Statutory & external audit
A full financial statement audit under IFRS and ISA, ending in an independent opinion — the core report every other use case is built on.
Audit & Assurance
Financial statement audit in the UAE (IFRS / ISA)
An independent audit is now a fact of doing business in the UAE — for corporate tax, for the free-zone 0% rate, for licence renewal, and for every bank and investor who wants numbers they can trust. We deliver clean, on-time financial statement audits under IFRS and ISA, signed by a registered auditor — at a fixed fee agreed before we start.
AED 50m
Revenue above which audited accounts are mandatory
All QFZPs
Free-zone 0%-rate companies must be audited
IFRS + ISA
Reporting & auditing standards we apply
Fixed fee
Agreed before we start
What it means
What is a financial statement audit?
A financial statement audit is an independent examination of your company's accounts by a registered auditor, resulting in a formal opinion on whether they give a true and fair view. It is not bookkeeping and it is not tax filing — it is independent assurance that the numbers can be trusted by the people who rely on them.
In the UAE, financial statements are prepared under IFRS — International Financial Reporting Standards (smaller companies may use IFRS for SMEs) — and audited under the International Standards on Auditing (ISA). The audit must be signed by an auditor registered with the Ministry of Economy, and for many free zones, listed on that zone's approved-auditor panel.
Since corporate tax arrived, an audit is no longer optional for many companies. Under Federal Decree-Law No. 47 of 2022 (Article 54) and Ministerial Decision No. 84 of 2025, a taxable person with revenue over AED 50 million must maintain audited financial statements, and every Qualifying Free Zone Person must be audited to keep the 0% rate. Separately, many free zones require audited accounts to renew a licence, and the Commercial Companies Law requires companies to appoint an auditor.
The output is a signed audit report and audited financial statements — the document banks, investors, free zone authorities and the FTA accept. Getting there cleanly depends on records that stand up to testing, which is where most of the work, and most of the risk, actually sits. We handle both.
What we handle
What our audit service covers
One team owns the engagement end to end — from agreeing the scope to signing the opinion your authority, bank or the FTA will accept.
Free-zone & licence-renewal audits
Audited accounts prepared to your free zone's format and deadline — DMCC, JAFZA, DAFZA and others — so your trade licence renews without a hitch.
Audit for corporate tax
Audited financial statements for taxable persons over AED 50m and for Qualifying Free Zone Persons — aligned with your corporate tax return.
Group & consolidation audits
Consolidated financial statements across parent, subsidiaries and branches — intercompany eliminations, minority interests and all.
First-year & prior-period audits
A first-ever audit, or catching up prior years — opening balances established, comparatives fixed and records brought up to standard.
Independent opinion & reporting
A clean, defensible opinion and a management letter that flags control weaknesses early — the assurance stakeholders act on.
Who needs one
When a UAE audit is required
An audit may be a legal requirement, a licence condition, or a demand from someone you need. If any of these apply to you, an audited set of accounts is not optional.
Your revenue is above AED 50 million
A taxable person over the AED 50m revenue line must keep audited financial statements for UAE corporate tax.
You're a Qualifying Free Zone Person
Every QFZP must be audited to hold the 0% corporate tax rate — regardless of turnover.
Your free zone licence is up for renewal
Many free zones require audited accounts each year before they will renew your trade licence.
You file as a tax group
Under Ministerial Decision No. 84 of 2025, tax groups must prepare audited financial statements.
A bank or lender has asked
Facilities, overdrafts and trade finance are routinely conditioned on independently audited figures.
Investors or a sale are on the table
Due diligence, fundraising and share transfers rely on numbers a third party has verified.
You're bidding for tenders or grants
Government and large private tenders often require audited financial statements to qualify.
Company law requires it
The Commercial Companies Law requires companies to appoint an auditor and keep proper, retrievable records.
The signals
When to line up your audit
Audits go wrong when they start late, against messy records, up against a deadline. If any of these sound familiar, it's time to talk.
Your year-end has passed
The financial year has closed or is close, and the audit needs to begin before licence and tax deadlines stack up.
