What is TRN number and how to check TRN in UAE?

The tax registration number (TRN) is the registration number for an individual who is registered for VAT in the United Arab Emirates by the Federal Tax Authority. Value-added Tax (VAT) is a recent and new addition to the United Arab Emirates tax law. On 1 January 2018, the law was implemented and companies need to be registered for VAT to charge VAT to their customers. It is a 15 digit number that acts as an identification number from which the federal tax authority will be able to differentiate you from others. The entity or applicant to whom the number is issued is called “Registrant”. The registrant should always mention this number in various documents set by the government such as tax invoices, VAT returns, tax credits, etc.

After you register your VAT in Dubai this number will be automatically sent to you. The registrant must mention TRN because it allows the government to track all transactions made by businesses or individuals. Only traders or companies that have a TRN certificate can charge VAT to their customers.

Criteria for VAT registration

  1. A business pays the government, the tax that it collects from its customers. At the same time, it receives a refund from the government on tax that it has paid to its suppliers.
  2. It is optional for businesses whose supplies and imports exceed AED 187,500 per annum.
  3. A business must register for VAT if its taxable supplies and imports exceed AED 375,000 per annum.
  4. Foreign businesses may also recover the VAT they incur when visiting the UAE.

How to Applying for VAT and TRN

The process for registering for VAT and TRN number is the same.

  1. Login to your E-services account:Open the federal tax authority portal and create your account for which you will have to give some information like email and password. Once you’ve done that you would receive your login information. Registering for VAT through an online portal is easy for the individual and the UAE government. 
  2. Register for VAT: once you have logged in to your account there would be a button on the screen which says “register for VAT”. Once you click the button you will be presented with a VAT guide which would give all the information regarding VAT in UAE. Once you have read the guidelines check the box that says “you conform to the guidelines” and click on “proceed’.
  3. VAT Application form: Once you proceed a VAT application form will come up. The form has 8 sections that have to be filled out with your details. The form will move to the next page once you have filled the first page. It’s easier to keep track of the form completion as the filled out form marks a green tick. Once you have filled out all the details click on “Submit for Approval”. Doing this would send the application form to the federal Tax authority, once they have reviewed your application they would send you an approval mail. After the approval, you would be registered for VAT in the UAE and a TRN number with a VAT certificate would be sent with the TRN number on it.
  4. Documents required: to be registered for VAT there are some documents that are to be scanned and uploaded on the FTA website. The documents required are:
  5. Trade license copy of the business.
  6. The company’s address (including P.O box) and contact details.
  7. The owner’s contact details.
  8. The company’s Memorandum of Association. The bank details of the company. The income statement of the company for the past year.
  9. The partners’ or business owners’ passport copies, ID issued by the Emirates government.

Verify TRN in UAE?

  1. Log in to your E-services portal on the FTA website using the login credentials.
  2. On the top right click on “TRN verification” this would open up the verification page.
  3. Enter the TRN number in the search box and press enter. This would should the results for the TRN number. If it’s a verified number then the result would show up.

These documents are required for registration for VAT. The number of documents may vary depending on the nature of the business. The process has been made easy for the applicant and the government. There is no need for the physical presence of the applicant to apply for the VAT.

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