Bookkeeping in the United Arab Emirates
We help founders understand where their money is going, every month, on time. Delivered to IFRS for UAE businesses, priced in AED.
UAE bookkeeping changed character when corporate tax arrived. Records kept only to support a 5% VAT return now have to carry a 9% corporate tax computation and survive the seven-year retention the FTA expects. We keep Zoho Books to IFRS with free-zone and mainland activity separated, so qualifying-income questions are answered from the ledger instead of argued afterwards.
Dedicated bookkeepers working inside your cloud accounting stack deliver weekly reconciliation and a clean monthly close. You get a Profit & Loss and Balance Sheet you can actually act on — categorised, reviewed, and delivered on a fixed calendar.
The deadlines we track against your ledger.
| Obligation | Frequency | Due | Authority |
|---|---|---|---|
| VAT return and paymentVAT-registered businesses | Quarterly | 28 days after the end of the tax period | FTA |
| Accounting records retention | Annual | Maintained for at least 7 years and available to the FTA on request | FTA |
Last reviewed against the source . These are the standard dates. Extensions through a registered agent, a non-calendar year end, and volume-based filing frequencies all shift them — confirm your own dates with FTA. This is general information, not tax advice.
Bookkeeping deliverables
- Weekly bank & credit-card reconciliation
- Receipt and document matching
- Monthly P&L and Balance Sheet
- Chart-of-accounts maintenance
- Month-end close on a fixed calendar
- Dedicated bookkeeper inside your software
Zoho Books
The FTA maintains a list of accredited tax accounting software, and free-zone entities still need corporate tax records even where a 0% rate applies to qualifying income.
A worked example, in your currency.
A Dubai free-zone trading company, 2,400 transactions a month, quarterly VAT.
- In-house accountant (fully loaded, per month)
- 15,500 د.إ.
- Salt bookkeeping + VAT and corporate tax
- 6,200 د.إ.
- Monthly saving
- 9,300 د.إ.
Figures in AED. Free-zone status does not remove the corporate tax filing obligation, only the rate on qualifying income.
The framework your United Arab Emirates accounts are held to.
We prepare to IFRS, as required for UAE corporate tax reporting. These are the bodies that set that framework and the authorities you file with — linked so you can verify the standard rather than take our word for it.
- RegulatorFTAFederal Tax AuthorityVAT and corporate tax registration, filing and records.
- RegulatorUAE Ministry of EconomyCommercial companies law and auditor registration.
- RegulatorADGMAbu Dhabi Global MarketFinancial free zone with its own reporting requirements.
- RegulatorDIFCDubai International Financial CentreFinancial free zone with its own reporting requirements.
Listed for reference. Salt Accounting Group is not stating membership, registration or affiliation with any of these organisations. Where a filing must be lodged by a registered local agent, it is — your agent keeps the lodgement and the professional sign-off.
Bookkeeping in United Arab Emirates
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Bookkeeping for United Arab Emirates, simply handled.
Tell us where you trade and what shape the books are in. You get scope, price and a start date in writing within one business day — no obligation.