FTA Clarifies Corporate Tax for Family Wealth | 2025 Update

The United Arab Emirates has reaffirmed its commitment to being a global private wealth hub. On September 19, 2025, the Federal Tax Authority (FTA) released Public Clarification No. CTP008, an essential piece of guidance that resolves key uncertainties surrounding the Corporate Tax (CT) treatment of family foundations, trusts, and family offices.

CTP008 is more than just a technical reference number. In UAE corporate tax filings, CTP codes (Corporate Tax Payment references) are identifiers generated by the FTA. For example, CTP008 not only denotes this clarification, but also works as a unique payment reference linked to a specific tax period or submission. Businesses and families will often see such codes in their FTA dashboards, payment vouchers, or bank transfer instructions. Quoting the correct CTP reference in payments, whether via bank channels or through the UAE’s GIBAN system ensures that funds are correctly allocated to the right tax account. Missing or incorrect references can cause delays or misallocation, an issue especially critical for family wealth vehicles aiming to maintain compliance.

This clarification, therefore, is more than a regulatory update; it is a clear statement that carefully structured family wealth vehicles can achieve tax neutrality, offering unprecedented certainty for succession planning in the UAE.

1. The Critical Clarity: Foundations and Family Offices

The most impactful part of CTP008 is the confirmation of tax-transparent treatment for multi-layered structures.

A Foundation (which meets the Family Foundation criteria) may hold an operating entity specifically a Single Family Office (SFO) or a Multi-Family Office (MFO) and still successfully apply for tax transparent status (being treated as an Unincorporated Partnership).

This means the foundation itself won’t be subject to corporate tax; instead, income generally flows through to the beneficiaries (individual family members), whose personal investment and real estate income remains exempt from CT. This provides the ideal balance of centralized control and tax efficiency for family wealth structures.

2. The LLC Hurdle: Exclusion from “Similar Entity”

CTP008 also provided crucial direction on what constitutes a “Similar Entity” to a trust or foundation. The FTA explicitly states that Limited Liability Companies (LLCs) are excluded from this definition. An LLC, which is a common corporate vehicle, is fundamentally different in legal character from a foundation or trust.

Structuring Impact:

• An LLC cannot unilaterally apply for the tax-transparent Family Foundation status on its own.
• An LLC can only be treated as fiscally transparent if it is positioned as an underlying entity that is wholly owned and controlled by an approved tax-transparent Family Foundation and meets all the specific conditions under Article 17 of the UAE Corporate Tax Law.

Families using LLCs in their existing structures must act quickly to assess if they meet the demanding wholly-owned and controlled criteria to maintain tax efficiency.

Guide: How to start an LLC Company in Dubai

3. SFO/MFO: The Two Paths to Tax Efficiency

The clarification also sharpened the focus on the actual operating entity, the SFO or MFO, which is generally a juridical person and thus a Taxable Person on its income (primarily management fees). These entities have two primary paths to minimize their CT liability:

• The Standard Path: Pay the standard 9% Corporate Tax rate on net management income exceeding the AED 375,000 threshold.
• The 0% Free Zone Path: If the SFO or MFO is a Qualified Free Zone Person (QFZP), it may benefit from the 0% CT rate on its Qualifying Income (wealth and investment management services). However, this is strictly conditional on these services being subject to regulatory oversight by a competent authority. Unregulated SFOs, even those in Free Zones, will generally be subject to the standard 9% rate on their management fees.

4: Summary of Family Wealth Structure Corporate Tax Treatment

Conclusion: Certainty Requires Precision

The FTA’s Public Clarification CTP008 marks a pivotal moment, providing the regulatory certainty that global families and advisors have sought in the UAE. But it also underscores the importance of precision in compliance. From structuring entities to quoting the correct CTP payment references in every bank transfer, small errors can lead to big setbacks whether in delayed recognition of tax transparency or in misallocated payments.

The rules for tax neutrality are now clear, confirming the Emirates’ reputation as a premier jurisdiction for wealth and succession planning.

However, this regime is built on precision and strict compliance. Tax transparency is not automatic; it must be applied for and maintained by continuously meeting rigorous legal and operational conditions, especially concerning the exclusion of active business activities, the structuring of underlying LLCs, and the accurate use of payment identifiers such as CTP references.

Secure Your Structure with EZONE

To truly capitalize on this landmark clarification, your family wealth structure requires a meticulous review by specialists. EZONE, one of the best dubai company setup services company, provides comprehensive advisory services to ensure your entire multi-tier structure from the Foundation down to the holding SPVs and SFOs is optimally configured and compliant with both CTP008 and Article 17.

Don’t risk losing your tax-transparent status or having your payments misallocated due to a missing reference code. Contact EZONE today for a bespoke CT assessment and structuring consultation.

Let our experts guide you through the application process and safeguard your family’s future wealth in the new era of UAE Corporate Tax.