Catch-Up Bookkeeping in the United Arab Emirates
We turn months (or years) of backlog into clean, tax-ready financials. Delivered to IFRS for UAE businesses, priced in AED.
UAE catch-up is mostly a corporate tax problem now. A business that kept just enough to file a VAT return 28 days after each tax period now needs a ledger that supports a corporate tax return nine months after the period and survives seven-year FTA retention. We rebuild in Zoho Books to IFRS with free-zone and mainland activity separated from the first entry.
Whether you're 3 months or 24 months behind, our catch-up team reconstructs your books period by period, reconciles every account, and hands you statements you can file and raise on. It's the fastest way to go from chaos to clarity — and the most common on-ramp to a monthly retainer.
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 |
| Corporate tax return and paymentTaxable persons under the corporate tax regime | Annual | 9 months after the end of the relevant 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.
Catch-Up Bookkeeping deliverables
- Full historical reconstruction (3 / 6 / 12 / 24 months)
- Back-reconciliation of every bank & card account
- Categorisation of all historical transactions
- Restated P&L and Balance Sheet per period
- Tax-ready handoff package
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.
Catch-Up Bookkeeping in United Arab Emirates
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Catch-Up 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.