Dubai · approved auditors
Accounting, tax and audit for DMCC companies
A DMCC company has two sets of rules to follow. The DMCC Authority wants audited accounts from an auditor on its own approved list. The Federal Tax Authority (FTA) wants a corporate tax registration and an annual return, and audited statements if you want the 0% free-zone rate.
Send one free request and get quotes from up to three licensed accounting, tax and audit firms. Tell them you are in DMCC, and ask each one whether its auditors are on the DMCC list before you compare prices.
DMCC at a glance
DMCC is the Dubai Multi Commodities Centre, a free zone in Dubai run by the Dubai Multi Commodities Centre Authority. The Authority licenses the companies in the zone and sets its own rules for how they submit their accounts.
For accounting, the DMCC rule that matters most is simple to state: audited financial statements must come from a firm on the DMCC Approved Auditor List. A firm that is licensed to audit in the UAE but is not on that list cannot sign the accounts you send to DMCC.
How DMCC audit submission works
This is what DMCC says about audited financial statements in its own guidelines:
- An approved auditor
The audit must be done by a firm on the DMCC Approved Auditor List. Check the list, or ask the firm, before you sign an engagement letter.
- The signed summary sheet
The audited accounts are uploaded together with a summary sheet signed by the auditor.
- Through the Member Portal
Submission goes through the DMCC Member Portal. DMCC lists the submission itself as free of charge.
- A Ministry licence as well
Under Federal Decree-Law No. 41 of 2023, only auditors licensed by the Ministry of Economy and Tourism may audit in the UAE, and the audit report must show the licence number.
The submission deadline is not covered here. Confirm the date that applies to your financial year with DMCC or your auditor. More on what an audit involves: audit services and our guide to audited financial statements.
Corporate tax for DMCC companies
Being in a free zone does not take a company out of corporate tax. Every Free Zone Person must register with the FTA through EmaraTax, and a company set up on or after 1 March 2024 has 3 months from incorporation to do it. Late registration carries an AED 10,000 penalty. See corporate tax registration.
A DMCC company pays 0% on its qualifying income only if it is a Qualifying Free Zone Person (QFZP). Otherwise the normal rates apply: 0% on taxable income up to AED 375,000 and 9% above it.
- Keep adequate substance in the free zone.
- Earn qualifying income, and pass the de minimis test: non-qualifying revenue of no more than 5% of total revenue or AED 5m, whichever is lower.
- Do not elect to be taxed under the standard regime.
- Follow the transfer pricing rules.
- Prepare audited IFRS financial statements. Ministerial Decision 84 of 2025 requires audited statements from every QFZP, whatever its revenue.
Fail one condition and the company pays 9% for that tax period and the next four. If you distribute goods in or from a Designated Zone, FTA Decision No. 6 of 2026 adds an agreed-upon procedures (AUP) report from an independent auditor for tax periods starting on or after 1 January 2026. The return is due 9 months after year-end. Read more in our Qualifying Free Zone Person guide.
Services DMCC companies ask for
Most DMCC requests combine the yearly audit with corporate tax filing. Many also want monthly bookkeeping so the year-end audit goes faster, or help with VAT registration once sales pass AED 375,000.
- External auditAudited financial statements by a registered auditor
- Corporate tax registrationRegister on EmaraTax on time
- Corporate tax return filingFinancial statements, tax computation and the return
- Bookkeeping & accountingMonthly books, reconciliations and reports
- VAT registrationThreshold check, application and TRN
- Liquidation & deregistrationClose the company and its tax registrations properly
DMCC accounting: common questions
Can any licensed auditor audit a DMCC company?
No. DMCC accepts audited accounts only from firms on its Approved Auditor List. The auditor must also hold a licence from the Ministry of Economy and Tourism.
Does a DMCC company have to register for corporate tax?
Yes. Free Zone Persons must register with the FTA, even if they expect to pay 0%. New companies have 3 months from incorporation. See corporate tax registration.
Is the DMCC audit the same as the audit for corporate tax?
One set of audited financial statements can often serve both, but the purposes differ: DMCC needs them for its own rules, and the FTA needs them for QFZP status. Ask your auditor to plan for both.
Does Small Business Relief help a DMCC company?
It depends on how the company is taxed. Ask a tax agent whether relief is open to you, especially if you plan to claim QFZP status. Our Small Business Relief guide explains the basics.
How do you choose the firms that quote?
We ask each firm for its trade licence and, where relevant, its FTA tax agent or Ministry auditor registration. For a DMCC audit, ask each firm to confirm it is on the DMCC list.
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