The short answer
We are an accounting firm in Dubai for small and medium companies, in Free Zones and on the mainland. Every month we record and reconcile your books, every quarter we prepare your VAT return, every year we prepare your corporate tax return and financial statements, and you get a clear report by the 25th. Every return is sent to you for approval before it is submitted.
What every UAE company must do
Since corporate tax arrived in 2023, every company in the UAE has to keep proper accounts, even a small Free Zone company with one owner and no profit. These are the rules your accountant must keep you inside:
| Obligation | Who | Deadline or rule | If you miss it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Corporate tax registration | Every company, including Free Zone companies | Within 3 months of incorporation, for companies set up since 1 March 2024 | AED 10,000 late registration penalty |
| Corporate tax return and payment | Every registered company | Within 9 months of the end of the financial year (31 December year end → 30 September) | Monthly late-filing penalties and interest on unpaid tax |
| VAT registration | Taxable sales above AED 375,000 in 12 months (voluntary from AED 187,500) | Within 30 days of passing the threshold | AED 10,000 late registration penalty |
| VAT returns | Every VAT-registered business | Within 28 days of the end of each quarter | Late filing and late payment penalties |
| Records | Every company | Keep books and documents for 7 years (corporate tax) and at least 5 years (VAT) | AED 10,000 penalty for missing records |
| Audited financial statements | Qualifying Free Zone Persons, revenue above AED 50 million, tax groups | For each financial year | A Free Zone company can lose its 0% rate |
| Salaries (WPS) | Mainland companies with staff | Every month, through the Wage Protection System | Fines and blocked work permits |
Coming next: e-invoicing. Under the current timetable, businesses with revenue under AED 50 million must appoint an accredited e-invoicing provider by 31 March 2027 and start on 1 July 2027. We prepare your books and invoicing for it. Read the details in our guides to corporate tax and VAT registration.
Your month with us
Good accounting is a routine, not a rush at year end. This is what happens every month:
- By the 10th, you send your documents. Bank statements for every account, sales invoices and expense receipts. Snap receipts in the free 800 Business app, forward them by email or share a folder.
- We record and reconcile. Every transaction, in every bank account and currency, matched to an invoice or receipt. Anything missing or unclear, we ask you once, in one message.
- We check VAT and tax. Correct VAT on every invoice, supplier tax numbers checked, your 12-month sales compared with the VAT threshold.
- By the 25th, you get your report. Profit and loss, cash in the bank, what you owe and are owed, and the deadlines coming up. In plain English.
- Every quarter and every year. VAT returns within 28 days of the quarter, financial statements and the corporate tax return within 9 months of year end. Each one is prepared and sent to you for approval first.
Your year with us: every deadline in one place
For a company with a 31 December year end that files VAT every calendar quarter, the year looks like this. If your dates are different, your compliance calendar shows your own.
| When | What happens | Who does it |
|---|---|---|
| Every month, by the 10th | Bank statements, invoices and receipts sent | You (or the app) |
| Every month, by the 25th | Books closed, report sent | Us |
| 28 January, 28 April, 28 July, 28 October | VAT return for the quarter just ended, filed and paid | We prepare, you approve and pay |
| January to March | Year closed, financial statements prepared, audit started if you need one | Us, with the partner auditor |
| By 30 September | Corporate tax return filed and tax paid for the previous year | We prepare, you approve and pay |
| All year | VAT threshold watched every month, licence and visa renewals reminded | Us |
Your quarters can start in a different month: the Federal Tax Authority sets them when you register. We put your real dates in your calendar on day one.
What your monthly report shows
Many owners only see their numbers once a year, when it is too late to change anything. Your report arrives by the 25th and answers the questions owners actually ask:
- Did we make money last month? Sales, costs and profit, compared with the month before.
- How much cash do we have? Every bank account and currency, reconciled to the statement.
- Who owes us, and whom do we owe? Unpaid invoices on both sides.
- What tax is coming? VAT due at the end of the quarter and an estimate of corporate tax for the year.
- What's next? The deadlines and renewals coming up in the next 60 days.
