Common questions
When is the VAT return due in the UAE?
No later than the 28th day after the end of each tax period, and the VAT due is paid by the same day. For standard quarters that end with the calendar quarters, the 2027 dates are 28 January (for October – December 2026), 28 April, 28 July and 28 October 2027. Your own dates follow the periods the FTA assigned to you.
When are salaries due under WPS in 2027?
On the 1st of every month, for the previous month's wages, under Ministerial Resolution 340 of 2026: December 2026 wages by 1 January 2027, January wages by 1 February, and so on to November wages by 1 December 2027. At least 85% of total wages must be transferred on time, and workers keep the right to their full wage.
When is the corporate tax return due for 2026?
Within 9 months of the end of the tax period. For a tax period that is the calendar year 2026, the return is due by 30 September 2027, and the tax is generally paid by the same date. If your financial year ends on another date, count nine months from its last day and confirm the date with the FTA or your tax adviser.
What are the UAE e-invoicing deadlines in 2027?
Under Ministerial Decision 244 of 2025, as amended by Ministerial Decision 66 of 2026: revenue of AED 50 million or more goes live by 1 January 2027 (provider appointed by 30 October 2026); revenue under AED 50 million appoints an accredited service provider by 31 March 2027 and goes live by 1 July 2027; government entities appoint one by 31 March 2027 and go live by 1 October 2027. Revenue means gross income in the most recent accounting period.
Does e-invoicing apply to sales to consumers?
Not for now. It covers invoices between businesses and to government. Sales to consumers are outside the system, and a business that sells only to consumers is not in scope until the Minister decides otherwise. A business that sells to government follows its own revenue group.
Does Small Business Relief still apply in 2027?
Yes. The Ministry of Finance announced on 7 August 2026 that Ministerial Decision 131 of 2026 extends the relief to tax periods ending on or before 31 December 2029. A resident business with revenue of AED 3 million or less in the period and every earlier one can elect it in the corporate tax return; for a calendar-year 2026 period, that return is due by 30 September 2027.
How do I find my own VAT tax period?
The FTA assigns it to your registration. The standard period is three calendar months ending on a date the FTA sets, so one business's quarter can end in March and another's in April or May; the FTA can also set shorter or longer periods. Check your periods in your EmaraTax account, then count 28 days from the end of each one.
Why are public holidays not in this calendar?
This calendar lists only dates that a published rule fixes, each with its source. Public holidays are announced separately, so they are left out, and every date here is shown as its rule states it. Where a date falls on a weekend, such as the WPS date of 1 May 2027 (a Saturday), plan around your bank's working days.
Does Xrero file VAT or corporate tax returns?
No. Xrero prepares the figures from your posted entries; you or your accountant file on EmaraTax. It also builds the WPS salary file (SIF) and the PINT AE e-invoice file, but it is not an accredited service provider. Xrero costs AED 99 per user a month (AED 83 on the annual plan), with optional set-up from AED 2,999.
Is Xrero the same as Xero?
No. Xero (X-E-R-O) is an accounting company from New Zealand. Xrero (X-R-E-R-O) is a separate company in Dubai, with its own business software and this free calendar.
