Qualifying activities list
Which activities count as qualifying for the free zone 0% rate?
The situation
A Ministerial Decision lists qualifying activities, such as manufacturing, trading of qualifying commodities, holding shares, treasury and financing for related parties, and logistics, plus excluded activities.
The law
- Ministerial Decision 265 of 2023: List of qualifying and excluded activities
What it means for you
Your licence activity is not enough; the actual income must match a listed activity and meet substance. Example: a DMCC company trading physical gold with foreign buyers may fit trading of qualifying commodities; general consulting does not appear as a broad qualifying activity. Check the list and any later amendments before claiming.
What to do
- List your actual income activities.
- Match each to the qualifying list.
- Check excluded activities.
- Record the mapping in your tax file.
Check for amendments to the list issued after 2023.
We can do this for youQualifying Free Zone Person review and return: substance, qualifying income, de minimis test and audited accounts: AED 6,000