Which audit requirement applies to your business?
A Corporate Tax rule, licence condition and lender request can each create a separate reporting requirement.
| Your position | What to check | Before appointing an auditor |
|---|---|---|
| Taxable person outside a Tax Group | For tax periods beginning from 1 January 2025, Decision 84 requires audited statements where revenue exceeds AED 50 million. | Confirm the relevant tax period and revenue calculation. |
| Qualifying Free Zone Person | Decision 84 requires audited financial statements. | Check free-zone and recipient requirements as well. |
| Corporate Tax Group | Decision 84 requires audited special purpose financial statements under FTA rules. | Confirm the group scope and applicable preparation requirements. |
| Licence, bank or contract requires an audit | Read the actual condition even if the Corporate Tax revenue threshold is not exceeded. | Provide the recipient’s approved-auditor, format and submission requirements. |
Qualification alone does not establish that an auditor has every registration or authority approval your report requires.
We confirm the applicable framework, independence and required auditor registration or authority approval before agreeing the work and signing arrangements.
Identify the rule and the intended recipient
An audit requirement can arise from company legislation, a licensing authority, a contract or tax rules. For Corporate Tax periods beginning on or after 1 January 2025, Ministerial Decision 84 of 2025 addresses audited financial statements for specified persons, including taxable persons other than a Corporate Tax Group with revenue exceeding AED 50 million and Qualifying Free Zone Persons, with separate provisions for Tax Groups. Falling below a tax threshold does not settle other audit obligations.
We check the relevant requirement and the proposed signatory’s eligibility before an engagement is agreed. The Ministry of Economy and Tourism oversees registration for the auditing profession; a qualification alone should not be presented as every registration or free-zone approval a recipient may require.
Prepare for an evidence-led examination
The information request follows the business and its significant balances. It may cover contracts, reconciliations, estimates, related parties, inventory and events after the reporting date. Management prepares the financial statements, maintains records and provides explanations and access. Proposed adjustments are discussed and documented. Missing information, unsupported balances or restricted access can affect the work and the eventual report; they cannot be resolved merely by agreeing a deadline.
Understand what an audit can establish
Under the International Standards on Auditing, a financial-statement audit seeks reasonable assurance about material misstatement, rather than certainty about every transaction. The report follows the evidence and applicable reporting requirements. It is not a guarantee of future performance, creditworthiness or the absence of every fraud.
Bookkeeping corrections, preparation of financial statements and other services are separately defined and assessed for independence implications. Where a third party specifies a report format, approved-auditor list or submission channel, provide that requirement at the start. Acceptance by the recipient remains subject to its rules and review.
Documents and records to prepare
Tick the records you already have. The final request depends on your entity, the period and the work agreed. Please do not send financial records through this website.
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Related reading: UAE accounting records: how long to keep them and how to organise the archive.
How the work starts
Confirm eligibility and scope
We establish the reporting purpose, applicable framework and signatory requirements, and assess independence before agreeing to undertake the engagement.
Plan the evidence
The audit plan and information request reflect the business, significant balances and known risks. Management identifies contacts and prepares the requested records.
Examine and resolve
Audit procedures address the agreed period and framework. Queries, proposed adjustments and evidence limitations are discussed with the responsible management team.
Conclude and report
The auditor evaluates the evidence and management’s final statements, then issues the appropriate report when the required work and approvals are complete.
What affects the scope and fee?
- Entity size, activities and reporting framework
- Number of locations and group components
- Complexity of balances and estimates
- Quality of records and prior-period information
- Authority-specific eligibility and reporting requirements
We set out the deliverables, responsibilities and fee in the proposal. Work outside that scope is discussed before it is added.
External audit FAQs
Does every UAE business need an external audit?
The answer depends on legal form, licensing rules, tax status and contractual requirements. A Corporate Tax threshold is only one part of that assessment. Share the company documents and the request you have received, and we can identify the applicable reporting requirement before proposing the engagement.
Can you guarantee an unmodified audit opinion?
No. An audit opinion must follow the evidence and the applicable reporting framework. Material misstatements or limits on available evidence can affect the report. We explain queries and proposed adjustments during the work, but an engagement fee cannot purchase a particular conclusion or remove the auditor’s professional judgement.
What if our free zone requires an approved auditor?
Provide the authority’s current requirement and intended reporting period before the engagement is accepted. The relevant registration, list eligibility and signing arrangements must be checked. This page does not claim approval by every free zone or regulator; acceptance depends on the specific authority and engagement circumstances.
Can you audit accounts that you also prepare?
Any existing accounting role must be assessed for independence and other professional restrictions. The preparation of records and the audit are separate responsibilities. Depending on the facts and applicable requirements, separation or a different appointment may be necessary. We address this before acceptance rather than treating a combined scope as automatic.
What should we do if records are missing?
Tell us at the planning stage. Some information can be recovered from banks, counterparties or existing systems, while other gaps may need a separate reconstruction project. The auditor decides whether the resulting evidence is sufficient. Management explanations alone do not necessarily replace missing documentation or remove a reporting limitation.
How long will the audit take?
Timing depends on the entity, required procedures, availability of records, external confirmations and management responses. We agree a working timetable after reviewing the requirement. If a bank or authority has set a deadline, share it early so dependencies are visible; completion and the final report cannot be promised before the evidence is assessed.
Sources and further reading
Original page research: 5 October 2026. Service comparison and preparation checklist updated: 9 October 2026. Requirements can change; check the linked authority guidance for the latest position.
- Ministry of Finance: Ministerial Decision 84 of 2025
- Ministry of Economy and Tourism: auditing services
- IAASB: international auditing standards
