Quick answer: A UAE Corporate Tax compliance review is a proactive, independent assessment of your entity's CT position that identifies errors, documentation gaps, and missed exemptions before they become FTA audit findings. The Federal Tax Authority can review returns going back five years under Article 72 of Federal Decree-Law No. 28 of 2022, and penalties under Cabinet Decision No. 129 of 2025 (effective April 2026) apply irrespective of whether the error was intentional. Abdelhamid & Co CPA LLC — registered Tax Agent TAN: 30003958 — delivers a complete CT compliance health check covering taxable income computation, transfer pricing, free-zone status, GAAR exposure, and prior-period returns. Abdelhamid & Co Certified Public Accountants & Auditors LLC is fully authorised to represent clients before the Federal Tax Authority: Ministry of Economy licence LC0106-01 | Licensed Auditor Registry No. 956 | Tax Agent TAN: 30003958 | Tax Agency TAAN: 20033908 | EAAA Fellow No. 124 | IASCA Fellow No. 1361 | over 25 years of professional experience. See our full Corporate Tax Services overview or learn about our firm. A Corporate Tax compliance review is a systematic, independent examination of your entity's tax position that verifies adherence to Federal Tax Authority requirements and detects errors or gaps in filed returns, financial records, transfer pricing documentation, and free-zone status maintenance. It gives management the opportunity to take voluntary corrective action before any formal FTA audit — which, under Article 25 of Federal Decree-Law No. 28 of 2022, the FTA may initiate at any time within the five-year limitation window of Article 72. Proactive compliance review reduces tax risk, supports investor and lender confidence, and positions the entity to respond to any FTA enquiry from a position of strength. We perform a complete review of your CT position: registration status, accuracy of filed returns, correctness of taxable income computation under Articles 27, 31, and 33 of Federal Decree-Law No. 47 of 2022, validity of exemptions claimed, correct application of the interest cap under Cabinet Decision No. 56 of 2023, and adequacy of records-retention practices under Article 54. We deliver a detailed written report classifying each finding by risk level and recommending specific corrective actions — prioritised by exposure under Cabinet Decision No. 129 of 2025. We examine all related-party transactions — intra-group loans, management fees, intellectual property licences, shared services, and goods — to verify arm's-length pricing consistent with Ministerial Decision No. 221 of 2023. We assess whether the existing transfer pricing Local File and Master File are complete, contemporaneous, and defensible in an FTA audit, identify documentation gaps that would leave related-party prices open to challenge, and recommend adjustments to the return where pricing diverges from the arm's-length standard. For entities in UAE free zones, we verify continued satisfaction of all Qualifying Free Zone Person conditions under Ministerial Decision No. 97 of 2023: economic substance requirements (adequate employees, premises, and management decision-making in the free zone), correct classification of qualifying vs. non-qualifying income, and adherence to mainland transaction limits. Any breach of these conditions disqualifies the entity from the 0% rate — with the FTA entitled to apply the standard 9% rate retroactively across open periods. We identify any conditions at risk before they crystallise into a liability. When your entity receives an FTA audit notification under Article 25 of Federal Decree-Law No. 28 of 2022, the period between notification and the audit start date is critical. We conduct an urgent pre-audit review to identify weaknesses, complete outstanding transfer pricing documentation, verify the basis for each exemption claimed, and prepare structured responses supported by evidence. As a registered Tax Agent (TAAN: 20033908), we represent your entity throughout the audit, attend all FTA meetings, and manage communications with the authority. We review CT returns for prior tax periods — across the five-year window available to the FTA under Article 72 of Federal Decree-Law No. 28 of 2022 — to identify material errors and missed opportunities: exemptions not claimed, deductions overlooked, or incorrect loss carry-forward treatment. Where material errors are found, we advise on the feasibility and impact of voluntary disclosure, including the effect on penalties under Cabinet Decision No. 129 of 2025 relative to the FTA discovering the same errors on audit. Following the review, we assist in building internal policies and procedures that sustain ongoing compliance without repeated external intervention: expenditure classification frameworks aligned with Articles 31 and 33, related-party transaction management and contemporaneous documentation protocols, a seven-year records-retention schedule under Article 54, and an annual CT compliance calendar. The goal is a self-sustaining compliance infrastructure that reduces audit risk and supports the entity's governance commitments to shareholders, lenders, and regulators. The first CT return is the most