At Par · United Arab Emirates
Does a Meydan free zone company still owe Corporate Tax?
Meydan is a digital, SME-friendly Dubai free zone, popular with founders, freelancers and e-commerce sellers. Whatever your set-up, your company is a UAE taxable person, so the 0% Corporate Tax rate has to be earned and claimed, not assumed.
An ACCA is accountable. The finance team you don't hire.
Yes. Every Meydan free zone company must register for Corporate Tax and file a return each tax period, even at 0%. The 0% applies only to Qualifying Income and only if you meet all QFZP conditions, including audited financial statements. Miss one and that income is taxed at 9%.
What this means for your books.
Free zone does not mean no tax
Your Meydan company must register for Corporate Tax on EmaraTax and file a return every tax period, even when the rate works out to 0%. The 0% is claimed on the return, not granted by staying silent.
A free zone company is a UAE taxable person. It must register and file every tax period, even when the final tax due is nil. The 0% is claimed on the return, not earned by not filing. Registering or filing late carries FTA penalties, so the paperwork matters even when nothing is owed.
Federal Decree-Law No. 47 of 2022, Art. 3 (FTA / Ministry of Finance).
What it takes to keep the 0%
The 0% applies only to Qualifying Income, and only if you meet every Qualifying Free Zone Person condition. Fail any one and you are taxed under the ordinary regime — 0% up to AED 375,000 and 9% above.
A Qualifying Free Zone Person pays 0% on Qualifying Income and 9% on income that is not qualifying. The 0% depends on six cumulative conditions — miss any single one and the status is lost. At Par keeps the split between Qualifying and non-qualifying income clean and documented, so each condition is easy to evidence.
Cabinet Decision No. 100 of 2023; Ministerial Decision No. 229 of 2025; Ministerial Decision No. 84 of 2025.
The de-minimis line, and what breaching it costs
Non-qualifying revenue must not exceed the lower of AED 5,000,000 or 5% of total revenue. Cross that line and you lose the 0% for five tax periods.
De minimis sets a ceiling on non-qualifying revenue: it must not exceed the lower of AED 5,000,000 or 5% of total revenue. Cross it and you lose QFZP status from the start of that tax period and for the next four — five tax periods in total — with that income taxed at 9%. This is why the Qualifying versus non-qualifying split needs watching all year, not at year-end.
Cabinet Decision No. 100 of 2023 (de-minimis requirement).
How At Par keeps you ready
We keep your books closed and reconciled, monitor your Qualifying versus non-qualifying split against the de-minimis line, and prepare your Corporate Tax and VAT returns. You or your tax agent file on EmaraTax.
At Par keeps your books reconciled and closed, watches the Qualifying versus non-qualifying split against the de-minimis line, and keeps your records and your audited financial statements (signed by your auditor) audit-ready. VAT still applies — 5% standard, with registration at AED 375,000 in taxable supplies. At Par does not audit, does not file, and does not move your money; a qualified accountant (ACCA) is accountable.
At Par prepares; you authorize and file. It never moves your money.
One document in. Recorded, with its evidence.
Read, checked twice, recorded.
It balances · evidence attached · append-only. At Par records it — you still authorize the payment.
At Par prepares. Two checks agree. You authorize.
Two checks must agree before anything is recorded. Evidence on every figure. Append-only records. A qualified accountant (ACCA) is accountable. You authorize everything that moves money — At Par never moves it. At Par prepares your filings; you or your authorised tax agent submit them through the official channel.
Priced against the hire, not the software.
A qualified accountant in Dubai typically costs AED 10,000–20,000 a month. At Par is a fraction of that — the accountant and the accounting system in one, an ACCA accountable.
Flat monthly, sized to your volume. Start with a 30-day paid pilot; no lock-in.
- Bookkeeping and monthly close
- VAT reconciled and returns prepared
- An ACCA accountable — you authorize and file
- Everything in Books
- Corporate tax return prepared
- Monthly management reports
- Priority answers to your finance questions
- Everything in Books + Tax
- Multiple entities or group
- CFO-level reporting and advisory
Every plan starts with a 30-day paid pilot · billed monthly, no lock-in · an ACCA accountable · you authorize everything that moves money. Exact scope sized on your call.
The work, service by service.
Full-service accounting · Bookkeeping review & month-end close · Catch-up & cleanup · QuickBooks review · Xero review · Payroll · CFO & management reporting
Asked by UAE businesses.
Do you do the audit for my free zone company? +
No. At Par does not provide audit or assurance services. Your audited financial statements are signed by your own auditor. We keep your books reconciled, closed and audit-ready so the audit is faster and lower-risk, and a qualified accountant (ACCA) is accountable for the work we do.
Does At Par file my return or move my money? +
No. At Par prepares your Corporate Tax and VAT returns and hands them to you ready to file. You or your tax agent file on EmaraTax, and you authorize every payment. At Par never files on your behalf and never moves your money.
What does it cost? +
Books start from AED 1,900 a month. Books plus tax preparation is AED 3,900 a month. Larger or more complex companies are priced as a full custom engagement, set against what an in-house hire would cost. Every client starts with a 30-day paid pilot.
Do I really need audited financial statements to keep the 0%? +
Yes. Audited financial statements are a cumulative QFZP condition for every Qualifying Free Zone Person under Ministerial Decision No. 84 of 2025. They are your statutory obligation, signed by your auditor. At Par keeps the records and figures audit-ready; it does not perform the audit.
Get your UAE books to par. Start this month.
Sized to your volume, priced against the hire, not the software. A 30-day paid pilot, full service, your weekly brief from week one.
Prefer to reach us directly? Tell us a little and we'll come back with a time.
Request a pilot seatWe use your details only to prepare for and hold this call. No spam, ever.
Reviewed by an ACCA on the At Par team · Last updated 26 July 2026 · figures cited from the UAE Federal Tax Authority (FTA) — verify current dates before filing. See our UAE overview.