Case study · Tax compliance
Know Your Supplier: AI that handles supplier VAT checks from inbox to signed certificate
When new FTA rules made supplier verification a condition for claiming input VAT, we built KYS: an AI automation that reads supplier documents, checks them against fixed rules and issues the compliance certificate, while the compliance officer keeps the final say.
- Built for
- UAE VAT-registered businesses
- Sector
- Tax compliance
- Service
- AI Consulting & Product Lab
- Year
- 2026
01
The challenge
FTA Decision No. 13 of 2026, in effect since 1 October 2026, requires every VAT-registered business in the UAE to verify its suppliers and each supply before deducting input VAT, and to keep the records to prove it. That means checking incorporation records, the ID of the person who signs for the supplier, the place of business and, for larger suppliers, bank and reputation checks, then repeating the work every 12 months.
For a compliance team this is slow, repetitive document work. Trade licences, VAT certificates and Emirates IDs arrive by email in every format, details have to be retyped and compared by hand, and suppliers wait days for an answer. Input VAT is at stake if the checks are incomplete.
02
What we built
- 01/04
A dedicated KYS inbox
KYS watches one mailbox around the clock and ignores anything that is not supplier compliance, so suppliers keep using the channel they already know.
- 02/04
AI document reading
It recognises each file, such as a trade licence, VAT certificate, Emirates ID or passport, and reads the key details: company names, TRN, dates and signatories.
- 03/04
Fixed rules, not guesswork
Every field the AI reads is then checked by deterministic rules: names match across documents, the TRN is valid, licences and IDs are in date, and the signatory appears on the licence.
- 04/04
Certificate and dashboard
When everything is clear, KYS prepares the KYS certificate, sends it for signature and files the signed copy. A dashboard shows where every supplier stands.
03
How a supplier case flows
- Step 1
Supplier emails
Trade licence, VAT certificate and Emirates ID arrive in the KYS inbox.
- Step 2
AI reads them
Each file is recognised and its key details extracted.
- Step 3
Rules checked
Names, TRN, expiry dates and signatory are verified.
- Step 4
Clear next steps
Gaps get one clear reply to the supplier. Doubts go to the officer.
- Step 5
Certificate signed
The certificate goes out for signature and the signed copy is stored.
04
What changes for the compliance team
Hours of checking become minutes
Routine document checks run automatically, so the team spends its time only on exceptions and suppliers hear back fast.
One place, one audit trail
Every supplier, document, decision and reply is recorded together, ready to show the FTA.
The officer stays in control
Expired IDs, unclear signatures or anything uncertain are never approved automatically. A person decides.
Data kept separate and safe
Each customer has its own mailbox, database and private storage, and signed certificates are stored so they cannot be altered.
Summary of FTA Decision No. 13 of 2026 for context only. It is not tax advice.