Audited financial statements requirement UAE for corporate tax

Article 2 of Ministerial Decision No. 82 of 2023 names two categories:

• A taxable person deriving revenue exceeding AED 50,000,000 in the relevant tax period.
• A qualifying free zone person, regardless of revenue.

Article 54 of the law allows the FTA to ask any taxable person for the financial statements used to compute taxable income, and lets the Minister require audited or certified statements for some categories. The decision is that requirement. A mainland trading company with AED 48 million of revenue is outside the tax audit rule, while one with AED 52 million is inside it.

The tax rule sits alongside others. Free zone authorities and company law often require audits independent of corporate tax, so a small DMCC or ADGM entity may need one for its licence renewal even when the tax rule does not apply. Check your authority's rules separately.

The return is due nine months after the period ends, and the computation should start from the audited figures. For a December year end, that puts a practical audit deadline around late spring, leaving time for tax adjustments and review. Audit adjustments made after the computation is drafted are a common source of incorrect returns.

Auditors spend most of their time asking for evidence. In HelloBooks the AI agent attaches the source document to each entry it posts, reconciles uploaded statements from banks such as Emirates NBD, ADCB and FAB, and keeps a full audit log of changes. Give your auditor read access, or export the trial balance, ageing reports and bank reconciliations. Ask "which reconciliations are still open for 2025?" before the auditor arrives. The audit opinion and the final statements are the auditor's and management's responsibility. Firms that want an audit pack in their own layout can request it by emailing hello@hellobooks.ai.