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A DMCC member company must upload its Audited Financial Statements and the auditor’s signed and stamped Audited Financial Statements Summary Sheet through the DMCC Member Portal within 90 days after the end of each financial year. DMCC’s current submission guidelines require both documents to be uploaded through the designated Compliance Services request.
Companies should not wait until the final weeks before the deadline. Completing bookkeeping, bank reconciliations, supporting schedules and outstanding account confirmations early gives the approved auditor sufficient time to obtain audit evidence, resolve discrepancies and finalise the financial statements.
The 90-day portal submission requirement is not the only timing rule. Under Article 73.7 of the DMCCA Company Regulations, the company must also file a copy of its accounts and auditor’s report with the Registrar within five Business Days of the relevant General Meeting.
Yes. An annual audit is generally mandatory for DMCC companies. The current DMCC framework does not set a minimum company-size, revenue or transaction-volume threshold for the annual audit requirement, although specific exemptions and waivers may apply. Under Articles 73 and 78 of the current DMCCA Company Regulations , directors must procure the preparation of accounts for each financial year, while the company must appoint an auditor registered by DMCCA as an approved auditor.
The annual financial statements must comply with International Financial Reporting Standards and provide a true and fair view of the company’s financial performance and financial position.
A DMCC company that has been dormant throughout the whole financial year is exempt from the audit requirement under Article 78.11. However, shareholders representing at least 10% of the company’s issued share capital, or any class of it, may require an audit for that financial year.
The shareholder notice may not be given before the financial year to which it relates and must be given no later than one month following the end of that financial year. DMCC’s dormancy provisions provide for the voluntary suspension of a company’s licence, so a company with no sales or zero turnover should not assume that it automatically qualifies for the dormant-company audit exemption.
Under Article 73.6, the accounts must generally be prepared and approved by the directors, examined and reported on by a DMCCA approved auditor, and laid before the relevant General Meeting within six months after the company’s financial year-end, unless DMCCA prescribes another period.
DMCC’s current Audited Financial Statements Submission Guidelines also require the auditor’s signed and stamped Audited Financial Statements Summary Sheet together with the Audited Financial Statements to be uploaded through the DMCC Member Portal within six months after the end of each financial year.
Article 73.7 additionally requires the company to file its accounts and auditor’s report with the Registrar within five Business Days of the relevant General Meeting. For a financial year ending on 31 December, the standard six-month DMCC submission deadline is generally 30 June of the following year.
Athos Auditors LLC provides independent DMCC audit services in Dubai for companies registered with Dubai Multi Commodities Centre. Athos Auditors is included in the official DMCC Approved Auditors List and conducts annual statutory audits, IFRS financial statement audits and accounting record reviews for DMCC companies.
Our work includes audit planning, risk assessment, financial statement testing, management queries, the independent auditor’s report and completion of the auditor section of the DMCC Audited Financial Statements Summary Sheet.
We conduct the annual independent audit of the company’s financial statements and accounting records.
The audit starts with a review of the company’s activities and financial records. Our auditors assess the main risk areas, test selected transactions and account balances, review supporting evidence and check whether the financial statements have been prepared correctly.
Audit testing varies according to the company’s activities, financial position, transaction volume, accounting records and the areas that require closer examination.
Incomplete accounting records are a common reason for delays during a DMCC annual audit.
Before detailed testing starts, we review the trial balance, general ledger, bank reconciliations, account schedules and draft financial statements. This helps identify missing documents, unsupported balances, incomplete reconciliations and accounting issues that need to be resolved.
Dealing with these issues early can reduce audit queries and help the company complete its financial statements and audit on time.
The current DMCCA Company Regulations require company accounts to be prepared in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards and provide a true and fair view of the company’s financial position and financial performance.
Based on the company’s accounts and the areas being audited, our work may cover:
The audit work varies by company and by the evidence needed to support the auditor’s opinion.
DMCC requires the Company Audited Financial Statements Report and the Company Audited Financial Statements Summary Sheet to be uploaded through the DMCC Member Portal.
Under the DMCC submission guideline , the Summary Sheet must be completed using figures from the audited financial statements, printed on the auditor’s letterhead and signed and stamped by the auditor.
The portal uses optical character recognition technology to capture information from the uploaded Summary Sheet. These figures should be checked carefully against the audited financial statements before the request is submitted.
Athos Auditors prepares the audit documentation and completes the auditor section of the DMCC Audited Financial Statements Summary Sheet. The member company or its authorized representative is responsible for completing and submitting the Member Portal request unless Athos has also been engaged to assist with the portal submission.
A DMCC audit covers more than the company’s final profit figure.
Under Articles 79 and 80 of the
current DMCCA Company Regulations , the auditor checks whether proper accounting records have been maintained, whether the financial statements agree with those records and whether the accounts have been prepared in accordance with IFRS.The auditor can also access the company’s records and request any information or explanation needed to complete the audit.
This is why DMCC companies should use an auditor familiar with the free zone’s reporting requirements and submission process.
