Presented by Shoayb Patel, Founder - RDVault
Understanding which qualifying R&D activities in the UAE count toward the R&D tax credit is one of the most common questions from businesses and fintech companies exploring the scheme. In this video, RDvault founder Shoayb Patel explains that R&D for tax credit purposes extends well beyond laboratory research and covers a broad range of technical activities that businesses carry out every day. Under the confirmed framework established by Ministerial Decision 24 of 2026, qualifying R&D must meet five FTA criteria simultaneously: it must be novel, creative, uncertain in outcome, systematic in approach, and transferable or reproducible. Activities that can qualify include solving technical challenges in software, product development and testing, feature experimentation, A/B testing infrastructure, and algorithm development. As Shoayb puts it, you do not need a lab coat. The key question is whether your team is working to resolve genuine technical uncertainty, not just applying known methods. If your engineers, developers, or technical staff are making decisions where the outcome is not known in advance and failure is a real possibility, that work is likely to qualify under the FTA criteria. This video gives you a practical feel for the boundary between qualifying and non-qualifying work. The RDvault eligibility checker and a free consultation can then confirm whether your specific activities meet the criteria.
So, let's clear something up. What actually qualifies for R&D? Well, you don't need a lab coat to qualify for the UAE's R&D tax credit. If you're solving technical challenges, running tests, building or improving products, you're likely doing R&D. Got a dev team experimenting with new features, running AB tests, tweaking algorithms, that possibly counts. This credit is designed to support the real work founders and engineers are doing every year. But most companies won't realize they qualify until it's too late. Now, RDvault helps you track it all automatically. FTA ready.
15 minutes, you’ll know either way – a free eligibility check with a chartered adviser. No obligation.
R&D tax credits are all we do. Built in Manchester in 2017, AED 396M+ (£80M+) processed in UK claims. Now claiming for the UAE.
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