The news
The UAE is moving business invoices onto a national e-invoicing system. Companies with annual revenue of AED 50 million or more must appoint an Accredited Service Provider, a company approved by the Ministry of Finance to send and receive e-invoices for them, by 30 October 2026.
That deadline was moved from 31 July, but the start date did not move: from 1 January 2027, these companies must issue their invoices through the system. Smaller businesses follow during 2027.
Update, 27 October: Ministerial Decision 197 of 2026, announced on 19 October and in force since 1 October, changes three rules. For 24 months from 1 January 2027, invoices between companies in the same VAT tax group are left out of the system. E-invoices and their data no longer have to be stored inside the UAE, as long as they are kept for the period the Tax Procedures Law sets and can be given to the Federal Tax Authority on request. And the duty to report a system failure to the Federal Tax Authority within two business days has been removed. The ministry's announcement does not change the dates above.
What it means for you
- If your company in the UAE, or a sister company there, has revenue above AED 50 million, it needs to have appointed an accredited provider by 30 October.
- Your accounting or ERP system will send each invoice to that provider in the required format, so the connection needs testing before January.
- Smaller UAE businesses have more time, but the same work is coming for them in 2027.
- If your company is in a VAT tax group, invoices between group members stay outside the system for the first 24 months, until the end of 2028.
What to do now
- Check your company's revenue against the AED 50 million line.
- Choose a provider from the Ministry of Finance's accredited list and sign before 30 October.
- Ask your ERP or accounting software vendor how it will connect to that provider.
How Didset can help
If your invoices come from a system we built, or one you already use, we can connect it to your provider.
Talk to us about it
