Family Office Structuring in the UAE: DIFC, ADGM and What Happens After You Set One Up
Quick answer: A family office in the UAE is usually structured in DIFC (minimum USD 50 million in family net assets), ADGM (USD 10 million), or increasingly DMCC (as low as USD 1 million in liquid assets). Each can reach 0% Corporate Tax as a Qualifying Free Zone Person, but only on specific wealth and […]
Designated Zones vs Free Zones: What VAT Actually Applies?
Quick answer: A designated zone is not automatically VAT-free. It is a specific free zone named in Cabinet Decision No. 59 of 2017, as amended, and the relief applies only to certain movements of goods under strict conditions. Services supplied within, into or from a designated zone are standard-rated at 5%, with almost no exception. […]
VAT on Exports in the UAE: When Zero-Rating Actually Applies
Quick answer: VAT on exports in the UAE is 0%, but only when your sale meets the conditions in Article 30 (goods) or Article 31 (services) of the VAT Executive Regulation and you can prove it. Goods must leave the UAE within 90 days of the supply, backed by the right export documents. Services must […]