The documents needed for a DMCC audit depend on the company’s activities, transaction volume, account balances and financial records. A typical audit may require the following documents.
We confirm the financial year being audited, review the company’s DMCC licence and activities and discuss the accounting records available.
We then confirm the audit scope, target completion date and the documents needed to start the audit.
Our auditors review the trial balance, general ledger, draft financial statements, bank reconciliations and account schedules.
Significant balances, unusual movements, missing documents and accounting differences are identified before detailed audit testing begins.
We test selected transactions, account balances and supporting documents, with greater attention given to significant or higher-risk areas.
This may include invoice testing, bank and balance confirmations, analytical review, reconciliations and checks of supporting accounting records.
Outstanding audit questions, missing documents and proposed accounting adjustments are discussed with management.
Once these points are resolved, we complete our review of the financial statements and prepare the audit for final sign-off.
After the audit is completed and the financial statements are finalised, Athos Auditors issues the independent auditor’s report.
We also complete and sign the auditor section of the DMCC Audited Financial Statements Summary Sheet so the company can proceed with its DMCC Member Portal submission.
DMCC states that its free zone is considered a qualifying free zone for the purposes of the UAE Corporate Tax framework. However, registration in DMCC does not automatically entitle every company to the 0% Corporate Tax rate.
A DMCC company must satisfy the applicable conditions for treatment as a Qualifying Free Zone Person. Where those conditions are met, the 0% rate applies to Qualifying Income.
Under Ministerial Decision No. 84 of 2025 , the following taxable persons must prepare and maintain audited financial statements:
A DMCC company seeking Qualifying Free Zone Person treatment should therefore coordinate its annual audit, financial statements, Corporate Tax calculation and supporting records. Completing a DMCC audit does not by itself confirm eligibility for the 0% rate.
DMCC supports more than 26,000 companies across commodities, precious metals, energy, technology, digital assets, professional services and other licensed activities. Audit procedures should reflect the company’s actual business model instead of applying the same checklist to every engagement.
A DMCC trading company may require greater audit attention around inventory, overseas purchases, trade receivables, supplier balances, revenue cut-off, foreign currency transactions and shipping documentation.
A consultancy or professional services company may require more detailed procedures around service contracts, revenue recognition, accrued income, employee costs, subcontractor expenses and related-party transactions.
A holding or investment structure may require detailed review of investments, valuation methods, intercompany balances, funding arrangements, ownership documents and related-party disclosures.
DMCC audit completion may be delayed when accounting records have not been finalized before detailed audit testing begins.
Starting the audit early gives management time to investigate discrepancies, provide supporting evidence and finalize the financial statements before the applicable DMCC deadline.
DMCC branch companies are subject to financial reporting requirements, but the audit arrangement can differ from a standalone DMCC company. The main question is whether the branch is covered by the parent company’s audited group accounts or has separate accounts that require their own audit.
Under the current DMCCA Company Regulations , a branch must file the accounts and auditor’s report of its Branch Parent within five Business Days of the shareholder meeting or governing-body meeting at which those accounts were considered.
This is particularly relevant where the DMCC branch forms part of the parent company’s wider group financial statements.
If the branch’s annual accounts are included in group accounts audited by the parent company’s group auditor, that group auditor does not need to be registered as a DMCC Approved Auditor.
If the DMCC branch prepares separate accounts and appoints an auditor to report on those accounts independently, the auditor must be registered as a DMCC Approved Auditor.
Not sure which audit requirement applies to your DMCC branch? Athos Auditors can review the branch structure, parent company accounts and existing audit arrangement to determine whether a separate DMCC branch audit is required.
A DMCC audit requires more than checking year-end figures. The auditor must understand the company’s accounting records, IFRS reporting, DMCC financial statement requirements and the documents needed at the end of the audit. Athos Auditors handles each stage with these requirements in mind.
Our audit work takes account of the financial reporting and annual audit requirements that apply to DMCC companies. This includes the financial statements, auditor’s report and DMCC Audited Financial Statements Summary Sheet required at the end of the engagement.
We review the trial balance, general ledger, reconciliations and account schedules before moving into detailed testing. Missing support, unreconciled balances and accounting differences are raised with management early rather than being left until the final stage of the audit.
The financial statements are reviewed against the company’s accounting records and the IFRS requirements relevant to the business. Our audit attention is directed to significant balances, transactions and disclosures rather than applying the same checklist to every DMCC company.
Once the financial statements are final and the audit work has been completed, we issue the independent auditor’s report and complete the auditor section of the DMCC Audited Financial Statements Summary Sheet. This gives the company the audit documents needed to proceed with its DMCC Member Portal filing.
If your company is registered with Dubai Multi Commodities Centre and needs its annual audit, Athos Auditors LLC can handle the audit from the initial review of your accounts through to final reporting.
Our auditors review the company’s accounting records and financial statements, carry out the required audit testing, discuss outstanding matters with management and issue the independent auditor’s report. We also complete the auditor section of the DMCC Audited Financial Statements Summary Sheet for the company’s filing.