Tax & Compliance
Small Business Relief to 2029 is an election inside the 9% regime
Ministerial Decision No. 131 of 2026 moved the last Tax Period end for Small Business Relief to 31 December 2029, yet adviser…
Symbol Consulting
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Residency & Talent
Emiratisation Penalties Under Cabinet Resolution 43 of 2025, Term by Term
Cabinet Resolution No. 43 of 2025 has replaced the Emiratisation penalty table since 30 April 2025. Its defined terms settle how fines…
Banking & Finance
Capital Market Authority: One Year, to 1 January 2027, to Regularise Status
The Capital Market Authority replaced the SCA on 1 January 2026, while the 2020 competence split and two 2022 virtual-asset resolutions stay…
Tax & Compliance
FTA application deadlines to 31 December 2026: exemptions, lapsed refunds
Three windows for applications to the Federal Tax Authority close between October and December 2026. Two concern corporate tax exemption under a…
Tax & Compliance
UAE Corporate Tax at 9%: What a Free Zone Actually Buys You — and What It Does Not
A free zone licence does not switch off Corporate Tax. It offers a conditional 0% on Qualifying Income only — and the…
Setup & Licensing
Mainland vs Free Zone: 100% Foreign Ownership Is No Longer the Deciding Factor
For years the free zone was sold as the only way a foreigner could own 100% of a UAE company. Since 2021…
Setup & Licensing
DIFC vs ADGM: Two Common-Law Financial Free Zones, and the Choice Founders Get Wrong
DIFC and ADGM look interchangeable — two common-law hubs with their own courts. They are not. The legal architecture beneath them decides…
Residency & Talent
Emiratisation and Wage Protection: What UAE SMEs Actually Have to Do Before They Hire
Emiratisation is no longer only a large-company concern, and the Wage Protection System has applied from the first employee since 2009. A…
Tax & Compliance
Economic Substance Was Withdrawn. Substance Was Not: What Changes for UAE Holding and IP Structures
The UAE withdrew Economic Substance Regulations for financial years from 1 January 2023 under Cabinet Decision No. 98 of 2024. For holding…
Residency & Talent
UAE Golden Visa and Green Visa for founders and investors: the thresholds, and how company setup really links to residency
The UAE long-term visa is not one product with one price. This analysis maps the Golden and Green Visa routes for founders…