Corporate Services
Free zone setup
Free zone incorporation where it genuinely fits the trade — and a straight answer where it does not.
What it is
Free zone structures suit some businesses very well and others poorly, and the distinction turns on where customers are and how supplies are made. The choice also has consequences for VAT treatment and for the tax position that outlast the setup decision.
Who it applies to
Who this is for.
- Businesses serving customers outside the UAE
- Holding and IP-owning entities
- Regional headquarters and service entities
- Businesses reconsidering an existing free zone structure
What we do
The work itself.
Test whether a free zone structure actually fits the intended trade
Compare zones on the criteria that matter for your activity
Manage incorporation, licensing and lease or facility requirements
Establish the VAT and tax treatment implied by the structure
Maintain the ongoing compliance calendar
What you provide
What we will need from you.
Gathering these before the first conversation shortens everything that follows.
- Intended activities and customer locations
- Shareholder identification documents
- Anticipated headcount and facility requirements
- Parent company documents, where applicable
Timeline
Varies materially by zone and activity. We confirm an indicative timeline once the zone and licence type are settled.
Rates, thresholds and filing dates change. We confirm the current position for your entity in writing rather than publishing figures that may date.
Questions
What people ask.
It depends on the activity, the zone and how the supply is structured. It is a question to settle before incorporation, not after.
Related
Related work
More in Corporate Services
Related industries
Relevant insights
Next step
Free zone setup, handled properly.
Tell us where you are with it. If the answer is that you have nothing to do, that is what you will hear.
Not ready for a meeting? Ask one specific question instead.
What follows
- A person in the relevant practice reads it, not a routing queue.
- One reply that already contains a view, not a request to book a call.
- A written scope and fee basis, or a straight answer that there is no work to do.
- Sunday – Thursday, 9:00 – 18:00 GST