You're claiming the 0% rate
You qualify as a QFZP and need an audit on file to hold the free-zone corporate tax rate.
A licence renewal is due
Your free zone is asking for audited accounts before it will renew your trade licence.
It's your first audit
You've never been audited and need opening balances established and records brought up to standard.
Last year's opinion was qualified
The prior auditor raised issues, and you want a clean, unqualified opinion this time round.
You've grown into a group
New entities, branches or subsidiaries now mean consolidation and intercompany work at year-end.
How we help
From scope to signed opinion, in five clear steps
One team owns the audit — with a fixed fee agreed up front and a clear view of which step you're on.
1
Week 1
Scope & plan
We agree the framework (IFRS or IFRS for SMEs), confirm our registration for your jurisdiction, and set a timetable around your licence and tax deadlines.
2
Week 1–2
Assess risk & controls
We learn your business, walk your key processes and pinpoint where the numbers could be misstated — so testing goes where the risk is.
3
Week 2–3
Fieldwork & testing
We gather audit evidence under ISA — sampling transactions, confirming balances, and testing cut-off, valuation and disclosures.
4
Week 3–4
Review & opinion
Findings are cleared with you, adjustments agreed, and the financial statements finalised with our independent audit opinion.
5
When needed
File & support
We deliver the signed report for your licence renewal, bank or corporate tax return — and stand behind it with regulators and lenders.
Common questions
UAE financial statement audit — FAQs
The questions we're asked most about audits in the UAE — answered plainly.
Is a financial statement audit mandatory in the UAE?
It depends on your entity and your numbers. Under UAE Corporate Tax — Federal Decree-Law No. 47 of 2022 (Article 54) and Ministerial Decision No. 84 of 2025 — a taxable person with revenue above AED 50 million must prepare and maintain audited financial statements, and every Qualifying Free Zone Person must be audited regardless of revenue to keep the 0% rate.
Separately, many free zones require audited accounts to renew a trade licence, and the Commercial Companies Law requires companies to appoint an auditor and keep proper records.
What is the difference between IFRS and ISA?
IFRS (International Financial Reporting Standards) is how financial statements are prepared — the accounting rules. ISA (International Standards on Auditing) is how they are audited — the standards the auditor follows to gather evidence and form an opinion. In the UAE, accounts are prepared under IFRS (smaller companies may use IFRS for SMEs) and audited under ISA.
Do free zone companies need an audit?
Most do. Many UAE free zones — including DMCC, JAFZA, DAFZA and others — require audited financial statements each year before they will renew your trade licence. On top of that, every Qualifying Free Zone Person must be audited to keep the 0% corporate tax rate, regardless of turnover.
What does an audit cost, and how long does it take?
We agree a fixed fee before we start, based on your size, transaction volume and the state of your records. A typical SME audit takes about two to four weeks from the point your books are ready; group audits and first-year audits take longer because of consolidation and opening-balance work.
When is the audit deadline in the UAE?
There is no single national audit filing date. Your deadlines are driven by your free zone's licence-renewal date and by your corporate tax return, which is due within nine months of your financial year-end. We plan the audit backwards from those dates so the signed opinion is ready in time.
What is an audit opinion?
It is the auditor's formal conclusion on whether your financial statements give a true and fair view under IFRS. A clean, or unqualified, opinion is what banks, investors, free zone authorities and the FTA want to see. A qualified opinion, adverse opinion or disclaimer of opinion signals problems — which is exactly what our audit-readiness work helps you avoid.
Are you registered auditors in the UAE?
A UAE audit must be signed by an auditor registered with the Ministry of Economy and, where required, listed on your free zone's approved-auditor panel. We confirm the correct registration for your jurisdiction before we accept the engagement — so the report will be accepted by your authority, bank or the FTA.
Get started
Get your audit booked in.
Tell us your financial year-end, your free zone or mainland licence, and how your books are kept — we'll reply within one business day with a clear scope and an all-inclusive fixed fee.
Thank you — we've got your details.
One of our audit managers will be in touch within one business day.
One of our audit managers will be in touch within one business day.