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Compliance
VAT records and software setup
Nobody files a wrong return on purpose. They file what the system gives them, and the system gives them what somebody configured in a hurry during onboarding.
- Retention
- 5 years
- Needed in the ledger
- 7 emirates
- Also needed
- Reverse charge
And longer for real estate records.
Box 1 cannot be reconstructed from a single revenue account.
A code that posts both sides, or it gets missed every quarter.
How it runs
- Tax codes are set against the real returnStandard, zero-rated, exempt, out of scope, reverse charge, blocked input. One code per box behaviour, not one per opinion.
- The emirate dimension goes inA branch or department field on the sales ledger, so 1a to 1g reports itself.
- Blocked expense categories are flaggedEntertainment and vehicle accounts set to non-recoverable at source, so nobody has to remember Article 53 at month end.
- Retention is arrangedFive years, retrievable. A backup nobody can search is not a record.
What we ask you for
- Access to your accounting system
- The current chart of accounts
- A list of the emirates and branches you supply from
- Sample invoices and expense claims
What we see go wrong
- One catch-all revenue account, which makes the emirate split guesswork forever.
- A reverse-charge code that posts only the output side.
- Records held only in a cloud account nobody can access after the bookkeeper leaves.
Questions we get asked
How long must UAE VAT records be kept?
Five years from the end of the tax period they relate to, and longer for records connected to real estate. They must be produced on request, so retrievability matters as much as storage.
Does my accounting software need to handle the emirate split?
It needs to let you report standard-rated sales by emirate, because Box 1 of the VAT201 is seven separate fields. A branch or department dimension is the usual way.
Can you set up VAT in Zoho, QuickBooks, Xero or Tally?
Yes. The configuration differs, but the requirement does not: codes that map to the return, an emirate dimension, and blocked categories flagged at source.
General information about UAE VAT, current at 10 August 2026. It is not tax advice and does not create a client relationship — see our disclaimer. Confirm your own position with the FTA, or with us, before acting.
Send the return. We will tell you where it stands.
No charge for the first look. If nothing needs doing we will say so, and if something does you will know what it costs before you decide.