Lesson 3 — The feature map: all twelve toggles
Twelve toggles, in four groups, in the order the page itself presents them. This is the most useful lesson in the course, because it is not really a lesson about one module — it is the map of the entire UAE programme. Read it once now to see the shape of what is available, then come back to it as a menu whenever a new obligation lands on your desk.
How to read the tables. The left-hand column is the feature exactly as it is labelled on Settings › UAE. The middle column is one honest sentence about what that feature does — no more than the module guide claims for it, because a toggle that is oversold today becomes a support call next month. The right-hand column is the course in this programme that teaches it, and that column is the one to write down.
Accounting
| Feature | What it does | Where you learn it |
|---|---|---|
| VAT 201 & Corporate Tax | The VAT 201 return, plus Corporate Tax status and reports. | Course 2.1 |
| E-Invoicing (PINT AE) | Peppol PINT AE e-invoicing through a pluggable ASP. | Courses 3.1, 3.2 and 3.3 |
| Excise Tax | Excise categories, declarations and the monthly return. | Course 2.5 |
| FTA Audit File (FAF) | Generates the FTA Audit File for tax audits. | Course 2.3 |
| VAT / CT Tax Groups | VAT and Corporate Tax group consolidation. | Course 2.4 |
| New Dirham Symbol | The new UAE Dirham currency symbol. | Course 1.3 |
| Accounting Reporting UX | The restructured Accounting reporting menus. | No course of its own |
Corporate Tax is large enough to be split across two courses: course 2.1 covers the VAT 201 return and Corporate Tax end to end, and course 2.2 picks up the Corporate Tax completion set at an advanced level. One toggle, one module, two courses — which is a pattern you will meet again, and a reason to read the right-hand column rather than assume one course per tick.
Payroll & HR
| Feature | What it does | Where you learn it |
|---|---|---|
| WPS & End-of-Service | Wage Protection System export and End-of-Service accrual. | Courses 4.3 and 4.4 |
This group holds a single toggle, and it is worth saying plainly what that does and does not mean. UAE payroll itself — salary structures, overtime, leave tiers, and the social insurance and unemployment schemes — is taught in courses 4.1 and 4.2, with its posting to the general ledger in course 4.5. If payroll is why you are here, those are your courses, and this toggle is the compliance export that sits on top of them.
Compliance
| Feature | What it does | Where you learn it |
|---|---|---|
| UBO Register | The Ultimate Beneficial Owner register. | Course 1.4 |
| Licence & Permit Tracker | Trade licences and permits, with expiry reminders. | Course 1.5 |
Printing & Documents
| Feature | What it does | Where you learn it |
|---|---|---|
| Cheque Management | The UAE and GCC cheque lifecycle, and cheque printing. | Course 5.1 |
| FTA Print Pack | FTA-compliant tax invoice, payment voucher and cheque layouts. | Course 5.2 |
Worked example. Marina Ridge Trading LLC trades building materials in Dubai, is registered for VAT, employs forty people paid through the Wage Protection System, pays its landlord by cheque, and sells nothing that attracts excise. It ticks five of the twelve: VAT 201 & Corporate Tax, WPS & End-of-Service, Licence & Permit Tracker, Cheque Management and FTA Print Pack. Seven boxes stay empty, and that is not a gap in the setup — it is the setup. The company can come back and tick E-Invoicing (PINT AE) the month it needs it.
The failure mode. "I ticked six features and the page went strange." Each tick starts a module install, and the guide is explicit about the remedy: give Odoo a moment to finish one install before ticking the next. Tick, wait for the page to settle, then tick again. It costs a minute across the whole setup and it avoids a confusing failure that looks like a broken page rather than an impatient one.