A realistic Dubai company budget: free zone license AED 12,000-50,000/year depending on zone and activity; visa costs AED 5,000-8,000 per person; office requirement varies; corporate tax registration and accounting add AED 10,000-20,000/year.
Budget lines: (1) License: IFZA/RAKEZ from AED 12,000-20,000/year; DMCC AED 30,000-50,000+; JAFZA logistics higher. (2) Visas: establishment card + investor/staff visas AED 5,000-8,000 each (including medical, Emirates ID). (3) Office: flexi-desk included in some packages; dedicated office AED 30,000+/year (JAFZA requires physical office). (4) Corporate tax: registration mandatory; 9% above AED 375k profits; audit mandatory for free zone entities claiming 0% on qualifying income. (5) Accounting/compliance: AED 10,000-20,000/year. (6) Bank account: no fee to open but expect minimum balance requirements (AED 25,000-100,000 at some banks). Realistic first-year total: AED 40,000-90,000 for a lean trading setup.
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