicable)
5. The relevant Power of Attorney paperwork
6. Documents proving club, charity, or association registration (if you choose “Legal person: club, Charity, or Association”)
7. If you choose “Legal person: Federal UAE Government Entity” or “Legal person: Emirate UAE Government Entity,” you will also receive a duplicate of the decree.
8. Additional pertinent documents, such as those outlining your organization’s operations and size (applicable if you chose “Legal person-other”)
9. A scanned copy of the manager’s, owners, and senior management’s Emirates ID and passport
10. A scanned copy of the title deed to the land or property (applicable if you chose “Legal Person-Incorporated/Legal Person-Club or Association/Legal Person-Charity/Legal Person-Federal UAE Government Entity/Legal Person-Emirate UAE Government Entity/Natural Person”).

The acceptable file formats are PDF, JPG, PNG, and JPEG. The file size for individual files is 5MB.

Forms required:

You may need to fill out and upload the following templates as part of your online application:

Taxable Supply Turnover Declaration Letter Form: Template for Turnover Declaration, Taxable Expenses: Template for a Turnover Declaration

Steps to register for a VAT certificate in the UAE

Once the documents are in place, you must apply for the VAT certificate through the EmaraTax portal. The step-by-step procedure is as follows:

1. The first step involves the creation of an e-services account on the EmaraTax platform, mentioning all the details of your business and contact details.
2. The next step is to complete the VAT registration form by filling out the necessary details correctly and accurately and uploading all the relevant documents.
3. The applicant submits the application that has been filled out, and the FTA processes the same if it is in proper order.
4. Lastly, a duly filled-in application is processed and approved by the FTA, and then it issues the VAT certificate to you, mentioning your unique TRN number.

All businesses that register for a VAT certificate obtain a unique TRN number. This TRN number helps authenticate your business and builds trust in your suppliers and customers. Therefore, you must apply for a VAT certificate for your business in the UAE. If you are new to the system, taking the help of a tax advisor in the UAE will certainly help you.

Seek the expert services of VAT Registration UAE

VAT Registration UAE, a reputable Tax Consultant in UAE assists Taxable Persons to obtain VAT certification and the TRN number seamlessly. Thus, contact us today and we shall be glad to assist you. 

Source: https://tax.gov.ae/en/services/vat.registration.aspx