Closing a company is a statutory process with an order that cannot be shortened: appointing a liquidator, publishing the liquidation, settling liabilities, cancelling registrations, then striking off the licence. A company that simply stops trading without completing these steps remains on the register, and its periodic obligations remain with it.
Corporate services
Company liquidation and closure
Statutory liquidation: liquidator report, settlement of liabilities, and the closure certificate.
Who this service is for
For partners who have decided to end the company activity and want a proper closure rather than simply stopping, for companies that stopped trading some time ago and were never formally closed, and for anyone who needs their tax obligations ended in a documented way before exiting.
What the service covers
- Preparing the partners resolution to liquidate and appointing the liquidator.
- Preparing the liquidator report and the liquidation financial statements.
- Listing liabilities and receivables and settling them in the statutory order.
- Cancelling the tax registration and settling the position with the Federal Tax Authority.
- Following the process through to issuance of the strike-off certificate.
How we work
- Reviewing the company position: the licence, its tax obligations, and the state of its books.
- Preparing the liquidation resolution, appointing the liquidator, and completing the publication requirements.
- Listing assets and liabilities and preparing the liquidation financial statements.
- Settling liabilities and cancelling registrations, including the tax registration.
- Completing the licensing authority requirements through to the final strike-off certificate.
Regulatory framework
Liquidation of companies in the United Arab Emirates is governed by the Commercial Companies Law and by the requirements of the licensing authority, and the procedures differ between the mainland and the free zones. Cancelling the tax registration and settling the position with the Federal Tax Authority remains a condition of ending the obligation, not an optional step.
A company that stopped trading but was never formally closed is still accumulating obligations with no activity behind them.
Frequently asked questions
We stopped trading years ago and never closed. Where does that leave us?
The licence and the obligations attached to it are usually still live. We start by establishing the actual position and what accrued during the dormant period, then set out the closure route.
How long does liquidation take?
It varies with the licensing authority and the state of the outstanding obligations. An organised file moves far faster than one whose books have to be rebuilt first.
Can a company be closed with unpaid liabilities?
Liquidation requires liabilities to be settled in their statutory order. We give you the full picture before starting so the decision rests on real figures.
Free consultation
Book a free consultation
Thirty minutes with an FTA-registered tax agent: we review where you stand and tell you what to fix first, with no obligation.
+971 4 000 0000