UAE Record-Keeping Rules: VAT and Corporate Tax
What records UAE businesses must keep for VAT and Corporate Tax, the usual retention periods, and how to store them so they can be produced on request.
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Good records are the difference between a routine tax review and a painful one. This guide summarises what UAE businesses are generally expected to keep and for how long — always confirm the current rules for your situation.
The headline periods
| Regime | General retention | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| VAT | 5 years from the end of the tax period | Longer for certain real-estate records |
| Corporate Tax | 7 years from the end of the tax period | Includes financial statements and supporting records |
| Commercial/company records | Per commercial law and licence authority | Check your free zone or mainland regulator |
These are general rules; some records have longer requirements, and rules can be amended.
What counts as a record
For VAT, expect to keep:
- Tax invoices and credit/debit notes issued and received.
- Import and export documents, and customs records.
- Records of goods and services supplied and received, including those subject to reverse charge.
- Accounting records, ledgers and VAT return workings.
- Details of zero-rated and exempt supplies and the evidence for them.
- Records for the VAT treatment of items you adjust or apportion.
For Corporate Tax, expect to keep:
- Financial statements and the accounting records they're built from.
- Documents supporting income, expenses, assets and liabilities.
- Documents supporting elections, exemptions and relief claims.
- Transfer pricing and related-party documentation where relevant.
Audited financial statements
Under Ministerial Decision No. 82 of 2023, taxable persons whose revenue exceeds AED 50 million, and Qualifying Free Zone Persons, must prepare and retain audited financial statements. Many free zones and the commercial companies law also require annual audits regardless. See year-end audit readiness.
Format and location
Records should be complete, legible and retrievable. Digital records are acceptable when they can be reproduced accurately. Check the current rules on language (Arabic or English) and on where records must be kept, because requirements for retention in the UAE and availability to the FTA are specific.
Building a simple retention system
- One folder structure by year, then month, then document type (sales, purchases, bank, payroll).
- Consistent file names with date, counterparty and reference: 2026-10-16_GulfSupplies_GS-1042.pdf.
- Back-ups in at least two places, one off-site.
- A retention schedule noting the earliest destroy date for each class of record.
- Access control — who can delete or change records.
- A hold process if there's a dispute or review: no destruction while it's open.
What not to do
- Keep invoices only as WhatsApp images on one phone.
- Let a departing employee or an accountant be the only holder of your records.
- Delete a voided invoice instead of marking it void — see missing invoice numbers.
- Destroy records at five years if a Corporate Tax period still needs seven.
Where software helps
The ledger, invoices, bills and bank lines should live in a system you control and can export. Pyalm Books keeps sales, purchases, VAT and the double-entry ledger together with an audit trail, so supporting data stays linked to transactions. It is free during beta. Pair it with the UAE corporate tax bookkeeping checklist and a clear month-end close routine.
Rules, rates and deadlines change. Confirm the current position with the Federal Tax Authority (tax.gov.ae), the Ministry of Finance or a qualified adviser before you file, pay or rely on it.