Fees and steps checked on
There is no verified market range for audit fees in Dubai, and we will not make one up. The only own-price figures we found are a starting price for a small free zone audit published by one firm, and a Meydan Free Zone starting figure of AED 3,000. Two sources are not a market. Checked .
How much does an audit cost in Dubai?
| Source type | Published figure | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| One audit firm | A low starting price | Small free zone audit, simplest case |
| Meydan Free Zone | From AED 3,000 | Seen in a search snippet, not read in full |
One published guide also quotes a wide general range for free zone audits, from a little over a thousand dirhams to about ten thousand. It is a guide, not a price list from a firm, and we do not treat it as a market range. The wide gap between the lowest and highest figure shows how much depends on the company.
What makes an audit cost more?
Auditors price on hours. These are the main inputs.
- Revenue. Larger revenue usually means more testing and a larger file.
- Number of transactions. A company with a few hundred entries a year is quicker to audit than one with thousands.
- Quality of the books. If the trial balance does not tie to bank statements, the auditor spends time fixing or queries the work.
- Group structure. Several entities, intercompany balances or foreign subsidiaries add hours.
- Free zone rules. Free zone authorities set their own audit rules and often their own list of approved or registered auditors. Some require an audit for licence renewal, others do not. Check with your zone, then read the list for your zone, for example DMCC approved auditors or JAFZA approved auditors.
- Why you need the audit. An audit for corporate tax purposes can differ in scope from one for licence renewal or a bank. See audit requirements in the UAE.
- Timing. Rushed work near a deadline can cost more, and late work can bring penalties.
Do I need an audit for corporate tax?
Some companies must prepare audited financial statements for corporate tax. These are Qualifying Free Zone Persons and taxable persons that are not tax groups and have revenue above AED 50,000,000 in the tax period. If this applies to you, the auditor's scope is set by the rule, and the price follows the size of the company.
Source: Federal Tax Authority, audited financial statements (Ministerial Decision No. 84), checked .
How do I get a usable audit quote?
A quote is only comparable if the inputs are the same. Give each auditor the same package.
- Last financial year's statements, or a trial balance.
- Revenue, number of bank accounts and rough transaction count.
- The reason for the audit and who will receive it.
- The date you need the signed report.
Then ask what is excluded. Common extras are bookkeeping clean-up, attending a bank meeting, and repeat visits. Ask whether the fee is fixed or may change once work starts.
Do not buy on price alone
A low price from a source we cannot compare is not a signal of quality. Check that the auditor is licensed for your jurisdiction. A free zone may accept only auditors on its own list. The free zone approved auditors page shows how each zone handles this.
For other cost topics, return to the accounting cost hub.
Why we do not average two numbers
A range needs a sample. For registrations and bookkeeping, several providers publish prices, so a spread means something. For audit, nearly every firm asks you to request a quote. That is normal, because the work depends on your books. It also means a headline number you read elsewhere is probably a marketing figure or a guess, and you cannot test it against anything.
Questions to put to each auditor
- Is the fee fixed, and what would make it change?
- Does the fee include the draft, the management letter and the signed report?
- How many hours do you expect, and at what level of staff?
- What do you need from us, and by when?
- Are you on the list of auditors my free zone or bank accepts?
If two quotes differ a lot, ask each firm to explain the difference in hours. That tells you more than the total.
