UAE businesses face deadline to appoint e-invoicing providers

Large businesses in the United Arab Emirates with an annual turnover of AED 50 million or more have less than four weeks to appoint an Accredited Service Provider (ASP) under a new e-invoicing mandate. The deadline for this appointment is 30 October 2026, preceding the mandatory e-invoicing go-live date on 1 January 2027.

The mandate requires qualifying B2B transactions to be validated and transmitted through an accredited third-party provider rather than being exchanged directly between businesses. This transition is expected to impact finance, tax, and IT functions across qualifying companies.

While the Ministry of Finance previously extended the appointment deadline from 31 July to 30 October 2026 due to a shortage of accredited providers, experts warn that further flexibility is unlikely. Delaying the appointment of an ASP may compress the time needed for essential tasks such as data mapping, ERP integration, and testing, potentially leading to disrupted invoicing at the start of the new financial year.