VAT Health Check in Dubai & the UAE

It is a scoped review of how your business applies, records and reports VAT. SAIF examines agreed periods, transactions and controls, then reports findings and recommended actions. It is not an FTA approval or a guarantee that every possible error has been found.

This private review service should not be confused with a statutory filing obligation or an official FTA audit. Businesses commission it to assess their VAT position. A specific authority request or contractual requirement needs separate consideration.

Yes, we can review selected filed returns against the underlying records and agreed transaction tests. We first define the periods and coverage. A sample-based review does not mean that every transaction in every year has been examined.

No. A health check is a professional review commissioned by the business. An FTA tax audit is an authority process under the Tax Procedures legislation. A private report does not bind the FTA or replace a response to an official notice.

Timely submission does not establish that transaction treatment, input tax recovery and supporting records are correct. A review can be useful after business changes, unexplained reconciliations or a finance-team handover, even where filing has been punctual.

Fees depend on the company profile, periods, entities, transaction complexity, sample coverage and record quality. SAIF agrees the scope before quoting. There is no fixed plan or standard price for every business.

The timetable depends on the agreed coverage, access to usable records and response times. We agree milestones after an initial discussion. Bookkeeping reconstruction, expanded testing and specialist questions can require additional time.

Agree the periods using your business history, known concerns and the purpose of the engagement. A recent-period diagnostic and a historical review are different scopes. Applicable record-retention and correction rules must also be assessed; do not discard older records simply because they are outside the initial sample.

Yes, subject to an agreed scope and access to the relevant records. The aim is to understand the evidence and controls, not assume that a change of accountant is necessary. We discuss findings with the people responsible for the transactions.

We document the evidence, affected periods and potential impact, then assess the appropriate action. This may involve further testing, a process change or a correction assessment. Do not automatically put a historical error into the next return.

No. It can help identify issues and improve controls, but it cannot guarantee a penalty-free outcome, FTA acceptance or a refund. Any correction, refund or relief application requires its own eligibility and evidence assessment.

Yes. Review the entity’s activities and transactions rather than assuming its licence creates a blanket VAT exemption. Goods movements, designated-zone questions, services and overseas transactions may require different assessments.

We can include a walkthrough of tax codes, posting permissions, invoice settings and reporting exports. The scope should specify whether we are only identifying changes or also helping implement and test them.

Share the notice and its dates immediately. Preserve the requested records and agree who coordinates the response. An active authority enquiry needs a specific response engagement; a routine health check should not delay compliance with the notice.

Use a risk-based schedule. Consider a review after a new activity, system migration, restructuring, staff change or recurring reporting discrepancy. An annual review may suit some businesses, but frequency should reflect your circumstances.

Not automatically. The same accounting records may be relevant, but these are separate workstreams. We can agree connected support without presenting a VAT health check as a complete review of all tax obligations.