I'm closing my company — what do I need to do to deregister from Corporate Tax?

When a company ceases business or goes into liquidation, Article 52 of the Corporate Tax Law requires filing a deregistration application within 3 months of the cessation, liquidation, or the date the entity ceases to legally exist, as set out in FTA Decision No. 6 of 2023. The FTA won't approve the application until you've first submitted a final tax return covering the period from the start of the current tax period through the cessation date, with any outstanding tax and penalties settled.

Missing the 3-month window triggers a late-deregistration penalty of AED 1,000 per month, capped at AED 10,000. Once a complete application is submitted — including required documents such as financial statements up to the licence cancellation date — the FTA aims to process it within 40 working days. RASEEKH reviews your tax file before liquidation to confirm every return is filed and every liability settled, so closing the company doesn't come with late surprises.