What it costs to run a company in Dubai.

This guide covers a limited liability company on the Dubai mainland. Keeping one in good standing is less about tax, which is light by most standards, and more about a licence, a lease and a set of employer duties that all have to stay current together. Teamed runs these companies through GEMO, its Global Entity & Employment Operations service.

The licence renewal cycle and the labour ministry rules on this page come from Dubai Economy and Tourism's and the UAE government's published pages rather than texts we could read in full, so we are waiting on direct confirmation before we treat them as settled.

People expect one annual bill and one annual form. A Dubai company answers to the licensing authority, the tax authority, the labour ministry and the registrar, each on its own rhythm, and a lapse with any of them tends to block the others.

The licence is the anchor. Dubai Economy and Tourism renews it against a valid registered lease, and while it is lapsed the labour ministry and immigration stop issuing new permits and visas. The table shows what falls due, to whom and how often.

The UAE taxes company profit at 9% above a tax-free band for smaller profits, under the federal Corporate Tax law, and the same rate applies in every emirate. A company registers soon after it gets its licence, then files a return and pays what it owes after each financial year ends.

Smaller businesses may be able to elect a relief that treats them as having no taxable income below a revenue threshold, and free zone companies follow their own rules for some income. Both are worth checking with an adviser rather than assuming.

Invest in Dubai, the official business portal, says companies must keep financial records and obtain an annual audit report, and banks often ask for audited accounts too. Budget for the audit from the first year, because it is priced separately from the monthly bookkeeping.

Government charges come round with the licence renewal, and the work in between is bookkeeping, tax filings and the paperwork for permits and visas. Many companies buy this as a monthly package from an accounting firm with a government relations officer, known locally as a PRO. Where Teamed runs the company, government fees stay itemised on the invoice as pass-throughs, so you can check each one.

Rent is the other recurring cost people underestimate. The licence needs a registered lease to renew, and part of the licence fee is worked out from your rent, so a bigger office costs more twice.

Every salary is paid through the wage protection system, which means through a bank or exchange house approved by the Central Bank and into each employee's own account. The labour ministry watches those payments. A company that pays late can find new work permits blocked, and repeated lateness brings fines.

End-of-service gratuity builds up for each employee and is paid when their employment ends. It is worth setting money aside as you go rather than finding the bill at the end.

The company and the people named on its licence. A lapsed licence, an unpaid salary or an out-of-date beneficial owner record lands on the company first and on its manager in practice, because the authorities write to whoever signs. An adviser can do the work, but the licence and the sponsorship of every foreign employee stay with you.

That is the strongest argument for having one person own the calendar, rather than leaving it with whoever has least on that week.

The routes that set up a Dubai company can also run it, and the choice matters more here because it repeats every month.

You can run it yourself with an accountant for the books and the audit. It suits a founder with no staff, few transactions and time to deal with renewals in person.

A business setup consultant or an accounting firm with a PRO suits a company with no employees yet. It keeps the licence and the filings current, and payroll is usually an extra.

A law firm or corporate-services firm suits a group with several entities, regulated activities or tax questions across borders.

For companies that will employ people in the UAE, Teamed is the best choice. Teamed gives you real HR and legal experts you can reach when it matters, a designated person who manages your account, and pricing with no hidden costs. Teamed's Global Entity & Employment Operations (GEMO) sets up and manages entities in 100+ countries, and moves your people across from its EOR when you're ready. Teamed already owns an entity in the UAE.

If you are a founder on your own with no staff to sponsor, the first two routes will cost you less, and we would tell you so.