- Audit & Liquidation
Audit & Liquidation — Closing the Books, Properly
Closing a company in Dubai is not the same as simply stopping trading. Until your trade licence is formally cancelled and your tax registrations are deregistered, renewal fees and FTA deadlines keep running even for a dormant company.
One Desk CSP handles company closure in Dubai end to end: mainland LLC liquidation, free zone company liquidation, and offshore closure, including the licensed liquidator appointment, newspaper notice, visa cancellations, government clearances, and VAT and corporate tax deregistration. You get one team for the whole file, from the shareholder resolution to the final licence cancellation certificate.
This page covers the full process, the documents you will need, mainland vs free zone differences, and our pricing. If you only need a liquidation audit report or a liquidator appointment, that is covered in the pricing table below.
What We Handle:
- Shareholder resolution and liquidator appointment — Shareholders pass a dissolution resolution and appoint a UAE-licensed liquidator. For LLCs and most free zone companies, a licensed liquidator is legally required.
- Initial approval — The liquidator’s acceptance letter is filed with the licensing authority (DET for mainland, the free zone authority for free zone companies) for initial dissolution approval.
- Newspaper liquidation notice — For mainland companies, a liquidation notice is published in approved Arabic newspapers, opening the 45-day creditor claim period. Free zone notice periods follow the authority’s own rules.
- Visa and labour cancellations — Employee and partner visas are cancelled through MOHRE and immigration, and the establishment card is closed.
- Government clearances (NOCs) — Clearances are collected as applicable, including DEWA, Etisalat/du, Dubai Customs, landlord/Ejari cancellation, and RTA where relevant.
- Tax deregistration — VAT deregistration and corporate tax deregistration with the FTA through EmaraTax, with final returns filed. Corporate tax deregistration must be applied for within three months of cessation.
- Bank account closure — The corporate bank account is closed and a no-liability / closure letter is obtained.
- Final report and licence cancellation — The liquidator prepares the final liquidation report, and the licensing authority issues the licence cancellation / dissolution certificate.
Documents Required to Close a Company in Dubai
- ✓Trade licence copy
- ✓Memorandum of Association (MOA)
- ✓Shareholder resolution for liquidation
- ✓Power of Attorney for the liquidator, where applicable
- ✓Passport copies of shareholders and directors
- ✓Emirates ID copies of UAE-resident partners, where applicable
- ✓Audited financial statements / final accounts
- ✓FTA tax registration details (VAT and corporate tax, where registered)
- ✓Bank account details and bank closure letter, when issued
- ✓Visa cancellation proofs for employees and partners
- ✓Clearance letters / NOCs (DEWA, telecom, landlord, MOHRE, FTA, Customs, as applicable)
- ✓Final liquidation audit report, prepared during the process
Exact requirements vary by legal structure, jurisdiction (mainland, free zone or offshore) and licensing authority. We confirm your tailored checklist before filing.
What Happens If You Do Not Close Your Company Properly?
- Licence renewal fines keep accumulating on an uncancelled licence.
- FTA deadlines keep running. Late VAT and corporate tax deregistration can attract penalties of up to AED 10,000.
- Directors can remain liable for unresolved employee dues, creditor claims and tax obligations.
- An improperly closed company can be blacklisted, which can block future business setup and visas in the UAE.
- Simply abandoning a dormant company does not end its obligations. Formal liquidation and deregistration is the only clean exit.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Audit & Liquidation
Our Audit & Liquidation Service Pricing
|
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 |
- Audit & Liquidation
Frequently Asked Questions
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.
- Let's Work Together
Ready to Start Your UAE Business Journey?
- Fast Response
- Transparent Pricing
- On-Time Completion
- Skilled Team