Under Small Business Relief, you file a simplified Tax Return. You are not required to submit an income statement, balance sheet, or statement of financial position.
Uploading financial statements for the period strengthens your filing, reduces FTA queries, and provides a clear audit trail in case of future review.
What Does the Law Actually Say?
Under Article 21 of the Corporate Tax Law (Federal Decree-Law No. 47 of 2022) and Ministerial Decision No. 73 of 2023, eligible Resident Persons with Revenue of AED 3,000,000 or below can elect for Small Business Relief in their Corporate Tax return.
When you elect for Small Business Relief, you are treated as having no Taxable Income for the relevant Tax Period. This means you are not required to calculate your Taxable Income, apply deductions, or complete a full Tax Return. Instead, you file a simplified Tax Return with reduced information requirements.
The FTA's Corporate Tax Guide on Small Business Relief (CTGSBR1) confirms that businesses electing for this relief benefit from both administrative relief (simplified filing and record-keeping) and tax relief (zero Corporate Tax payable).
💡 Cash Basis Accounting Is Permitted
Under Ministerial Decision No. 114 of 2023, businesses with Revenue not exceeding AED 3,000,000 may prepare their financial statements using the cash basis of accounting instead of IFRS or IFRS for SMEs. This significantly reduces the accounting burden for small businesses.
What's Mandatory vs. Recommended vs. Not Required
Here's a clear breakdown of every filing and record-keeping requirement under Small Business Relief:
| Requirement | Status Under SBR | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Corporate Tax Registration | Mandatory | You must register for CT and obtain a TRN before you can elect for SBR |
| Filing a Tax Return | Mandatory | You must file a simplified Tax Return and make the SBR election in it each Tax Period |
| Records demonstrating Revenue | Mandatory | Bank statements, sales ledgers, invoices, order records, delivery notes, and business correspondence |
| Record retention (7 years) | Mandatory | All records must be kept for 7 years after the end of the Tax Period they relate to |
| Arm's Length Principle compliance | Mandatory | Transactions with Related Parties must still be at arm's length |
| Income Statement / P&L | Recommended | Not required for the simplified return, but strongly recommended to upload |
| Balance Sheet / Statement of Financial Position | Recommended | Not required for the simplified return, but recommended for audit trail purposes |
| Calculating Taxable Income | Not Required | SBR treats you as having no Taxable Income — no calculation needed |
| Full Tax Return | Not Required | Simplified Tax Return is sufficient |
| Transfer Pricing Documentation | Not Required | Master file and local file requirements are waived under SBR |
Records You Must Maintain Under Small Business Relief
The FTA's Small Business Relief guide (CTGSBR1) is clear: even though you don't need to calculate Taxable Income, you must maintain records that demonstrate your Revenue did not exceed the AED 3,000,000 threshold. There is no prescribed list, but the FTA's guidance identifies the following as examples:
- Bank statements — showing all income received during the Tax Period
- Sales ledgers — a record of all sales transactions
- Invoices or records of daily earnings — including till rolls for retail businesses
- Order records and delivery notes — documenting goods or services provided
- Other relevant business correspondence — contracts, agreements, and communications that support your Revenue figures
⚠️ 7-Year Retention Rule
All of these records must be kept for 7 years following the end of the Tax Period to which they relate (Article 56, Corporate Tax Law). For a Tax Period ending 31 December 2026, this means records must be retained until at least 31 December 2033. The records don't need to be in their original format — electronic copies (e.g., scanned receipts) are acceptable as long as they are readable and available to the FTA on request.
Why We Recommend Uploading Financial Statements Anyway
While the simplified Tax Return does not require you to attach an income statement or balance sheet, there are strong practical reasons to prepare and upload them:
1. Proves Your Revenue Is Below AED 3,000,000
Financial statements provide the clearest, most structured evidence that your Revenue is within the threshold. If FTA ever queries your eligibility, having audited or management-prepared financials on file resolves the question immediately.
2. Reduces FTA Queries
A filing supported by financial statements looks more credible and complete. The FTA is less likely to request additional information or documentation when the numbers are clearly presented and backed by proper records.
3. Protects You in a Tax Audit
If FTA conducts a review or audit in the future, having financial statements for every Tax Period — even periods where you elected for Small Business Relief — demonstrates good governance and makes the audit process smoother.
4. Prepares You for Growth
Small Business Relief is only available for Tax Periods ending on or before 31 December 2026 and only while your Revenue stays at or below AED 3,000,000. If your Revenue exceeds the threshold in any period, you'll need full financial statements and a complete Tax Return. Building the habit now makes the transition painless.
5. Supports VAT Compliance
If you're also registered for VAT, financial statements help ensure consistency between your VAT return filings and your Corporate Tax return. The FTA can cross-reference both, and discrepancies between VAT-reported Revenue and CT-reported Revenue can trigger enquiries.
💡 Small Business Relief Does Not Affect VAT
Small Business Relief is a Corporate Tax relief only. It does not change your VAT compliance obligations in any way. If you're VAT-registered, you must continue to file VAT returns, charge VAT on taxable supplies, and maintain VAT records as before.
Quick Summary: SBR Filing Checklist
Here's the practical checklist for filing your Corporate Tax return under Small Business Relief:
- Register for Corporate Tax and obtain your TRN
- Confirm your Revenue is at or below AED 3,000,000 for the current and all previous Tax Periods
- Confirm eligibility — you're not a member of an MNE or a Qualifying Free Zone Person
- File the simplified Tax Return and elect for Small Business Relief within it
- Maintain Revenue records (bank statements, invoices, sales ledgers) for 7 years
- Prepare and upload financial statements (income statement and balance sheet/statement of financial position) — recommended even though not mandatory
- Keep your books on cash basis or IFRS/IFRS for SMEs — cash basis is permitted under SBR
🚫 Don't Forget: SBR Expires After 31 December 2026
Small Business Relief is only available for Tax Periods ending on or before 31 December 2026. After that, all businesses — regardless of Revenue — will need to file a full Corporate Tax return, calculate Taxable Income, and potentially pay Corporate Tax at 9% on income above AED 375,000. Start building proper financial records now.
Who Cannot Claim Small Business Relief?
Before filing, make sure you're actually eligible. Small Business Relief is not available to:
- Members of a Multinational Enterprise Group (MNE) — groups with consolidated revenue above AED 3.15 billion that are required to file Country-by-Country Reports
- Qualifying Free Zone Persons (QFZP) — these already benefit from 0% CT on Qualifying Income
- Businesses that have artificially separated — splitting a single business into multiple entities to stay below the AED 3,000,000 threshold
- Revenue exceeded AED 3,000,000 in any previous Tax Period — once breached, you cannot elect for SBR again, even if Revenue drops back below the threshold
Frequently Asked Questions
Reviewed by Nithin
Nithin is the founder of Fastlane Management Consultancy, an FTA-registered Tax Agent and MoE-registered Auditor based in Dubai. He has filed hundreds of Corporate Tax returns for UAE businesses, including simplified returns under Small Business Relief, and advises clients on record-keeping best practices. TRN: 104218042400003.