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Open live demoUAE tax invoice requirements: what must be on the document
A valid tax invoice is the evidence behind every input VAT claim and the document that fixes your output tax period. This checklist covers the 14-day rule, the fields on a standard invoice, simplified invoices, credit notes and the one check you should do on every template.
Screenshot from the Zeyto demo company, with sample data.
Why it matters
What a tax invoice does for you and your customer
A tax invoice is the document that records a taxable supply. UAE VAT law (Federal Decree-Law No. 8 of 2017, Article 67) says it must be issued within 14 days of the date of supply. For the supplier it fixes the date of supply and therefore the tax period in which the output tax belongs. For the buyer it is the evidence behind an input VAT claim, and the FTA's tax invoice guide calls a valid tax invoice the primary documentary evidence for recovering VAT.
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That is why a missing TRN or an unnumbered invoice is not a cosmetic problem. A customer who cannot support their input VAT claim with a valid tax invoice may refuse to pay the VAT, or ask you to reissue the document. Getting the template right once saves a correction every month.
Standard tax invoice
The fields a standard tax invoice must show
Based on the FTA guidance summarised in the Zeyto Academy. Confirm the current rules on the FTA website.
- The words "tax invoice" clearly displayed, the date of issue and, if different, the date of supply
- The supplier's name, address and TRN, and the recipient's name and address, with their TRN if registered
- A description of the goods or services and, for each one, the unit price, quantity, VAT rate and amount payable in AED
- A sequential or unique invoice number
- The gross amount payable and the total VAT in AED, plus any discount offered
- For a foreign-currency invoice, the exchange rate applied and its source; the FTA guide says to convert using a Central Bank approved rate
- Where the customer must account for the VAT (reverse charge), a statement saying so
Simplified invoices
Simplified tax invoices and the e-invoicing change
Under the VAT rules as the FTA published them before the e-invoicing reform, a simplified tax invoice is allowed when the buyer is not VAT-registered, or when the buyer is registered and the VAT-inclusive consideration is AED 10,000 or less. It needs only the words "tax invoice" prominently, the supplier's name, address and TRN, the date of issue, a description enough to identify the goods or services, and the total consideration and VAT charged. Retail receipts are the usual example.
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Cabinet Decision No. 100 of 2025 amended Articles 59 and 60 of the VAT Executive Regulation for the e-invoicing reform, and advisers report that the simplified invoice option ends for businesses once they are brought into the e-invoicing system. The Ministry of Finance timetable runs from a pilot on 1 July 2026 to mandatory use from 1 January 2027 for businesses with annual revenue of AED 50 million or more, and from 1 July 2027 for the rest. Until your business is onboarded, check with the FTA and the Ministry of Finance which invoice rules apply to you.
Corrections
Fix mistakes with a credit note, not an edit
- Tax credit noteThe FTA's guide says errors on a tax invoice are corrected with a tax credit note or an additional tax invoice, not by editing the original. A credit note identifies the original supply and shows the amount credited and the VAT on it.
- Effect on VATA credit note reduces the supplier's output VAT and the buyer's input VAT, in the period it is issued.
- In ZeytoA Sales Return can be started from the original invoice with Create Against, so quantities and prices carry over and you cannot return more than was invoiced.
In Zeyto
Which screen makes which document
- Tax invoiceSales, Sales Invoice. Records output VAT on submit, and the printout is the tax invoice.
- Simplified tax invoicePOS Terminal. Each finished sale is posted as a POS receipt, a simplified tax invoice.
- Tax credit noteSales, Sales Return. Reduces the sale and the output VAT and credits the customer.
- Advance tax invoiceVAT is due when an advance is received, so an advance is issued as its own tax invoice and taken off the final invoice.
Check a printed sample before you rely on it Do not assume a printout is valid because software produced it. Print your standard invoice template and check it against the list above: both TRNs, the date of supply when it differs, the invoice number, and for foreign-currency invoices the VAT amount in AED with the rate used. Zeyto's template designer lets you adjust a template. For UAE e-invoicing, Zeyto's connection to an Accredited Service Provider is not released yet, so we do not claim e-invoicing readiness. Rules change, so check the FTA website before you file. This page is general information, not tax or legal advice, and was last reviewed on 8 November 2026.
Go deeper
Related guides
Go from the document to the return.
- Tax invoices and credit notes lessonThe Academy lesson with worked advance and credit note examples.
- Credit notes and VAT correctionsHow to correct an invoice and what happens to the return.
- VAT 201 return guideWhere each invoice line lands on the return.
- Free UAE tax invoice generatorMake a sample tax invoice with the free tool.
Related guides and pages
- UAE E-InvoicingUAE e-invoicing dates from the Ministry of Finance, what an accredited service provider does.
- UAE VAT FilingZeyto handles UAE 5% VAT end to end: tax invoices, input and output ledgers, reverse charge.
- e-Invoicing 2027What UAE e-invoicing means for your ERP: the Ministry of Finance dates, seven questions to ask any vendor.
- VAT 201 return guideHow to prepare a UAE VAT 201 return: what each box means, a worked example.
- Reverse charge VATHow reverse charge VAT works in the UAE: services from foreign suppliers, import VAT.
- VAT registration and TRNUAE VAT registration thresholds (AED 375,000 mandatory, AED 187,500 voluntary), the 30-day rule.
Buying guides
- ERP Software UAEOffline-capable ERP for UAE businesses: sales, purchase, POS, inventory, accounting, UAE VAT and reports on your own server.
- Trading ERP UAEZeyto ERP for UAE trading companies: quotations, sales orders, purchase, GRN, landed cost, inventory, VAT, receivables.
- VAT POS DubaiZeyto POS for Dubai retail and service counters: VAT invoices, barcode billing, returns, refunds, day-end cash closing.
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FAQ
Straight answers
How soon must I issue a tax invoice?
UAE VAT law (Federal Decree-Law No. 8 of 2017, Article 67) says a tax invoice must be issued within 14 days of the date of supply.
Does my customer need to give me their TRN?
A standard tax invoice shows the recipient's TRN if the recipient is VAT-registered. Customers who are registered need your TRN to support their input VAT claim, and you need your suppliers' TRNs for the same reason.
Can I use a simplified tax invoice?
Under the rules as published before the e-invoicing reform, a simplified invoice is allowed when the buyer is not VAT-registered, or when the buyer is registered and the VAT-inclusive consideration is AED 10,000 or less. Cabinet Decision No. 100 of 2025 changed Articles 59 and 60, so check with the FTA and the Ministry of Finance which rules apply to your business.
How do I correct a wrong tax invoice?
Issue a tax credit note or an additional tax invoice rather than editing the original. In Zeyto, start a Sales Return from the original invoice with Create Against.
Does Zeyto print Arabic and English tax invoices?
Yes. Zeyto prints bilingual documents, and the template designer lets you adjust the layout. Print a sample and check it against the field list on this page before you go live.
See a Zeyto tax invoice
Open the demo, post an invoice and print it to check every field.