Guide

UAE e-invoicing: the timeline and what to prepare

Who has to appoint an Accredited Service Provider, by when, and what happens if you are late.

5 min read · Last reviewed 24 September 2026

What is changing

Business-to-business and business-to-government invoices will be issued and exchanged electronically through Accredited Service Providers, who report invoice data to the Federal Tax Authority. A PDF by email will no longer count as a tax invoice once your go-live date passes.

The dates

  • Revenue of AED 50 million or more: appoint a provider by 30 October 2026, go live 1 January 2027
  • All other businesses in scope: appoint by 31 March 2027, go live 1 July 2027
  • Government entities: go live 1 October 2027

Penalties

The published fines include AED 5,000 a month for not implementing the system or not appointing a provider on time, AED 100 for each invoice or credit note not issued electronically (capped at AED 5,000 a month), and AED 1,000 a day for failing to report a system failure.

How to prepare

  • Check that your invoices carry every field the system requires
  • Clean up customer records, especially tax registration numbers
  • Confirm whether your accounting software connects to a provider
  • Appoint a provider well before your deadline
  • Test with real invoices before go-live

Sources

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