Reviewed by Bill Anderson, FCCA, Chief Executive Officer of Assetica
Business Valuation for Irish Owners Relocating to the UAE
By Bill Anderson, FCCA, Chief Executive Officer — Assetica, Dubai, UAE
Definition: Irish business owners moving to Dubai usually need an independent business valuation at four points: to record the value of their shares on the day they leave Ireland, to manage the section 29A rule that can tax a sale made within five years of leaving, to support a UAE Golden Visa application on the business route, and to price the business when it is sold. Assetica prepares one valuation that stays consistent across Revenue in Ireland and the authorities in the UAE.
Leaving Ireland does not end the Irish tax story
Setting up in Dubai is the easy part. Irish capital gains tax can follow your shares for years after you go, and each rule turns on what the shares were worth and when.
The three-year ordinary residence rule
After three consecutive tax years of Irish residence you are ordinarily resident, and you stay ordinarily resident for three tax years after you leave. During those years Ireland can still tax your worldwide gains. A valuation dated to your departure records how much of the value built up while you lived in Ireland.
The section 29A five-year rule
Section 29A applies if you own at least 5% of a company, or shares worth more than EUR 500,000, when you leave. If you sell those shares while abroad and return to Ireland within five years, the gain is taxed as if you had sold before you left, using the value on the day of the actual sale. A valuation helps you and your tax adviser plan around it.
UAE Golden Visa (AED 2 million)
The business route asks for an independent report showing your own equity is worth at least AED 2 million, about USD 545,000. The report has to isolate your shareholding, net of debt. A letter from your Irish accountant serves Revenue, but it is not written for the UAE authorities.
Selling the business
Budget 2027 cut the standard Irish capital gains tax rate to 31% for disposals from 7 October 2026, subject to the Finance Act. Revised Entrepreneur Relief taxes qualifying gains at 10% up to a lifetime limit of EUR 1.5 million. Whichever rate applies, the buyer and their funder need a price backed by normalised earnings.
Sources: Revenue: temporary non-residents (section 29A) · Citizens Information: tax residence and domicile in Ireland · Revenue: Ireland and UAE double taxation convention
How it works
- Scoping call: We confirm the purpose, the valuation date, your structure and who will rely on the report, then quote a fixed fee in writing.
- Secure document collection: Irish financial statements, the share register, shareholder agreements, management accounts and bank statements, plus the UAE licence once it exists.
- Valuation and reconciliation: We normalise earnings, apply the methods that fit the business and reconcile them into a supported conclusion.
- Signed report: Formatted for its reader, whether that is your Irish tax adviser or the UAE authority. A standard single-company report typically takes five to seven business days from complete documents.
One value that holds up on both sides of the move
The risk is two reports that disagree: a value used for Irish tax that does not match the one in your Golden Visa file. We fix the valuation date, the method and the normalised earnings once, then format the result for each reader. Ireland and the UAE also have a double taxation agreement, signed in 2010, which your tax adviser will apply to the facts. We provide the valuation. We do not give Irish tax advice.
Related valuation services
Read the full guide: Moving from Ireland to Dubai: how your business is valued. Business valuation in Dubai · Golden Visa business valuation · UK business valuation · Europe business valuation
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I pay Irish capital gains tax after I move to Dubai?
You can. If you were resident in Ireland for three consecutive tax years, you remain ordinarily resident for three tax years after you leave, and Ireland can tax your worldwide gains in that time. Separate rules apply to Irish land and to shares that derive their value from it. Your Irish tax adviser should confirm your position before you sell anything.
What is the section 29A five-year rule?
It is an Irish anti-avoidance rule for people who leave temporarily. It covers shares where you hold at least 5% of the company or the shares are worth more than EUR 500,000 when you leave. If you sell them while abroad and come back to Ireland within five years, the gain is taxed as if you had sold before leaving, based on the value on the day of the actual sale.
Does Ireland charge an exit tax when an individual leaves?
Ireland does not treat an individual's departure as a disposal of their shares in the way Australia and Germany do. Instead it relies on the ordinary residence rule and section 29A to keep later sales within Irish tax. That is why the date and value of any sale after you leave matter so much.
What is the Irish capital gains tax rate on selling company shares?
Budget 2027 reduced the standard rate from 33% to 31% for disposals on or after 7 October 2026, subject to the Finance Act becoming law. Revised Entrepreneur Relief can reduce the rate to 10% on qualifying gains up to a lifetime limit of EUR 1.5 million, which applies to disposals from 1 January 2026.
Is my Irish accountant's valuation accepted for the UAE Golden Visa?
Usually not on its own. The UAE authority handling the application decides what it accepts, and it expects an independent report that isolates your own shareholding, net of debt, and shows it is worth at least AED 2 million. We confirm the current requirements with you at scoping.
How long does the valuation take?
A standard report for a single company typically takes five to seven business days from complete documents. Group structures, several share classes or property holdings take longer, and we agree the timetable at the scoping call.