UAE Value Added Tax (VAT) at 5% has applied to e-commerce sales since 2018. Despite this, many Dubai online store owners are still not fully compliant — creating significant FTA audit risk.
**When must you register for UAE VAT?** Mandatory registration: when your annual taxable supplies exceed AED 375,000. Voluntary registration: when annual supplies exceed AED 187,500. New e-commerce businesses often reach the mandatory threshold faster than expected.
**What does VAT compliance look like for an online store?**
1. **Tax-compliant invoices:** Every order must generate a VAT invoice showing: your company name and TRN, the customer's details, itemised products with VAT-inclusive and VAT-exclusive prices, total VAT amount, and invoice number.
2. **Correct VAT rates:** Most goods: 5%. Food staples, some healthcare goods, and education services: 0%. Exported goods: 0% (but you must prove export). Digital services sold B2C to UAE residents: 5% (even if your business is outside UAE).
3. **Record keeping:** All VAT records must be maintained for 5 years and made available to the FTA on request.
4. **Cross-border sales:** If you are UAE-registered and sell to a UAE resident, charge 5% VAT regardless of whether you ship from inside or outside UAE.
Smart Screen Technology builds VAT-compliant invoicing into every e-commerce store we develop, with automatic TRN display, correct rate application, and FTA-ready export formats.
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