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Do free zone companies need to use e-invoicing?

Answered by TI from the Federal Tax Authority’s own law · 15 September 2026. Guidance, not tax advice: rely on the official text.

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It depends on your revenue. Free zone companies have no automatic exemption: if you're subject to the e-invoicing system, you must appoint an accredited service provider and go live by the deadline for your revenue band (e.g. by 1 July 2027 if under AED 50 million revenue).

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The detail

There is no free zone exemption in the e-invoicing rules supplied; liability turns on whether you are a 'person subject to the Electronic Invoicing System' and on your revenue. If subject, implementation deadlines are fixed: revenue of AED 50 million or more — appoint an Accredited Service Provider by 30 October 2026 and implement by 1 January 2027; revenue below AED 50 million — appoint by 31 March 2027 and implement by 1 July 2027. Businesses dealing exclusively in Business-to-Consumer transactions are not subject to the system until the Minister decides otherwise (Ministerial Decision 244 of 2025, Article 5). Registrants subject to the system must issue and transmit Tax Invoices and Tax Credit Notes electronically; others follow the general invoicing rules (FTA Public Clarification on the 2025 amendments).12

What the law says

  • A person subject to the Electronic Invoicing System with revenue of AED 50 million or more must appoint an Accredited Service Provider by 30 October 2026 and implement the system by 1 January 2027 (Ministerial Decision 244 of 2025, Article 5(1)(a)).1
  • A person subject to the system with revenue below AED 50 million must appoint an Accredited Service Provider by 31 March 2027 and implement by 1 July 2027 (Ministerial Decision 244 of 2025, Article 5(1)(b)).1
  • Business-to-Consumer transactions are not subject to the system, and a person engaged exclusively in such transactions is not subject to it until the Minister decides otherwise (Ministerial Decision 244 of 2025, Article 5(2)).1

What it depends on

  • Confirm whether your revenue for the relevant period is AED 50 million or more, or below that, as this fixes your appointment and implementation deadlines.1
  • Confirm you are a 'person subject to the Electronic Invoicing System' — the sources do not exempt free zone persons, so assume the general rules apply unless your activities are exclusively B2C.1
Note: The sources do not address whether free zone companies are captured by the definition of 'person subject to the Electronic Invoicing System' — check the implementing decision or FTA guidance for that definition.
Sources (2) — read the official text
  1. 1Ministerial Decision 244/2025Article 5Ministerial Decision
    Article 5 – Mandatory Implementation
    Read the article
    Article 5 – Mandatory Implementation 1. The Electronic Invoicing System shall be implemented in the following phases : (a) A Person subject to the Electronic Invoicing System and whose Revenue is equal to or exceeds AED 50,000,000 shall appoint an Accredited Service Provider by 30 October 2026 and shall implement the Electronic Invoicing System by 1 January 2027.1 (b) A Person subject to the Electronic Invoicing System and whose Revenue is less than AED 50,000,000 shall appoint an Accredited Service Provider by 31 March 2027 and shall implement the Electronic Invoicing System by 1 July 2027. (c) A Government Entity shall appoint an Accredited Service Provider by 31 March 2027 and shall implement the Electronic Invoicing System by 1 October 2027. 2. Notwithstanding Clause 1 of this Article, Business-to-Consumer Transactions shall not be subject to the Electronic Invoicing System and any Person engaged exclusively in such transactions shall not be subject to the Electronic Invoicing System, until such time determined by a decision issued by the Minister. 3. Any Person or Government Entity who is required to implement the Electronic Invoicing System in accordance with Clause 1 of this Article shall comply with the onboarding process and all the technical requirements established by the Ministry and the Authority for the use of the Electronic Invoicing System.
    Official PDF, p. 3Captured from the FTA website on 9 Sep 2026
  2. Read the article
    في حال كان المسجلين خاضعين لنظام الفوترة اإللكترونية Where Registrants are subject to the Electronic Invoicing System they will be required to issue and فسيكونون ملزمين بإصدار فواتير ضريبية وإشعارات دائنة transmit Tax Invoices and Tax Credit Notes in an ضريبية وإرسالها في صيغة إلكترونية من خالل نظام electronic form, through the Electronic Invoicing وعدم القيام بذلك سيترتب،الفوترة اإللكترونية عند تطبيقه System when implemented, failure to do so would .عليه فرض غرامات إدارية result in the imposition of Administrative Penalties. Where Registrants are not subject to the Electronic وفي حال لم يكن المسجلين خاضعين لنظام الفوترة Invoicing System, they must continue to issue and يتعين عليهم االستمرار في إصدار وتقديم فواتير،اإللكترونية deliver Tax Invoices and Tax Credit Notes under the ضريبية وإشعارات دائنة ضريبية بموجب القواعد العامة .المطبقة حاليا ً للفوترة ألغراض ضريبة القيمة المضافة current general VAT invoicing rules. The following amendments were introduced to the تم إدخال التعديالت اآلتية على المرسوم بقانون بموجب Decree-Law by Federal Decree-Law No. 16 of 2025, والتي،2025 ) لسنة16( المرسوم بقانون اتحادي رقم .2026 يناير1 دخلت حيز التنفيذ اعتبار ًا من )48( ّالية االحتساب العكسي – المادة and are effective from 1 January 2026. Reverse Charge Mechanism – Article 48 Article 48(1) of the Decree-Law was amended to ) من المرسوم بقانون48( ) من المادة1( تم تعديل البند remove the requirement for a Taxable Person to إللغاء متطلب قيام الخاضع للضريبة بإصدار فاتورة ضريبية .لذاته عند القيام باستيراد سلع معنية أو خدمات معنية issue a Tax Invoice to himself when importing Concerned Goods or Concerned Services. The Taxable Person is still required to account for وال يزال يتعين على الخاضع للضريبة احتساب ضريبة VAT on the supply and to retain the relevant القيمة المضافة عن التوريد واالحتفاظ بالمستندات الداعمة supporting documents related to the supply ذات الصلة المتعلقة بالتوريد وفقا ً لما هو محدد في الالئحة .التنفيذية according to what is determined in the Executive Regulation. The relief from having to issue a valid Tax Invoice إن التسهيل الممنوح بعدم إصدار فاتورة ضريبية صحيحة in respect of such Concerned Goods and فيما يتعلق بتلك السلع المعنية والخدمات المعنية ينطبق فقط Concerned Services only applies to Goods and يناير1 على السلع والخدمات التي يتم استيرادها في أو بعد Services that are imported on or after 1 January 2026. 6/10 .2026
    Official PDF, p. 6Captured from the FTA website on 9 Sep 2026
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Written by AI from the FTA sources above and checked before display. Not tax advice or official FTA information - confirm with a tax adviser before you act. Full disclaimer

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