Three plans, sized to your business
Your plan depends on how busy your bank accounts are. A transaction is one line on a bank statement.
| Plan | Bank transactions a month | What's included |
|---|---|---|
| Start | Up to 50 | Bookkeeping and bank reconciliation for every account and currency, monthly report by the 25th, corporate tax registration and yearly return, VAT threshold watched every month, VAT registration when you need it, the 800 Business app, a named team replying within 1 working day. Quarterly VAT returns can be added. |
| Grow | 51 to 150 | Everything in Start, plus quarterly VAT returns and yearly financial statements |
| Scale | 151 to 400 | Everything in Grow, plus payroll calculation and management accounts |
| Custom | More than 400 | Built around your business after a look at one month's statements |
One fixed monthly price, confirmed on your free call. Monthly plan with 30 days' notice, no long contract. Need salaries paid? We add payroll and WPS. Need audited accounts? We prepare them and coordinate the audit with an independent partner audit firm.
Zero Penalty Guarantee
Most fines in the UAE come from a deadline nobody was watching. Deadlines are our job, so we put our money on them:
When you join you also get, at no extra cost:
- Free switch: we collect your records from your old accountant and take over
- Catch-up clean-up: up to 3 months of missing books brought up to date
- Your compliance calendar: every VAT, corporate tax, licence and visa date in one place
- The 800 Business app: send receipts and see your numbers from your phone
Accounting for Free Zone and mainland companies
The basics are the same: books, corporate tax and VAT. The differences matter:
Free Zone companies
- Can pay 0% corporate tax on qualifying income as a Qualifying Free Zone Person, if every condition is met
- Need audited financial statements to keep that status
- Some Free Zones ask for financial statements to renew your licence
- Income from mainland customers needs careful checking
Mainland companies
- 0% corporate tax on taxable profit up to AED 375,000, 9% above
- Salaries paid through WPS
- Often more local suppliers and VAT on purchases to reclaim
- Audit needed above AED 50 million revenue or in a tax group
Setting up a new company? We register it for corporate tax and set up the books from day one: see business setup in Dubai.
Switching from your current accountant
Changing accountant sounds like work. With us it isn't:
- Free 30-minute check. We look at your registrations, last returns and the state of your books.
- Written offer the same day. Your plan and fixed monthly price.
- We collect your records. We contact your old accountant for your files and EmaraTax access.
- We check what was filed. Any gaps or mistakes are listed, with what it takes to fix them.
- We take over from the next month. Up to 3 months of catch-up included.
The mistakes that cost UAE companies the most
These are the problems we fix most often when a company comes to us from another accountant, or from no accountant at all:
- Not registering for corporate tax. Many owners of small or new Free Zone companies think it doesn't apply to them. It does, and late registration is AED 10,000.
- Missing the VAT threshold. The AED 375,000 test looks at any 12 months in a row, not the calendar year. A good quarter can push you over without anyone noticing.
- Mixing personal and company money. Personal spending through the company account, or company income into a personal account, makes the books unreliable and worries banks.
- No receipts for expenses. Without an invoice you can't reclaim VAT, and the cost may not be accepted for corporate tax.
- Assuming a Free Zone means 0% tax. The 0% rate only covers qualifying income, and only when every condition is met, including audited financial statements.
- Leaving the books to year end. Twelve months of catch-up in September is how deadlines get missed and mistakes get filed.
How to choose an accounting firm in Dubai
Dubai has hundreds of accounting firms. Before you sign with any of them, us included, ask these questions:
- Who prepares and who submits my returns? You should approve every return before it goes to the Federal Tax Authority.
- What happens if you miss a deadline? Ask for the answer in writing.
- How fast do you reply, and who replies? A named team beats a generic inbox.
- What exactly is included? VAT returns, the corporate tax return, financial statements, catch-up: check each one.
- What do I get every month? A report you can read, not just a ledger at year end.
- Can I leave easily? Monthly plans with short notice keep everyone honest.
Who we work with
Most of our clients are owner-run companies with up to a few hundred transactions a month: consultants and agencies, online shops and traders, tech companies, holding companies and property owners. Many set up their company with us and stayed for the accounting. Our multilingual team works with owners in the UAE and abroad.
Sources
Rules checked on 29 October 2026. Tax rules change, so we re-check them every quarter.
- Federal Tax Authority
- PwC Tax Summaries: UAE tax administration (returns, records)
- KPMG: Ministerial Decision 84 of 2025 on audited financial statements
- Ministry of Finance: UAE e-invoicing programme
This page explains the rules in plain English. It is not tax advice for your company: book a free call and we will look at your case.