Exporters
Sales at 0% while imports and local costs carry 5% input VAT. A KEZAD trader shipping abroad builds credit every single quarter, because output tax never offsets it.
VAT Refund Services in Abu Dhabi
When your input VAT exceeds your output VAT, the excess is yours to recover. We recover it.
We calculate your credit across every period and file Form VAT 311 on EmaraTax. Then we follow the claim until it pays. Credits older than five years expire, so we check your full history first. Bestax is an FTA-approved tax agency.
Credit Review Form VAT 311 FTA Queries Answered Stuck Claims Revived
- FTA Approved
Tax AgencyNo. 30008692 - Business Setup Partner
for Dubai Free Zones - 10+YEARSof Experience
You Can Count On - out of 5from 200+Google Reviews (opens in a new tab)out of 5from 75+Trustpilot Reviews (opens in a new tab)
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Refund Position
Tell us your TRN, your tax periods and where the credit built — exports, capital spending or an expenses registration. We reconcile every open period and confirm the exact recoverable balance before anything is filed.
Refund Positions
Who Ends Up With Money at the FTA
A refund position builds whenever the VAT you pay outweighs the VAT you collect.
Businesses making capital purchases
Machinery, vehicles, and office fit-outs load input VAT into one period. The credit often exceeds that quarter's output tax.
New companies registered on expenses
Registration through the expenses route recovers input VAT before sales exist. We build these registrations on our VAT registration page, and we claim the money back here.
Businesses winding down
Final returns often close in credit. We claim it inside the liquidation process, because closed companies cannot claim later.
The Deadline
The Five Year Claim Window
Refund claims now carry a legal deadline. Under the VAT Law as amended by Federal Decree Law No. 16 of 2025, you have five years from the end of each tax period to claim. Credits outside the window cannot be recovered.
Many businesses hold old credits without knowing the clock runs. We review your history period by period and claim the oldest credits first, before expiry removes them.
Found errors while reviewing old periods? Fix them first with our voluntary disclosure guide, then claim on clean returns.
- 5 yearsTo claimFrom the end of each tax period
- No. 16 of 2025The amendmentThe Federal Decree Law that set the deadline
- Every periodReviewedThe oldest credits claimed first, before expiry removes them
How It Runs
How We Claim Your VAT Refund in Abu Dhabi, Step by Step
Credit review
We reconcile every period on your account and confirm the exact recoverable balance. You learn the number before anything is filed.
The return comes first
Refund claims follow filed returns. We confirm your filings are current, because Form VAT 311 sits on top of them.
Documentation pack
We prepare the highest value tax invoices, the workings, and your bank verification letter. An unverified bank account is one of the most common reasons claims stall.
Form VAT 311 filed
We submit the claim on the FTA EmaraTax portal (opens in a new tab) and confirm receipt.
Review is answered until paid
The Federal Tax Authority (opens in a new tab) typically reviews straightforward claims within about 20 business days. It can extend the review or request information. We answer every query as your registered tax agents until the money lands.
The Refund Facts, in One Table
| Fact | The detail |
|---|---|
| The form | VAT 311, filed on EmaraTax after your return |
| Government fee | None |
| Typical review | About 20 business days for straightforward claims, extendable by the FTA |
| Claim window | 5 years from the end of each tax period |
| The alternative | Carry the credit forward against future liability instead |
| Common rejection causes | Invalid invoices, blocked input VAT, mismatched figures, unverified bank account. |
Your Call, Our Model
Carry Forward or Claim: We Advise Per Period
The right answer depends on your cash flow, your growth, and the size of the credit. We model both options each period and recommend one, with the reasoning stated.
Claim it
Claiming returns cash now.
Carry it forward
Carrying forward offsets your next liabilities and avoids a review.
Recovery Work
Stuck or Rejected Claims, Revived
Old claims are not always dead. We rebuild the paper trail, respond to open FTA information requests, and pursue stalled applications until they resolve.
