Frequently Asked Questions

The Association of Practising Accountants UAE (AOPA) is a membership association for practising accountants and accountancy firms in the UAE. It supports members with a firm directory, CPD events, a downloadable resource library, a jobs board and professional resources.

No. AOPA is a voluntary professional association that represents and supports practising accountants and firms. Statutory regulation of the profession remains with the relevant regulatory and professional bodies.

Members gain a public firm or professional profile, access to CPD events (often at a member price), the resource library, the jobs board, networking across the UAE, and regular tax and regulatory updates.

AOPA is based at Level 12, Emirates Towers, Sheikh Zayed Road, Dubai, United Arab Emirates, and serves members across the country. You can reach us at info@aopauae.com.

Use the AOPA firm directory and filter by city, or open the city page for your area — for example aopauae.com/accountants/dubai or aopauae.com/accountants/abu-dhabi. Each listing shows the firm's services, professional body and contact details so you can approach the practice directly.

No. The directory is free to search and free to use. AOPA does not sell leads, does not pass your details to firms and does not take a commission — you contact the practice yourself and deal with it directly.

Every member firm registers under a recognised professional accountancy body — ICAEW, ACCA, CIMA, ICAS, CIOT, ICAP or ICAI — shown on its profile, and UAE practising firms are additionally registered as auditors with the Ministry of Economy and, for tax services, as agents with the Federal Tax Authority (FTA). Statutory regulation stays with those bodies and authorities, so you can verify a firm on the relevant register.

ICAEW and ICAS award the Chartered Accountant (ACA/CA) qualification, ACCA awards the Chartered Certified Accountant qualification, and CIMA is the chartered body for management accountants working in business. AAT is a widely held technician-level qualification, often held alongside or before a chartered qualification. CIOT is the professional body for chartered tax advisers. All are recognised UAE bodies; which one suits you depends on the work you need.

Ask which professional body regulates them, whether they hold professional indemnity insurance, what is included in the fee and how it is charged, who will actually handle your work, which software they use, and what their deadlines are for year-end accounts, VAT returns and Ministry of Economy filings.

The Federal Tax Authority (FTA) is the UAE government body responsible for administering and collecting federal taxes — VAT, Excise Tax and Corporate Tax. Businesses register and file through the FTA's EmaraTax portal. Most AOPA member firms handle FTA registration, returns and correspondence on their clients' behalf.

Most do. The UAE has 5% VAT and, since 2023, a 9% federal Corporate Tax on business profits above AED 375,000. Registration thresholds, filing deadlines and record-keeping rules apply, and penalties for late or incorrect filing can be significant. AOPA member firms help businesses register, file accurate returns and stay compliant with the FTA.

UAE Corporate Tax applies at 9% on taxable income above AED 375,000 (0% below that). Most mainland and many free-zone businesses must register with the FTA and file an annual Corporate Tax return, even if no tax is due. Qualifying free-zone persons may benefit from a 0% rate on qualifying income. An AOPA member firm can confirm your registration obligations and prepare your return.

Yes. Use the AOPA firm directory and filter by emirate — many member firms specialise in free-zone entities in the DIFC, ADGM, JAFZA and other free zones, including the specific accounting, audit and Corporate Tax rules that apply to qualifying free-zone persons.

Many do. Beyond tax, UAE businesses face Economic Substance Regulations (ESR), Ultimate Beneficial Owner (UBO) reporting and Anti-Money-Laundering (AML) obligations, and audited financial statements may be required by the Ministry of Economy or a free-zone authority. Member-firm profiles list the compliance services each practice offers.

AOPA member firms operate across all seven emirates — Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, Ajman, Umm Al Quwain, Ras Al Khaimah and Fujairah. Filter the firm directory by city or emirate, or open the city page for your area (for example aopauae.com/accountants/dubai), to find a practice near you.

Both individuals and firms can join. Individual membership is for practising accountants and professionals; firm membership is for accountancy, audit and tax practices operating in the UAE.

Individual membership is for a single professional and is not shown publicly. Firm membership lists your practice in the public directory with its own profile page, team, offices and services, and includes a firm dashboard.

Individual membership is free. Firms choose a package: Silver (free), Gold (AED 99 a year) or Platinum (AED 249 a year). Paid packages add team profiles and services, and Platinum adds top placement in the directory. Paid packages are paid online by card and run for one year.

A firm registers under a recognised professional accountancy body it holds membership of — the ones most common among practices operating in the UAE: ICAEW (Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales), ACCA (Association of Chartered Certified Accountants), CIMA (Chartered Institute of Management Accountants), ICAS (Institute of Chartered Accountants of Scotland), CIOT (Chartered Institute of Taxation), ICAP (Institute of Chartered Accountants of Pakistan) or ICAI (Institute of Chartered Accountants of India). Firms qualified elsewhere can select "Other". Separately, practising firms in the UAE are registered as auditors with the Ministry of Economy and, for tax work, as tax agents with the Federal Tax Authority (FTA).

