A UAE director loan account (DLA) records money lent by the director to the company, or drawn by the director from the company. Under UAE CT: interest-free related party loans are a transfer pricing risk — the FTA expects an arm’s length interest rate. An overdrawn DLA (director owes money to the company) must be resolved — either repaid, or treated as a formal loan with interest, or cleared as a declared dividend. Leaving it unresolved attracts audit scrutiny.
What is a UAE director loan account
- Director lending to company: The director injects personal funds into the company — this is a loan (DLA credit balance). The company owes the director. Common in early-stage businesses where the founder funds operations before revenue builds.
- Director drawing from company: The director takes money from the company not formally declared as salary or dividend — this is a drawing (DLA debit balance, or overdrawn DLA). The director owes the company. This is the risky scenario.
- How it appears in accounts: The DLA appears on the balance sheet — as a liability (if the company owes the director) or as a receivable (if the director owes the company).
UAE CT and director loan accounts
- Transfer pricing rule: Under UAE CT, loans between related parties (director and their company) must be on arm’s length terms. This means: if the director has lent AED 500,000 to the company interest-free, the FTA expects that an arm’s length lender would charge interest. The company should impute and pay interest to the director at market rates — or document why the arrangement is consistent with arm’s length.
- Interest deductibility: Interest paid by a company to a director on a DLA credit balance is deductible for CT purposes — subject to the 30% EBITDA cap on net interest expense. This is an advantage: the company gets a CT deduction, and the director receives tax-free interest income (no personal income tax in UAE).
- Overdrawn DLA — deemed dividend risk: If the director has drawn money from the company (overdrawn DLA) and it is not repaid or resolved, the FTA may treat it as a deemed dividend — taxable at the company level as a non-deductible distribution. Worse, an unexplained overdrawn DLA looks like concealed profit extraction in an audit.
- Small business exception: If both the director and the company meet the small business relief conditions (related party transaction de minimis), simplified transfer pricing treatment may apply. Seek advice for your specific position.
Best practice for UAE director loan accounts
- Document every DLA movement: Board resolution for each significant advance or repayment. Loan agreement setting out the terms (interest rate, repayment date) if the balance is material (AED 50,000+).
- Charge arm’s length interest: Use the UAE Central Bank base rate (or EIBOR) as the reference rate for DLA interest. Calculate interest monthly and accrue it in the accounts.
- Clear the DLA annually: At year end, resolve overdrawn DLAs by declaring a dividend (if profits allow), converting to a formal documented loan, or repaying the balance. Do not let overdrawn DLAs roll over year after year unresolved.
- Keep it separate from expenses: Never mix personal expenses with the DLA. Personal purchases (grocery, holidays, personal car) charged to the company account should be immediately coded as DLA drawings — not as company expenses, which would be a false CT deduction.
DLA not properly documented in your UAE company accounts?
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Frequently asked questions
Does a UAE director have to charge interest on a loan to their own company?
Technically yes — under UAE CT transfer pricing rules, related-party transactions must be at arm’s length. An interest-free loan from a director to their company is a related-party transaction. The FTA expects that an unrelated third party would charge interest. In practice, for small DLA balances (under AED 100,000–200,000), many SMEs do not charge interest — but they risk an FTA adjustment if audited. The safest approach: document a loan agreement with the current EIBOR-based market rate.
What is the UAE CT rule on interest deductibility for director loans?
Interest paid by a UAE company on related-party loans (including director DLAs) is deductible for CT purposes — but subject to the 30% EBITDA cap on net interest expense. Net interest expense above 30% of the company’s EBITDA is disallowed. For most UAE SMEs with modest borrowing, this cap is not an issue. Document the interest accrual properly — it must be included in the CT return.
Can a UAE founder repay an overdrawn DLA by declaring a dividend?
Yes — if the company has distributable profits, the board can declare a dividend equal to the overdrawn DLA balance. The dividend clears the DLA receivable (the director no longer owes the company). The dividend must be declared by board resolution, and the company must have the profits to support it. The CT position: the profit was already taxed at 9% — the dividend itself is tax-free to the director.
Does an auditor flag a large overdrawn director loan account?
Yes — auditors specifically review DLAs for recoverability (can the director repay it?), arm’s length terms, and appropriate disclosure. A large overdrawn DLA with no repayment plan or documentation is a high-priority management letter finding. Free zone auditors report DLAs to their authority — a persistent overdrawn DLA can raise questions about the company’s financial health.