Bookkeeping in the UAE used to be something you tidied up once a year. VAT changed that in 2018, and Corporate Tax changed it again: your records now have to support a return every year, under IFRS, and be kept for seven years. We keep monthly books, VAT-reconciled ledgers and Corporate Tax-ready records for UAE businesses, and we do the same work under their own name for accounting firms in the UAE and the wider Gulf.
What we do for UAE businesses
- Monthly bookkeeping in Zoho Books, Xero, QuickBooks Online or Tally: bank and card feeds categorized, supplier and customer invoices recorded with the correct VAT treatment, and every account reconciled.
- VAT return preparation. Output and input VAT reconciled to the ledger each period, reverse-charge and zero-rated supplies identified, and the return workings prepared for your review before filing on the FTA portal.
- Corporate Tax-ready records. Financial statements under IFRS or IFRS for SMEs, a fixed-asset register with depreciation workings, a related-party and connected-person log, and the schedules your tax agent or auditor needs for the return.
- Month-end close. Accruals, prepaids and depreciation posted, and a close pack with profit and loss, balance sheet, cash flow, reconciliations and agings within five business days.
- Payables, receivables and payroll journals, including WPS payroll postings from your payroll provider's reports, tied to the register.
- Catch-up and clean-up for companies that need historical periods reconstructed and reconciled before a VAT audit, a Corporate Tax registration or a bank facility.
- Software setup and migration, from spreadsheets or desktop software to a cloud platform with the UAE VAT configuration done correctly from day one.
What we do for UAE accounting firms
Accounting and bookkeeping firms in the UAE and the wider Gulf use us as a white-label back office: we process, reconcile and close their clients' files inside the firm's own software, under the firm's name, with a separate senior review before anything reaches the firm. The firm keeps the client relationship, the tax agent role and the sign-off. Our clients include accounting practices in the UAE and Oman, and businesses in Bahrain. See our white-label bookkeeping page for how the arrangement works.
UAE Corporate Tax: what your records have to support
- Corporate Tax applies under Federal Decree-Law No. 47 of 2022, from each business's first financial year starting on or after June 1, 2023. Taxable income up to AED 375,000 is taxed at 0%; above that, 9%.
- Small Business Relief is available to businesses with revenue of no more than AED 3 million, and has been extended to tax periods ending on or before December 31, 2029. It is claimed in the return, so registration, record-keeping and filing are still required.
- Financial statements must be prepared under IFRS. Businesses with revenue up to AED 50 million may use IFRS for SMEs, and those with revenue up to AED 3 million may use cash-basis accounting.
- Audited financial statements are required where revenue exceeds AED 50 million, and for Qualifying Free Zone Persons.
- The return and any tax payable are due within nine months of the end of the tax period. Records must be kept for seven years after the end of the tax period they relate to.
- E-invoicing is being phased in: businesses with revenue of AED 50 million or more go live on January 1, 2027; businesses below that threshold must appoint an accredited service provider by March 31, 2027, and go live on July 1, 2027.
General information based on the rules as of October 2026, not tax advice. Confirm your position with the Federal Tax Authority or a registered tax agent. Our article on the bookkeeping records UAE Corporate Tax requires goes into more detail.
UAE VAT: the monthly discipline
VAT registration is mandatory once taxable supplies and imports exceed AED 375,000 in the past twelve months (or are expected to in the next 30 days) and voluntary above AED 187,500. Returns are usually quarterly, due by the 28th day of the month after the period ends, with payment by the same date. The difference between a smooth return and a stressful one is whether the ledger has been reconciled to VAT every month: output VAT agreed to sales, input VAT agreed to valid tax invoices, reverse-charge imports recorded, and the VAT control account cleared after each filing. That reconciliation is part of our monthly close for every VAT-registered client.
Free zone and mainland companies
The same monthly routine works for mainland LLCs and sole establishments and for free-zone companies, whether in DMCC, JAFZA, RAKEZ, IFZA or another zone. Qualifying Free Zone Person status brings its own requirements, including audited financial statements and the separation of qualifying and non-qualifying income, so we agree the structure of the ledger with your tax agent at the start rather than untangling it at year-end.
How we work with your auditor and tax agent
We keep the books; your FTA-registered tax agent files the returns and your licensed auditor signs the audit. We give them closed, reconciled months, the schedules they ask for and answers to their queries, which shortens both the audit and the return. If you need a tax agent or an auditor, we will tell you what to look for.
Working hours, language and currency
Our team in India works hours that overlap the Gulf working day, including Sunday to Thursday or Monday to Friday weeks as your company keeps them. We reply within four business hours. We invoice monthly in AED or USD, on one fixed fee agreed before we start, with no lock-in contract and the first close free.
Frequently asked questions
Do UAE companies have to keep monthly books?
The law requires records that support the Corporate Tax return and VAT returns, kept for seven years. Monthly closing is not mandated, but it is the practical way to meet the requirement, to have IFRS-compliant statements at year-end, and to avoid reconstructing a year under deadline pressure.
Which software do you recommend for a UAE business?
Zoho Books, Xero and QuickBooks Online all handle UAE VAT well; Tally is common for trading businesses. We work in all of them and will tell you which fits your size and your accountant's preference.
Can you prepare our VAT return?
We prepare the VAT workings and reconcile them to the ledger each period. Filing on the FTA portal is done by you or your registered tax agent after reviewing the workings.
Do you prepare financial statements under IFRS?
Yes. We prepare monthly and year-end financial statements under IFRS or IFRS for SMEs as your revenue and structure require, ready for your auditor where an audit is needed.
Can you help with Corporate Tax registration and Small Business Relief?
We prepare the records, revenue tests and schedules your tax agent needs for registration, relief elections and the return. The registration and filing are done by you or your tax agent.
Do you work with accounting firms in Dubai and the Gulf?
Yes. We act as a white-label back office for accounting practices in the UAE and Oman, working inside their software and under their name.
What does it cost?
One fixed monthly fee quoted on your transaction volume, number of entities and the services you need, invoiced in AED or USD. The first close is free, and there is no lock-in contract.