Go to the membership page and choose Individual or Firm. Your email is verified by a one-time code (OTP). Individual membership is free and activated immediately. Firms complete the form and, if they choose a paid package, pay the annual fee online by card — the listing goes live as soon as payment succeeds. The free Silver package is activated straight away.

Individual membership is activated instantly once you verify your email — there is nothing to approve. Firm applications are reviewed by the AOPA team after payment is received; once approved, the firm dashboard login is unlocked.

During signup you receive a 6-digit one-time code (OTP) by email. Entering it confirms your address and prevents typos before your record is created.

Individual membership does not expire — it is free and permanent. Firm membership runs for one year from activation. Free Silver memberships roll forward automatically each year, and a lapsed paid package simply reverts to Silver rather than removing the firm from the directory.

Yes. AOPA sends firms automatic email reminders ahead of the expiry date — at 60, 30 and 15 days before, and again on the expiry date — so you can renew in good time.

Renew from your firm dashboard by paying the annual fee again by card. Free Silver memberships renew automatically each year — you do not need to do anything. If a paid package lapses, the firm stays listed and simply reverts to the free Silver tier until it is upgraded again. (Individual membership never needs renewing.)

Each firm profile carries one main office address, which you set from the Address tab of your firm dashboard. If your practice has several offices and you would like them listed separately, contact AOPA and we will arrange it.

Paid firm packages (Gold and Platinum) are paid online by card at the end of the signup form, and the firm is activated as soon as the payment succeeds. Individual membership is currently free, so there is nothing to pay. Paid event tickets are still settled by bank transfer — enter your payment reference and upload proof so AOPA can verify it.

Yes — firm membership packages are paid by card through a secure checkout, and AOPA never stores your card details. Paid event tickets are currently confirmed by bank transfer with manual verification.

Membership and event fees are generally non-refundable. If you believe there has been an error with a payment, please contact us at info@aopauae.com.

The firm directory is a public listing of AOPA member firms across the UAE, searchable by city and professional body. Each firm has its own profile page with services, team members and contact details.

Firms with an active AOPA firm membership are listed automatically once approved. You can then complete your profile from the firm dashboard.

Log in to the firm dashboard, where you can edit your profile and branding, add office branches, list team members with photos and LinkedIn, and manage the services you offer.

Yes. The Platinum package includes top placement — your firm appears at the top of the main directory and of your city pages. You can upgrade to Platinum anytime from your firm dashboard.

Your firm stays in the directory — it simply reverts to the free Silver listing (name and description), and the paid features (team, services, top placement) switch off until you renew. Silver listings never expire.

It is an online library of UAE tax and corporate legislation converted to structured, readable HTML — for example the Companies Act, 2006 — that you can read section by section in your browser.

The resource library offers downloadable Acts, laws, standards, circulars and professional guidance relevant to practising accountants, such as the Companies Act, 2006. New documents are added over time.

Yes. Each Act has a table-of-contents panel, in-document search that highlights and jumps between matches, and clickable cross-references so you can jump to any section.

Yes, the Acts & Laws library is free to read for everyone through the Library section of the website.

The library reproduces public legislation for convenient reference. For legal or filing purposes you should always verify the text against the official gazette or the issuing authority.

Yes. AOPA runs online and city-based seminars, workshops and conferences carrying CPD hours, covering FTA, Ministry of Economy, tax and practice-management topics.

Open the event page and complete the registration form. Free events issue a ticket instantly by email; paid events issue the ticket once your payment is confirmed.

Event tickets are the same price for everyone — some events are free, others carry a fee shown on the event page. Once you are logged in you can book and manage all your tickets from your dashboard.

Yes. Your ticket, with a unique booking reference, is emailed to you — instantly for free events, or after payment verification for paid events.

Yes. AOPA member firms can advertise vacancies from their dashboard, including salary range, location and up to five yes/no screening questions to filter candidates.

Open the jobs page, select a vacancy and apply online with a cover letter and a PDF CV. Any screening questions set by the firm are answered as part of the application.

Use the "Forgot password?" link on the member login page. You will receive a one-time code (OTP) by email to set a new password securely.

Firm owners log in with the email and password set during signup, once the firm has been approved. The dashboard is where you manage your profile, branches, team, services and job posts.

Use the contact page, email info@aopauae.com, message us on WhatsApp using the button on the site, or call the number listed in the footer.