Insights
Practical UAE tax and accounting, written by a chartered accountant.
Short, dated guides for restaurant owners and trading companies. General information, not advice for your specific situation.
Restaurants, cafes & cloud kitchens
VAT on delivery-app sales: what UAE restaurants should record
How UAE restaurants should record Talabat, Deliveroo, Careem and Noon Food sales and commissions for VAT, and the mistakes that understate revenue.
ReadRestaurants, cafes & cloud kitchens
Corporate Tax for restaurants and cafes: a practical checklist
Registration, Small Business Relief, deductible expenses and records: a practical UAE Corporate Tax checklist for restaurants, cafes and cloud kitchens.
ReadTrading, import & export
Import VAT and the reverse charge: a guide for UAE traders
How UAE importers account for VAT on imported goods under the reverse charge mechanism, linking customs and VAT, and common errors that lead to penalties.
ReadTrading, import & export
Is my free-zone trading company at 0% Corporate Tax?
The Qualifying Free Zone Person conditions for UAE free-zone trading companies, qualifying vs non-qualifying income, mainland sales and the de minimis limit.
ReadRestaurants, cafes & cloud kitchens
Does my restaurant need to register for VAT?
VAT registration thresholds for UAE restaurants and cafes, what counts towards AED 375,000, when to register, and the cost of registering late.
ReadRestaurants, cafes & cloud kitchens
How to calculate food cost percentage from your books
A practical guide for UAE restaurant owners to calculate actual food cost percentage each month from purchases and stock counts, and what to do when it drifts.
ReadRestaurants, cafes & cloud kitchens
End-of-service gratuity for restaurant staff: how to accrue it
How UAE restaurants should calculate and accrue end-of-service gratuity for staff under the Labour Law, and why monthly accruals protect cash flow.
ReadTrading, import & export
Zero-rated exports: the evidence you must keep
What UAE exporters need to zero-rate goods for VAT: official and commercial evidence of export, the 90-day rule, and how to build an export file per shipment.
ReadTrading, import & export
Designated zones and VAT: a practical guide for traders
How VAT applies to goods held and traded in UAE designated zones, movements to the mainland, and the records traders need.
ReadTrading, import & export
Landed cost: why your gross margin might be wrong
How UAE trading companies should add freight, duty, insurance and clearing charges to inventory cost, and why expensing them distorts margins and tax.
ReadRestaurants, cafes & cloud kitchens
Daily sales reconciliation: POS, card, cash and delivery apps
A simple daily routine for UAE restaurants to reconcile POS sales with card settlements, cash and delivery-app payouts, and catch missing money early.
ReadRestaurants, cafes & cloud kitchens
Cloud kitchens: how to see profit by brand
How UAE cloud kitchens running several virtual brands can set up their books to see profit and loss per brand, allocate shared costs and decide which brands to keep.
ReadTrading, import & export
Transfer pricing basics for UAE trading groups
What UAE Corporate Tax transfer pricing rules mean for trading companies that buy from or sell to related parties, the arm's length principle and the records to keep.
ReadTrading, import & export
Foreign currency accounting for UAE traders
How UAE import and export companies should record foreign currency purchases and sales, revalue open balances at period end, and why exchange differences affect profit.
ReadRecent result
AED 36,000
of AED 40,000 in penalties waived for an IFZA free-zone company. We prepared the waiver request; the investor paid AED 4,000.
Not sure where you stand?
Send us your last VAT return or your trade licence. A chartered accountant will tell you what is in order and what needs attention. No obligation.