UAE Businesses and ESR Compliance

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The Regulations require all Licensees to file ESR notification within 6 months and the ESR Report within 12 months from the Licensee’s financial year end. 

UAE has implemented ESR Regulations in 2019. The ESR Regulations are issued following the global standard set by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (“OECD”) Forum on Harmful Tax Practices and the European Union Code of Conduct Group (“EU COCG”), which lists specific requirements for businesses to demonstrate that their actual economic activity is in UAE, and it is not driven solely to benefit from a low or non-tax jurisdiction. Thus, preventing the harmful tax practice of profit shifting from high-tax jurisdiction to low tax regimes.

One of the requirements to demonstrate economic substance is that a Licensee undertakes the Core Income Generating Activities (CIGA) in relation to its Relevant Activity (or Relevant Activities) in the UAE. The CIGAs are those activities that are of central importance to the Licensee for the generation of the gross income earned from its Relevant Activity.

 

What are the ESR filing and compliance requirements?

All Licensees and Exempted Licensees must submit the ESR Notification within 6 months from the Licensee’s financial year end. Following which, all Licensees must submit the ESR Report within 12 months from the Licensee’s financial year end.Entities are expected to use a ‘substance over form’ approach to determine whether they undertake a Relevant Activity and as a result will be considered Licensees for the purpose of ESR Regulation, irrespective of whether such Relevant Activity is included in the trade license or permit of the entity.

How can we help you?

Our team of qualified professionals are equipped to provide all the following services related to Economic Substance Regulations:
  • Economic Substance Regulations Applicability
  • Economic Substance Consultancy
  • Economic Substance Assessment
  • Filing of Economic Substance Regulations Notification and Economic Substance Regulations Report
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