Abstract — The UAE is compelling—0% personal income tax, global time-zone bridge—but corporate tax and substance rules now matter. Your provider must build substance you can run weekly: license, office, people, governance, banking.
Snapshot
- Scope: Free-zone/mainland setup, activity codes, visas/Golden Visa, payroll and PRO, bank onboarding, transfer pricing awareness.
- Deliverables: Substance checklist, license pack, lease/utility proofs, HR/visa calendar, board minutes, bank KYC file.
- Timeline: 2–8 weeks for setup + visas; banking may run in parallel subject to profile.
- Fee model: Setup fixed fees + monthly corporate secretarial/HR retainer + government fees.
1) Designing for substance
Start with purpose and flows: who is working in the UAE, which counterparties will you pay/collect from, which bank products you need (multicurrency, trade, cards). The entity chart should mirror economics; “empty shells” create problems at tax and banks alike.
2) What to ask in an RFP
- Compliance bench: How many full-time compliance staff, not salespeople?
- Banking track record: Which banks they opened this year for your sector and average SLAs.
- Office reality: Beyond flex desks—dedicated space, signage, and access logs if you claim management/control.
- TP awareness: Intercompany fees require transfer-pricing files and contemporaneous contracts.
3) Delivery sequence that works
- Design session → Substance checklist (headcount, premises, governance).
- Incorporation → License → Lease → Payroll → Visas.
- Bank: pre-screen dossier, SoW/SoF narrative, staged limits, hedging as needed.
- Governance cadence: quarterly board, monthly KPI/risk dashboard, annual compliance review.
4) Red flags
Guaranteed timelines; “no-visit” banking; visa promises detached from real headcount; zero discussion of corporate tax or qualifying income.
5) Pricing and visibility
Insist on a full landed-cost table (setup + first-year run-rate). If they can’t map the year, they can’t run your year.
FAQs
- Can I keep everything in a free zone at 0%? Only for qualifying income with substance; non-qualifying profits may be taxed (verify latest).
- Remote only? Long-term remote operations rarely pass substance tests.
Editor’s Note: In the UAE, low tax ≠ low standards. Substance is the product.
Tags: Directory, UAE, Corporate Services, Golden Visa, Banking