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Accounting & Tax Services in Dubai Internet City
· 4 min read · By Aureus Worldwide
Dubai Internet City is the region's flagship technology cluster, a TECOM-operated free zone created to host the offices of global tech giants alongside a thriving community of software firms, startups and IT services companies. Located off Sheikh Zayed Road beside Media City and Knowledge Park, it is home to the regional headquarters of many international technology brands as well as homegrown SaaS, fintech and digital businesses. Its tenant base is overwhelmingly technology- and knowledge-driven, with recurring revenue models, intellectual property and cross-border sales at the core of how these companies operate. This guide explains the accounting and tax services Dubai Internet City companies typically need and how we help.
Who is based in Dubai Internet City
Internet City's free zone focus gives it a strongly technology-oriented tenant base:
- Software, SaaS and platform companies
- IT services, systems integrators and consultancies
- Regional headquarters of global technology brands
- Fintech and digital-payments firms
- Startups and scale-ups in the tech ecosystem
- Cloud, data and cybersecurity businesses
These businesses combine free zone compliance with the specific accounting needs of subscription revenue and international sales.
The free zone context
Dubai Internet City is part of the TECOM group, offering 100% foreign ownership, technology-oriented licences and a single-authority setup, along with the record-keeping and renewal obligations free zones carry. It sits beside Media City, Knowledge Park and the wider tech-and-media corridor. Many Internet City companies sell software and services across the GCC and worldwide, so the VAT place-of-supply rules and the corporate tax qualifying-income regime are central to getting their tax right.
Accounting and tax services we provide in Dubai Internet City
For Internet City companies we offer:
- Tech-aware bookkeeping with deferred-revenue and subscription tracking, plus management accounts, see our accounting services.
- VAT compliance including the zero-rating of exported software and services where conditions are met, and returns, through our tax services.
- Corporate tax registration and assessment of qualifying free zone person status under the 9% / 0% regime.
- Audit-ready statements prepared to IFRS, plus auditor coordination for renewal, via our audit support.
- Company formation and amendments within Internet City through our company formation team.
Local considerations for Internet City businesses
Subscription and SaaS revenue must be recognised correctly over the contract term, so deferred-revenue accounting is essential for accurate accounts and corporate tax. Many companies sell internationally, where the VAT treatment of exported software and services depends on place-of-supply conditions and customer location. Free zone companies need to assess qualifying-income eligibility, including substance, to access the 0% corporate tax rate, and the treatment of intellectual property income deserves attention. Startups raising funds must be investor-ready with clean books and may use small business relief where eligible. We tailor our support to each company's model and growth stage.
Qualifying income, IP and cross-border revenue
For a technology company in Internet City, the Corporate Tax and VAT questions are unusually intertwined with how the business actually makes money. On VAT, software and digital services sold to non-resident customers may be zero-rated where place-of-supply conditions are met, while UAE sales are standard-rated, so a SaaS firm with a global customer base must classify revenue carefully by customer location and contract. On Corporate Tax, a free zone company weighing the 0% qualifying-income rate has to consider not just substance but the nature of its income, and income from intellectual property is treated with particular care under the regime. We help Internet City firms keep their revenue data clean enough to answer both questions confidently: customer location and contract terms captured for VAT, and income streams categorised in a way that supports the qualifying-income assessment. For founders, we also keep the books investor-ready. Aligning the accounting with how a tech business earns is what makes the tax position both correct and defensible, always confirmed with the FTA.
How Aureus Worldwide helps
Aureus Worldwide supports Dubai Internet City software firms, IT services and tech startups with tech-aware bookkeeping, VAT handling for cross-border services, corporate tax assessment and filing, and audit coordination, plus company formation support. We work with clients here and in neighbouring Dubai Media City from our Port Saeed office in Deira, in person and remotely, and we confirm free zone and FTA rules before you act. To discuss your Internet City company, contact us.
Frequently asked questions
Do you serve companies in Dubai Internet City?
Yes. We provide bookkeeping, VAT, corporate tax and audit support to Dubai Internet City companies from our Dubai office in Port Saeed, Deira, working in person and remotely. We do not need premises in Internet City to serve clients there.
How is VAT handled for a SaaS company selling software abroad?
Software and services supplied to non-resident customers may be zero-rated where place-of-supply conditions are met; UAE sales are standard-rated at 5%. We assess your contracts and apply the correct treatment, confirming with the FTA.
Does my Internet City free zone company need audited accounts?
As a TECOM free zone, Internet City generally expects proper books and may require audited financial statements at renewal. We prepare IFRS-aligned accounts and coordinate the audit; confirm requirements with the authority.