A Tax Residence Certificate (TRC) is a certificate issued by the UAE Federal Tax Authority (FTA) to companies that operate in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), that certifies the company's tax residency and grants it benefits under double taxation avoidance agreements.
A TRC is typically needed to demonstrate residency in another country and tax liability to be eligible for double taxation avoidance. This is granted to qualified government organizations, companies, and individuals to take advantage of revenue-sharing agreements, including double taxation avoidance, to which the UAE participates.
Tax Domicile Certificate
A tax residency certificate is also known as a tax domicile certificate. It is valid for the residents of UAE, as well as organizations and legal entities. Any business operating in the UAE for at least one year, whether in a free zone or on the mainland, can apply for the tax residency certificate.
Since offshore enterprises are not eligible for the tax residency certificate, they must get a tax exemption certificate. Furthermore, obtaining a tax residency certificate requires at least 180 days of residency in the United Arab Emirates.
People who do not have a double taxation agreement between their home country and the UAE can benefit from this; however, to apply, they must possess a valid UAE resident visa for a period longer than 180 days.
The person must have lived in the UAE for at least 180 days. An annual lease agreement attested by the appropriate authorities—such as EJARI in Dubai, municipalities in other Emirates, and free zone authorities—must be included with the application.
To be eligible to apply for a TRC, the legal person must have been in business for at least a year. Audited financial accounts by a certified audit company must be included in the application.
The report must include the certification and stamp of the auditing company. The year for which the certificate is requested must be covered by the applicant's audited financial report. If a certificate for the current year is required, the audit report must also cover the previous year.
NOTE: Offshore entities are not eligible to apply for the service because they are not included in the Double Taxation Avoidance agreements.
1. Set up an account for a tax certificate.
2. View the dashboard for your Tax Certificate account.
3. Select "Create Tax Residency Certificate" in Step 3.
4. Complete the creation procedure.
5. Pay certificate fees after FTA clearance.
6. If a tax form requires FTA certification, send it via mail with a return receipt (the applicant pays fees for shipping and returning papers). The form must be completed and include the certificate's fiscal year.
After completing the application form and providing all relevant papers, the UAE Federal Tax Authority will take 4 to 5 working days to approve the application and check that all submitted documents are valid.
After approval and confirmation from the UAE Federal Tax Authority and payment of application fees, it may take five working days.
The Tax Residency Certificate or Tax Domicile Certificate is valid for one year. After that, it can be renewed annually with a new application.
Obtain your Tax Residency Certificate now through the FTA's Emaratax Portal.
Contact us to learn more about the Tax Residency Certificate (TRC) in UAE and to get yours!
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