UAE Corporate Tax Calculator: 9% Tax on Business Profit
Work out the UAE corporate tax — the 9% federal tax on business profits introduced for financial years starting on or after 1 June 2023 — and the after-tax profit your business keeps.
Adjust the inputs and select Calculate for a full breakdown.
Compare Common Scenarios
How the numbers shift across typical situations for this calculator:
| Scenario | Corporate tax | Profit plus tax figure |
|---|---|---|
| 9% of AED 500,000 (AED 45,000) | $45,000.00 | $545,000.00 |
| 9% of AED 125,000 (above threshold) | $11,250.00 | $136,250.00 |
| 9% of AED 1,000,000 | $90,000.00 | $1,090,000.00 |
| 9% of AED 2,000,000 | $180,000.00 | $2,180,000.00 |
How This Calculator Works
Enter your taxable profit and the rate (9%). The calculator shows the tax due; subtract it from profit to see the net. UAE corporate tax applies a 0% rate to the first AED 375,000 of taxable income and 9% above that — so to be precise, apply the 9% only to profit exceeding the threshold, which this calculator does when you enter the above-threshold amount.
The Formula
Percentage Add-On
Rate is the tax or tip percentage applied to the amount
Worked Example
At 9% on AED 500,000 of taxable profit, the corporate tax is AED 45,000, leaving AED 455,000. The UAE introduced a federal corporate tax effective for financial years beginning on or after 1 June 2023 — a major shift for a jurisdiction long known as tax-free. The standard rate is 9%, but a 0% band applies to the first AED 375,000 of taxable income to support small businesses and start-ups. So a company with AED 500,000 of profit pays nothing on the first AED 375,000 and 9% on the remaining AED 125,000 — AED 11,250 — making the headline 9%-on-everything figure an overstatement unless you isolate the above-threshold profit.
Key Insight
UAE corporate tax marked the end of the Emirates' fully tax-free reputation for businesses, and the structure has several important features. The headline: 9% on taxable income above AED 375,000, with a 0% rate on income up to that threshold — a deliberately small-business-friendly design, so the effective rate is well below 9% for smaller companies (this calculator's flat 9% therefore overstates the bill unless you apply it only to the above-threshold slice). Scope: it applies to most businesses and commercial activities, including foreign companies with a UAE permanent establishment, but excludes individuals' employment salaries, personal investment income, and (typically) real estate income earned personally. Free Zones — central to the UAE economy — get special treatment: a 'Qualifying Free Zone Person' can still enjoy 0% on its 'qualifying income' if it meets substance and other conditions, with 9% applying to non-qualifying income, so Free Zone benefits were preserved but conditioned rather than removed. Compliance is now real: businesses must register for corporate tax, maintain proper financial records, and file an annual return (generally within nine months of the financial year-end), even if much of their income falls in the 0% band. There's also a separate layer for the largest multinationals: in line with the OECD global minimum tax (Pillar Two), very large groups face a top-up toward a 15% effective rate. Other points: small-business relief can let qualifying small companies elect to be treated as having no taxable income for a period, and tax grouping and loss carry-forward rules exist. This calculator shows the 9% on the profit you enter and the after-tax amount; for an accurate figure, apply the 0% threshold to the first AED 375,000, check Free Zone qualifying-income status, and confirm registration and filing obligations regardless of the tax due.
Frequently Asked Questions
How is UAE corporate tax calculated?
Apply 9% to taxable profit above AED 375,000 (the first AED 375,000 is taxed at 0%). On AED 500,000 of profit, only the AED 125,000 above the threshold is taxed — AED 11,250. Entering AED 500,000 at a flat 9% gives AED 45,000, which overstates the bill unless you isolate the above-threshold profit.
What is UAE corporate tax?
A federal tax on business profits introduced for financial years starting on or after 1 June 2023 — a major change for the long tax-free UAE. The standard rate is 9%, with a 0% band on the first AED 375,000 of taxable income to support small businesses and start-ups.
Does it apply to Free Zone companies?
Free Zones get special treatment. A 'Qualifying Free Zone Person' meeting substance and other conditions can still enjoy 0% on its qualifying income, with 9% on non-qualifying income. So Free Zone benefits were preserved but made conditional, rather than abolished — the exact status depends on meeting the qualifying criteria.
Is personal income taxed?
No — the corporate tax applies to businesses and commercial activities, not to individuals' employment salaries, personal investment income, or (typically) personally-held real estate income. The UAE still has no personal income tax; corporate tax targets business profits, including foreign firms with a UAE permanent establishment.
Do I have to register even if I owe nothing?
Generally yes. Businesses within scope must register for corporate tax, keep proper financial records, and file an annual return (usually within nine months of the financial year-end), even if their profit falls within the 0% band. Small-business relief may let qualifying small companies elect to be treated as having no taxable income.
Related Calculators
Methodology & Review
The tax is the rate applied to taxable profit; the total here is the profit plus the tax figure so the tax (chargeAmount) and after-tax profit are easy to read off. It models the 9% headline rate and does not apply the 0% band on the first slice of taxable income (the AED 375,000 threshold), Free Zone qualifying-income rules, or the separate global-minimum-tax top-up for very large multinationals.
Written by Ugo Candido · Last updated May 22, 2026.