I hold a freelance permit — when do I register for VAT, and how do I invoice properly?

A freelance permit holder is treated exactly like any other taxable person: mandatory registration kicks in once total taxable supplies cross AED 375,000 over the preceding 12 months, or are expected to within the next 30 days, and voluntary registration is available from AED 187,500 for anyone who wants early input VAT recovery. The freelance licence itself isn't a special or lighter category, and income gets aggregated across all clients, not calculated client by client.

Once registered, every invoice needs the TRN and full tax invoice details, even for a single steady client. Services delivered to a client based outside the UAE may qualify for the zero rate as an export of services, but that depends on specific conditions (the client's place of residence and where the service is actually used) that should be checked case by case rather than assumed. RASEEKH reviews your income and client base and gets the registration timing and invoice format right.