error-prone: correctly identifying taxable income, applying qualifying exemptions under Article 27, disclosing related-party transactions, and classifying expenditure. Errors in the first return embed flawed practices into subsequent periods. A pre-filing compliance review prevents this — and avoids the cost of correcting multiple years of returns later. Under Article 25 of Federal Decree-Law No. 28 of 2022, the FTA notifies an entity before commencing an audit. The window between notification and audit start is the optimal time for an emergency review: identifying weaknesses, completing transfer pricing documentation, documenting the basis for exemptions, and preparing evidence-based responses. An entity that engages specialists immediately on receiving audit notification is materially better positioned than one that does not. Entering a Tax Group under Article 38, restructuring the ownership chain, or claiming Business Restructuring Relief under Ministerial Decision No. 43 of 2023 each change the entity's CT obligations, available exemptions, and filing structure. A compliance review following any structural change ensures that subsequent returns reflect the new position accurately — rather than continuing under legacy practices that may no longer be appropriate. An entity that establishes overseas subsidiaries or begins intra-group financial arrangements (loans, management fees, licence fees) falls immediately within the scope of Ministerial Decision No. 221 of 2023 on transfer pricing. An early compliance review identifies which transactions cross the documentation threshold, what Local File content is required, and how related-party pricing should be set and documented before any FTA scrutiny arises. Given that Article 72 of Federal Decree-Law No. 28 of 2022 keeps the last five years of returns open to FTA assessment, an annual or biennial internal compliance review functions as a standing defence. Entities with a documented periodic review programme carry materially lower audit risk, demonstrate good faith to regulators, and provide greater assurance to shareholders, lenders, and investors regarding the accuracy of disclosed tax positions. Some ownership or financing structures are designed to exploit perceived tax advantages without genuine commercial rationale. Article 50 of Federal Decree-Law No. 47 of 2022 (the General Anti-Avoidance Rule) empowers the FTA to disregard such arrangements and impose tax based on the economic substance of the transaction — not its legal form. Entities that have not reviewed their structures against GAAR criteria may face significant retroactive reassessment across the full five-year limitation window. Claiming the participation exemption under Article 27 or the QFZP 0% rate without maintaining contemporaneous documentation of eligibility conditions creates an audit-ready target. Under Article 54, seven years of supporting records must be retained. An exemption that cannot be evidenced at the time of an FTA audit is treated as an unsupported position — regardless of whether the entity genuinely qualified when the exemption was applied. Some free-zone entities apply the 0% rate year after year without checking that economic substance conditions under Ministerial Decision No. 97 of 2023 continue to be met: adequate employees in the zone, real operational premises, and decision-making occurring within the free zone. Nominal staff, dormant offices, or mainland transaction volumes above permitted limits each individually disqualify the entity — with the FTA applying the 9% standard rate retroactively across all open periods. Under Ministerial Decision No. 221 of 2023, the Local File must be prepared contemporaneously with the return — not assembled in response to an FTA audit request. Post-audit documentation is inherently weaker and signals non-compliance. FTA auditors typically treat retrospective documentation as an indicator of inadequate controls, which increases the probability of adverse pricing adjustments and penalties under Cabinet Decision No. 129 of 2025. Entities electing Small Business Relief under Cabinet Decision No. 49 of 2023 without verifying that revenue does not exceed AED 3 million per period — or that other eligibility conditions (e.g., not being part of a multinational group) are satisfied — are at risk of having the election invalidated. The FTA will then compute tax at standard rates for the period in question, with associated penalties. Eligibility must be confirmed before the election is made in EmaraTax, not assumed. A CT compliance review is a voluntary, proactive service commissioned by the entity to identify weaknesses before any formal regulatory action. An FTA tax audit is a formal proceeding initiated by the Federal Tax Authority under Article 25 of Federal Decree-Law No. 28 of 2022 with statutory powers of inquiry; findings trigger administrative penalties under Cabinet Decision No. 129 of 2025. A voluntary compliance review gives management the opportunity to correct errors on favourable terms before the FTA identifies them. Key trigger points include: before filing the first CT return; after any corporate restructuring, merger, or change in financial year; on receipt of an FTA