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- chirag@athosauditors.com
JAFZA companies must submit an updated audit report every year. The exact JAFZA audit submission date may depend on the company’s financial year and the deadline shown in its Dubai Trade account. FZE and FZCO companies should confirm the applicable filing date early and begin the audit process in advance to avoid delays in annual compliance.
The financial year covered by a JAFZA audit report must be at least six months and no more than 18 months. This requirement relates to the financial reporting period covered by the audit and should not be confused with the annual audit submission date.
A JAFZA audit report should be issued by an auditor holding a Dubai Economic Department licence. Before appointing an audit firm, the company should verify the auditor’s legal name, licence status and ability to complete the JAFZA audit and financial statement submission requirements.
The FZE or FZCO must pass a formal resolution appointing the auditor responsible for preparing its annual audit report.
The JAFZA audit submission package includes:
The company administrator submits the JAFZA audit request through the Dubai Trade Portal under Registration and Submit Financial Statement – Approval. After the request is submitted, the original audit report and Summary Sheet are collected from the company’s registered address for verification and completion of the submission process.
Use the current Dubai Trade Auditor Report Summary Sheet when preparing the annual JAFZA audit submission.
JAFZA FZE and FZCO companies must complete an annual audit and submit the audit report through Dubai Trade. The JAFZA audit deadline is within six months of the company’s financial year-end.
The process includes appointing an eligible auditor, completing the financial statements and audit, preparing the JAFZA Summary Sheet, signing and stamping the required documents and creating the Dubai Trade Service Request.
Make sure the company administrator can access Dubai Trade before the audit is completed. Checking the login and permissions early can prevent a last-minute delay when the JAFZA audit report is ready for submission.
The company should appoint its auditor before starting the annual audit. For a JAFZA audit, the audit firm should meet JAFZA approval requirements and hold the required Dubai professional licence. The auditor appointment resolution should be signed and kept with the company’s records.
Management prepares the year-end accounts and provides the trial balance, general ledger, bank records, supporting schedules and other documents needed for the audit. The auditor completes the audit work, clears outstanding questions and finalises the audited financial statements.
The JAFZA Summary Sheet is prepared using figures from the final audited financial statements. It must be signed and stamped by the auditor before submission.
The independent auditor’s report is signed by the auditor. For the JAFZA submission, the Summary Sheet must be signed and stamped by the auditor, while the Audit Report must also carry the FZE or FZCO Manager’s signature and company stamp.
Log in to Dubai Trade, open Registration and choose Submit Financial Statement – Approval. Create the request for the correct financial year, complete the required information and submit the Service Request.
After the Service Request is submitted, keep the original Audit Report and JAFZA Summary Sheet ready for collection. Record the SR number on the Summary Sheet and follow the collection instructions shown for the request.
Monitor the Service Request until the submission has been completed. Keep the SR number, signed audit report, Summary Sheet and submission records with the company’s annual compliance documents.
Choosing the right auditor is an important part of the JAFZA audit process. A company should confirm that the audit firm meets JAFZA auditor approval requirements before signing the engagement.
The audit firm should also hold the professional licence required for audit work in Dubai. Approval with another UAE free zone does not automatically mean that the same audit firm can carry out a JAFZA audit.
Need a JAFZA auditor? Confirm the firm’s JAFZA eligibility before the audit starts, especially if the company is approaching its six-month filing deadline.
The JAFZA audit report must be submitted within six months of the company’s financial year-end. This is the key annual audit deadline for JAFZA FZE and FZCO companies.
The financial period covered by the submission should not be shorter than six months or longer than eighteen months.
Do not leave the JAFZA audit until the last month. Companies with inventory, several bank accounts, overseas balances, related-party transactions or incomplete accounts often need more time to complete the audit.
The documents required for a JAFZA audit depend on the company’s business activity and accounting records. Preparing a complete audit file at the start can reduce delays and repeated document requests.
A JAFZA financial audit examines the company’s financial statements and the accounting records behind them. The auditor may test invoices, bank balances, customer and supplier balances, inventory, fixed assets, expenses, related-party transactions and year-end entries.
Bank accounts, receivables, payables, stock, fixed assets, loans, leases, accruals and shareholder balances.
Sales, purchases, cost of sales, payroll, operating expenses, finance costs, foreign exchange and year-end cut-off.
Accounting policies, related parties, commitments, going concern and other disclosures included in the annual financial statements.
Inventory is often one of the biggest audit areas for JAFZA trading, distribution and manufacturing companies. Businesses operating warehouses in Jebel Ali should prepare detailed stock records before year-end and involve the auditor early when inventory is significant.