Where the tax procedures allow, refund amounts can also be offset against liabilities in other periods. That recovers value even while a claim sits under review. Rejected claims get corrected and refiled, because most rejections are documentation problems, not eligibility problems.
The Rejection Causes We Fix
Invalid invoices
Missing TRNs, wrong details, or non-compliant formats. We check every invoice before it supports a claim.
Blocked input VAT
Entertainment costs and certain motor vehicles cannot be recovered. We remove blocked items before the FTA finds them.
Mismatched figures
The claim must reconcile to the returns behind it. Our claims come from the same ledgers as the filings.
Unverified bank accounts
Refunds pay only to validated accounts. We complete the bank verification before submission, not after a query.
Other Routes
Refunds Beyond Registered Businesses
Foreign businesses
Non-resident companies without a UAE establishment can claim annually under the foreign business scheme. Claims must exceed AED 2,000. The documentation standards are strict, and we manage the claim end to end.
UAE nationals building residences
New residence construction carries its own refund route on a dedicated form. We prepare and file it.
Tourists
Visitor refunds run through the airport operator scheme at departure, separate from business claims.
Why Choose Bestax Chartered Accountants For VAT Refund in Abu Dhabi
The invoices behind the claim are entries we keep
Claims built from the same ledgers as the returns reconcile the first time.
Registered tax agents answer the FTA
Review queries come to us, and we respond with the evidence, as your appointed agents.
The full history gets checked
We claim across every open period inside the five-year window, not just the latest quarter.
Fees are in writing before we start
Contact us for a quote. Nothing is billed until you approve the scope.
Our Strength in Numbers
10+ Years
Of experience, in the UAE
35+ Professionals
Chartered accountants and registered tax agents
1,000+ Clients
Businesses across Abu Dhabi and the UAE
4.8 Google Rating
Rated by the clients who left the reviews below
Across the Emirate
Serving Businesses Across Abu Dhabi
Refund positions concentrate where exports and capital spending concentrate. Demand is strongest among traders and manufacturers in Mussafah and KEZAD. Service firms around Al Reem Island follow with capital fit-out claims.
Our head office sits in Dubai's Business Bay, and claims run fully remotely, with visits arranged when needed.
Where the credits build
- Mussafah
- KEZAD
- Al Reem Island
- Business Bay, Dubai
Other Business Services in Abu Dhabi
The refund is one recovery. We keep the whole VAT position clean.
VAT Registration Services
The expenses route that creates early refund positions, built correctly.
Accounting Firms in Abu Dhabi
Books where every invoice already supports the claim it appears in.
Backlog Accounting
Old periods rebuilt from documents, so historic credits become claimable.
Corporate Tax Registration
Registration with the FTA, completed inside the three-month window.
Company Setup in Abu Dhabi
Mainland, free zone, and ADGM routes, with tax registration included.
Company Liquidation
Formal closure with the final refund claimed inside the process.
What Clients Say About Bestax
We believe our work speaks for itself. Our clients say it louder. Businesses across Abu Dhabi and the UAE trust Bestax. What the FTA owes them comes back, period after period.
Had my first corporate tax filing done through Bestax. They offered a tax planning session that was extremely helpful, especially because I was unsure what expenses could be deducted legally. They kinda guided me through the whole process because, as a healthcare professional, I had no clue how things work around here.
I'm very pleased with the support provided by Athira and her team in completing my Transfer Pricing report and filing the Corporate Tax returns for my company. They are highly responsive, and the quality of their work and reports is truly excellent.
Very smooth and efficient service to open a freezone company. Even while sitting in canada. They are great. Highly highly recommend.
Bestax have been managing my accounts for the past 1 year now and I must say they do an amazing job. My tax returns are always on time and I never faced any penalty.
Maham guided me through the business license renewal process. She even flagged upcoming compliance changes I had no clue about. It’s that extra attention to detail that makes Bestax stand out.
Anusha at Bestax keeps our financials in top shape. Her budgeting advice has improved our cash flow significantly. Highly reliable team!
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