audit notification under Article 25 of Federal Decree-Law No. 28 of 2022; when establishing intra-group transactions or cross-border operations; and periodically — annually or every two years — as a standing governance practice. See also our Corporate Tax Return Filing Service. The most frequent issues we identify are: deducting non-allowable expenditure under Article 33 (fines, personal costs, non-qualifying donations); failing to apply transfer pricing adjustments to related-party transactions under Ministerial Decision No. 221 of 2023; incorrectly classifying free-zone income as qualifying when QFZP conditions are not met; ignoring the 30%-of-EBITDA interest cap under Cabinet Decision No. 56 of 2023; and claiming exemptions without adequate contemporaneous documentation. Yes. The UAE CT framework permits voluntary disclosure and amended returns in defined circumstances. Voluntary correction before an FTA audit is materially more favourable than correction after the FTA has identified the same error — both in terms of penalty quantum under Cabinet Decision No. 129 of 2025 and in terms of the entity's overall relationship with the authority. Our team assesses the feasibility and expected outcome of voluntary correction before any action is taken. A comprehensive CT compliance health check typically takes two to four weeks, depending on entity size, transaction complexity, and the number of tax periods covered. A pre-audit emergency review, where the FTA audit notification sets an imminent deadline, can be delivered in a shorter timeframe. We agree the scope and timetable following an initial assessment at no charge. We require: filed CT returns, audited financial statements, detailed revenue and expense schedules, related-party transaction records, any existing transfer pricing Local File and Master File under Ministerial Decision No. 221 of 2023, intra-group loan and service agreements, and all FTA correspondence. We provide a complete document checklist following the initial consultation. Under Article 72 of Federal Decree-Law No. 28 of 2022 on Tax Procedures, the FTA may issue a tax assessment within five years from the end of the relevant tax period. This means the last five years of CT returns remain open to FTA review at any point — making contemporaneous documentation and periodic compliance reviews essential for every entity with a UAE CT registration. Yes. Under Article 43 of Federal Decree-Law No. 28 of 2022, an entity has 40 working days from receipt of the FTA assessment to file a formal objection. If the objection is rejected, the matter may be escalated to the independent Tax Disputes Resolution Committee. We prepare the complete objection file — legal arguments, supporting evidence, and quantitative analysis — and represent the entity throughout the process. For a free initial consultation and risk assessment of your Corporate Tax position, contact us: Abdelhamid & Co Certified Public Accountants & Auditors LLC — UAE Ministry of Economy Licence LC0106-01 | Federal Tax Authority Tax Agent TAN: 30003958 | EAAA Fellow No. 124 | IASCA Fellow No. 1361 Last reviewed: 28 April 2026 — updated to reflect Cabinet Decision No. 129 of 2025 (effective April 2026) and Article 72 FDL 28/2022 five-year audit limitation period.Corporate Tax Compliance Review Service UAE — Find the Gaps Before the FTA Does
What Is a Corporate Tax Compliance Review — and Why Does It Matter?
Legal Framework Governing UAE Corporate Tax Compliance
Key Facts — UAE Corporate Tax Compliance
Our Corporate Tax Compliance Review Services
Comprehensive Compliance Health Check
Transfer Pricing and Related-Party Transaction Review
Free Zone Status and QFZP Eligibility Review
Pre-Audit Review and FTA Audit Support
Prior-Period Return Review
Internal CT Compliance Policy Development
Our Corporate Tax Compliance Review Methodology
When a Corporate Tax Compliance Review Becomes Essential
1. Before Filing the First Corporate Tax Return
2. On Receipt of an FTA Audit Notification
3. After Any Restructuring, Merger, or Acquisition
4. On Establishing Cross-Border Operations or Intra-Group Transactions
5. As a Periodic Governance Practice
Common Corporate Tax Compliance Errors We Resolve
1. GAAR Exposure from Structures Lacking Commercial Substance
2. Applying Exemptions Without Adequate Supporting Documentation
3. Failing to Monitor Ongoing QFZP Economic Substance Conditions
4. Transfer Pricing Documentation Prepared After — Not Before — the Audit
5. Incorrect or Unverified Small Business Relief Elections
Why Choose Abdelhamid & Co for Your Corporate Tax Compliance Review?
Frequently Asked Questions — UAE Corporate Tax Compliance Review
What is the difference between a CT compliance review and an FTA tax audit?
When should a Corporate Tax compliance review be conducted?
What are the most common UAE Corporate Tax compliance errors?
Can errors in prior-year UAE Corporate Tax returns be voluntarily corrected?
How long does a Corporate Tax compliance review take?
What documents are needed for a Corporate Tax compliance review?
How far back can the FTA assess UAE Corporate Tax returns?
Can we object to the outcome of an FTA Corporate Tax audit?
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