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Accounting services in Dubai cover the work between your daily transactions and your tax filings: keeping the books, preparing financial statements and filing returns. Two retention rules matter from day one. Corporate tax records are kept for 7 years after the end of the tax period. The general VAT and tax procedures rule is 5 years.
Source: Federal Tax Authority, corporate tax law (Article 56) and Tax Procedures Executive Regulation (Article 3), checked .
The services menu
| Service | What it is | More |
|---|---|---|
| Bookkeeping | Recording transactions each month | Bookkeeping services |
| VAT | Registration, returns, records | VAT registration |
| Corporate tax | Registration and annual return | Corporate tax registration |
| Financial statements | Year-end accounts, sometimes audited | External audit |
| Payroll | Salary runs and records | Payroll services |
| Finance leadership | Budgets, cash flow, reporting | CFO services |
You rarely need all of it. A small consultancy might need monthly bookkeeping and an annual return. A trading company with staff may need the full list.
Mainland and free zone
Both kinds of company keep books. Where they differ is the extra rules on top.
- A mainland company follows the Commercial Companies Law, which for a limited liability company calls for an auditor each year. Our source for this is a search extract of the law, so check the current text with the Ministry of Economy.
- A free zone company follows the rules of its authority. Some require audited statements at renewal, some do not. See free zone approved auditors for the zone by zone picture.
Free zone status also affects corporate tax. Read the Qualifying Free Zone Person page before you assume anything.
What to hand over
Prepare these before the first meeting.
- Trade licence and company documents.
- Tax registration details and EmaraTax access for VAT and corporate tax.
- Bank statements for every account.
- Sales invoices, supplier bills and receipts.
- Contracts, loan papers and lease agreements.
- Payroll records and the last set of statements.
Agree a day each month for sending new documents. Late paper is the most common reason a monthly service slips.
How long to keep records
Corporate tax: 7 years after the end of the tax period. VAT and general tax procedures: 5 years after the tax period, with a longer 15 year rule for VAT records related to real estate.
Source: Federal Tax Authority, Corporate tax law Article 56, Tax Procedures Executive Regulation Article 3 and VAT Executive Regulation Article 71, checked .
A company can be fined for not keeping required records. Keep a copy outside your accounting firm, so the records stay with you if you change provider.
How to compare quotes
- Ask for the same scope from each firm, in writing.
- Compare the yearly total, not the monthly headline.
- Check what is billed separately: catch-up months, tax return, audit liaison, extra transactions.
- Ask who prepares, who reviews and who you speak to.
- Confirm you own your data and can take it with you.
The quote form on this page sends one request to several firms, which makes like-for-like comparison easier.
Choosing the size of service
Match the service to the stage of the company. A new company with a handful of invoices needs registrations, a bank-ready set of books and a reminder of its filing dates. A growing company with staff and stock needs monthly closes, payroll and reports it can read. A larger company with revenue near the audit threshold needs statements built to be audited, which means a tidy ledger, fixed asset records and support for every large entry. Say which of these you are when you ask for quotes. Firms price a monthly close very differently from a once-a-year filing.
Red flags in a quote
A very low monthly price with a long list of extras is the usual one. Another is a firm that will not say who actually does the work. A third is no written scope. A good quote lists the services, the transaction limit, the filing dates it covers and the notice period to end the contract.
