Can a UAE company exempt the income of its foreign branch?

Article 24 – Foreign Permanent Establishment Exemption 1. A Resident Person can make an election to not take into account the income, and associated expenditure, of its Foreign Permanent Establishments in determining its Taxable Income. 2. Where Clause 1 of this Article applies, a Resident Person shall not take into account the following in determining its Taxable Income or Corporate Tax Payable for a Tax Period: Federal Decree-Law No. 47 of 2022 and its amendments – Unofficial translation (as published by the Ministry of Finance) 31 a. losses in any of its Foreign Permanent Establishments, calculated as if the relevant Foreign Permanent Establishments were a Resident Person under this Decree-Law; b. positive income and associated expenditure in any of its Foreign Permanent Establishments, calculated as if the relevant Foreign Permanent Establishments were a Resident Person under this Decree-Law; and c. any Foreign Tax Credit that would have been available under Article 47 of this DecreeLaw had the election under Clause 1 of this Article not been made. 3. For the purposes of this Article, “income and associated expenditure” of a Taxable Person’s Foreign Permanent Establishments for a Tax Period is the aggregate of the income and associated expenditure in each of the relevant foreign jurisdictions. 4. In determining the income and associated expenditure of a Foreign Permanent Establishment, a Resident Person and each of its Foreign Permanent Establishments shall be treated as separate and independent Persons. 5. For the purposes of Clause 4 of this Article, a transfer of assets or liabilities between a Resident Person and its Foreign Permanent Establishment shall be treated as having taken place at Market Value at the date of the transfer for the purposes of determining the Taxable Income of that Resident Person. 6. The exemption under Clause 1 of this Article shall apply to all Foreign Permanent Establishments of the Resident Person that meet the condition specified in Clause 7 of this Article. 7. The exemption under Clause 1 of this Article shall only apply to a Foreign Permanent Establishment that is subject to Corporate Tax or a tax of a similar character under the applicable legislation of the relevant foreign jurisdiction at a rate not less than the rate specified in paragraph (b) of Clause 1 of Article 3 of this Decree-Law.

Article 14 – Foreign Permanent Establishment Exemption 1. Where a Taxable Person has taken into account Tax Losses incurred by the Taxable Person’s Qualifying Foreign Permanent Establishments, the aggregate amount of the Tax Losses must be fully offset by either the aggregate Taxable Income from the Taxable Person’s Qualifying Foreign Permanent Establishments, or by an adjustment made under Clause (2) of this Article, before the Taxable Person can elect to apply the Foreign Permanent Establishment exemption provided for in Article (24) of the Corporate Tax Law in the subsequent Tax Period. 2. Where a Taxable Person transfers all the assets and liabilities of a Qualifying Foreign Permanent Establishment to a Participation, resulting in the termination of the existence of that establishment, the Taxable Person can only benefit from the provisions under Article (23) of the Corporate Tax Law on the amount of income from the Participation in excess of the aggregate Tax Losses incurred by Ministerial Decision No. 302 of 2024 – As published by the Ministry of Finance 12 the Taxable Person’s Qualifying Foreign Permanent Establishments that have not been fully offset by the aggregate Taxable Income from the Taxable Person’s Qualifying Foreign Permanent Establishments or any adjustments previously made under this Clause. 3. Where a Taxable Person transfers all the assets and liabilities of a Non-Qualifying Foreign Permanent Establishment to a Participation, resulting in the termination of the existence of that establishment, the Taxable Person can only benefit from the provisions under Article (23) of the Corporate Tax Law on the amount of income from the Participation in excess of the aggregate Tax Losses incurred by the Taxable Person’s Non-Qualifying Foreign Permanent Establishments that have not been fully offset by the aggregate Taxable Income from any of the Taxable Person’s Non-Qualifying Foreign Permanent Establishments or any adjustments previously made under this Clause.