Large year-end stock balance? Speak to the auditor before the stock count. Early planning makes it easier to arrange any audit attendance or other stock-count procedures that may be needed.
Trading and distribution companies: the audit often focuses on stock, landed cost, sales cut-off, purchases, customer balances, supplier balances, rebates, returns, foreign currency and goods in transit.
Logistics and warehousing companies: audit work may cover contract revenue, third-party stock, shipping records, customs documents, warehouse leases, subcontractor balances and customer billing.
Manufacturing companies: common audit areas include raw materials, work in progress, finished goods, production costs, overheads, stock provisions, plant and machinery and year-end inventory.
The annual JAFZA audit and the UAE Corporate Tax audit requirement are separate obligations. A JAFZA company may need audited financial statements for both its free zone compliance and its Corporate Tax position.
For Tax Periods beginning on or after 1 January 2025, audited financial statements are required for every Qualifying Free Zone Person. They are also required for a taxable business outside a Tax Group when revenue exceeds AED 50 million for the Tax Period.
Important: being registered in JAFZA does not automatically make a company a Qualifying Free Zone Person. The business must meet the UAE Corporate Tax conditions for QFZP status.
A Qualifying Free Zone Person may benefit from the 0% Corporate Tax rate on Qualifying Income when the required conditions are met.
Tax Groups have separate financial reporting requirements and must prepare audited special-purpose Aggregated Financial Statements for Corporate Tax purposes.
From Tax Periods beginning on or after 1 January 2026, an extra Corporate Tax reporting requirement can apply to a Qualifying Free Zone Person carrying on the qualifying activity of distributing goods or materials in or from a Designated Zone.
The business may need an Agreed-Upon Procedures (AUP) Report from its external auditor or another independent auditor licensed in the UAE.
The work is performed under ISRS 4400 and includes checks linked to customer reseller status and, in certain cases, how imported goods entered the UAE through a Designated Zone.
The AUP Report is normally due no later than 30 days after the Corporate Tax return filing deadline, unless another date is given by the Federal Tax Authority.
The AUP Report is separate from the annual JAFZA audit. It reports the findings from specific procedures and does not replace the annual audit opinion.
Athos follows a practical JAFZA audit process designed to identify missing records early, keep audit questions organised and help the company complete the audit before its filing deadline.
1. Deadline and audit planning. We review the financial year-end, filing deadline, business activity, previous audit and main accounting areas before starting.
2. Audit document preparation. We send a document request based on the company’s business and identify missing accounts, reconciliations and records early.
3. Audit fieldwork. Our auditors review the financial statements, test supporting documents and complete the audit procedures needed for the business.
4. Clear audit questions. We keep outstanding documents and questions organised so management knows exactly what is still needed to complete the audit.
5. Final audit report and JAFZA submission support. Once the audit is completed, we finalise the audit deliverables, prepare the JAFZA Summary Sheet using the audited figures and support the company with the documents needed for Dubai Trade.
The time needed for a JAFZA audit depends on the company’s accounting records and business activity. A company with clean accounts and complete supporting documents can usually move through the audit more smoothly than a business with unreconciled balances, missing invoices or unresolved inventory records.
The main stages are: accounting close → audit preparation → audit work → clearing questions → final financial statements → signing → JAFZA submission.
The safest approach is to start early enough to complete the audit and Dubai Trade submission within the six-month JAFZA audit deadline.
JAFZA audit fees depend on the size and complexity of the company. The quotation normally depends on annual revenue, transaction volume, number of bank accounts, quality of the accounting records, stock locations, imports and exports, group companies, related-party transactions and whether the previous year’s audit has been completed.
For an accurate JAFZA audit quotation, provide the company’s latest trial balance, annual revenue, business activity, financial year-end and previous audited financial statements.
If your JAFZA audit is close to the six-month deadline, contact the auditor immediately and identify what is still preventing completion. Common problems include unfinished accounts, missing documents, unresolved inventory balances, bank confirmations and unsigned financial statements.
Do not assume that extra time has been approved. Any extension should be confirmed through the JAFZA process before relying on it.
Athos Auditors provides audit and assurance services to companies in Dubai, including businesses operating in free zones and Jebel Ali. Our approach focuses on clear document requests, organised audit questions and practical support through the annual JAFZA audit process.
Share a few basic details about your JAFZA company and we can review the audit scope, documents required and next steps.
To prepare your JAFZA audit proposal, send us:
Athos Auditors LLC
Office 515, AB Center Building
Al Barsha 1, Sheikh Zayed Road
Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Phone: +971 4 572 9701
Email: chirag@athosauditors.com
WhatsApp: Contact Athos on WhatsApp