Expertise » Corporate » Free Zone Settlement
Once you have taken the initial step and decided to start your own business, you are challenged with countless decisions to make: How to decrease your tax burden? How to control the overheads? How to find the right staff and manage your employees?
Our years of experience and expertise will help you with the task of choosing the right entity for your business to deal with these issues and many more.
Helene Mathieu Legal Consultants provide Free Zone Settlement services in the UAE. We advise on a case-to-case basis and provide all required notarized documents necessary to open a branch of a newly formed business entity in one of the Free Zones in the UAE. For tax purposes, we advise clients on settling in one of the Free Zones as a branch of an offshore company.
In the United Arab Emirates there is a designated area in each Emirate, which the government has declared as a Free Trade Zone. Foreign investors are granted various benefits for operating businesses from such Free zones.
Among the several Free Zones in the UAE the most popular ones are:In Dubai
- Jebel Ali Free Zone (JAFZA)
- Dubai Airport Free Zone
- Dubai International Financial Centre
- Dubai Knowledge Village
- Dubai Media City
- Dubai Internet City
- Dubai Flower City
- Hamriyah Free Zone
- Sharjah Airport Free Zone (SAIF)
- Ras Al Khaimah Free Trade Zone (RAK)
WHY SETTLING IN A FREE ZONE?
The main advantage of establishing a company within a Free Zone area is that a foreigner can be 100% owner of their business and there is no requirement to take a local partner. Further perks are as follows:
- No personal income and capital taxes
- No corporate taxes for 15 years, renewable for an additional 15 years
- 100% repatriation of capital and profits
- Modern efficient communications
- No recruitment problems
- Attractive working environment
- Abundant and inexpensive energy
- No currency restrictions
- Excellent support services
- Pre-built warehouse / factory / office accommodation units and staff lodging for lease
- Transportation links by air, by sea and by road
A company can be incorporated in any of the Free Zones within the UAE either as a branch of an existing company, a Free Zone Company with more than one shareholder or a Free Zone Establishment with a single shareholder.
While Free Zones are designed to complement and contribute to the growth and development of the UAE, their legal status is quite distinct. Companies operating within the Free Zones are treated as being outside the UAE for business purposes.
The procedures for incorporation in the Free Zone area are swift, uncomplicated and trouble-free. The entire procedure for establishment of Free Zone Companies through HMLC requires a maximum of 4-6 weeks, making a Free Zone Settlement an attractive business opportunity for international companies seeking more global interactions and more favorable operational conditions.
For more information on costs and procedures of a company establishment in different Free Zones, please contact the Corporate Department at Helene Mathieu Legal Consultants for a Free Consultation.
