Whether you need an audited financial statement for licence renewal or you are winding a company down for good, every step must satisfy the Federal Tax Authority, your licensing authority, and a UAE-licensed liquidator. One Desk manages the full process as a single workstream — the audit, every government clearance, and FTA deregistration — so your company is closed cleanly with no loose ends and no accruing penalties.
|
Service |
Estimated Pricing |
Notes |
|
Statutory financial statement audit |
AED 5,000 – 25,000 |
Turnover and complexity dependent |
|
Free zone audit report (for renewal) |
AED 3,500 – 8,000 |
Per financial year |
|
Liquidation audit & Liquidator’s Final Report |
AED 5,000 – 15,000 |
Signed by a UAE-licensed auditor |
|
Registered liquidator appointment |
AED 3,000 – 8,000 |
Required for LLCs / FZCOs |
|
VAT deregistration (EmaraTax) |
AED 1,500 – 3,500 |
Excl. any FTA late penalties |
|
Corporate Tax deregistration & final return |
AED 2,500 – 5,500 |
Within 3 months of cessation |
|
Newspaper liquidation notice (mainland) |
AED 800 – 1,500 |
Two approved Arabic newspapers |
|
Full company liquidation — free zone |
AED 12,000 – 20,000 |
All-in, straightforward entity |
|
Full company liquidation — mainland |
AED 18,000 – 35,000 |
All-in, scope dependent |
|
Tax Clearance Certificate coordination |
Included |
Within full-liquidation scope |
Since June 2023 every UAE company has been required to register for Corporate Tax, regardless of profit. On closure, this creates an obligation to deregister for Corporate Tax — and VAT, where registered. The FTA will not issue the Tax Clearance Certificate until all tax periods are closed and liabilities settled, and the licensing authority cannot finalise deregistration without it. A juridical person must apply for Corporate Tax deregistration within three months of cessation; late deregistration penalties can reach AED 10,000.
A straightforward free zone company with no employees, no outstanding filings and no creditor disputes can usually be wound up in four to eight weeks. A mainland company with staff, active VAT registration and multiple creditors typically takes three to six months. The 45-day creditor notice period and FTA clearance are the two steps that most often set the timeline.
LLCs, partnerships and joint-stock companies require a UAE-registered liquidator by law. Sole establishments and civil companies usually follow a simpler cancellation. We confirm which route applies to your structure and appoint the liquidator where one is needed.
A consolidated register of assets and liabilities at the date of dissolution, confirmation that all debts and obligations have been settled, details of how remaining assets were distributed to shareholders, and an auditor’s report signed by a UAE-licensed auditor. Many free zones also require a signature specimen and a notary declaration from the auditor — this is specific to liquidation work, not annual audits.
Sometimes. Dubai mainland licences can be frozen for up to three years (with a MOHRE letter confirming no sponsored staff), and some free zones such as IFZA and RAKEZ offer a formal “suspended” status that pauses operations at reduced cost. Federal Decree-Law No. 20 of 2025 also introduced Article 15 bis, allowing a company to move its registration between emirates, free zones and the mainland without liquidating. We talk you through whether freezing, re-domiciliation or full closure best fits your plans.
Yes. An inactive company still has a live trade licence and live tax registrations. Until it is formally liquidated and deregistered, renewal obligations and FTA deadlines keep running, and penalties accrue whether or not you trade.