7 / 5 / 15
years
Corporate tax records must be kept for 7 years after the end of the tax period. VAT records must be kept for 5 years, rising to 15 years for records connected to real estate.
Bookkeeping Servicesin Dubai
Chartered accountant led bookkeeping from Business Bay.
Bestax provides bookkeeping services in Dubai for new companies, established groups and multinationals across the Emirates. Our team of chartered accountants records your transactions, reconciles your bank accounts and closes your books every month, so your numbers are always ready for a VAT return, a corporate tax filing or an audit.
Dedicated bookkeeper Senior reviewer Fixed monthly fee
- FTA Approved
Tax AgencyNo. 30008692 - Business Setup Partner
for Dubai Free Zones - 10+YEARSof Experience
You Can Count On - out of 5from 200+Google Reviews (opens in a new tab)out of 5from 75+Trustpilot Reviews (opens in a new tab)
Talk to a Dubai
Bookkeeping Team
Send us your latest trial balance or a folder of invoices and we will tell you where you stand.
- 30008692FTA registered tax agency, approval number
- Business BayOur Dubai office, minutes from yours
- 1,000+Businesses have trusted us with their finances
Compliance Alert
What UAE law expects from your books right now
AED 10,000
then AED 20,000
Failing to keep the required records carries a penalty of AED 10,000, rising to AED 20,000 if the violation is repeated within 24 months.
30 Sep 2026
return due
If your financial year ended on 31 December 2025, your corporate tax return is due by 30 September 2026, and it cannot be filed accurately from incomplete books.
1 Jan 2027
e-invoicing go-live
E-invoicing is coming. Businesses with revenue of AED 50 million or more must appoint an accredited service provider by 30 October 2026 and go live on 1 January 2027. Everyone else follows from 1 July 2027.
Not sure if your records meet these rules? Send us your latest trial balance or even a folder of invoices, and we will tell you exactly where you stand at no cost.
Book a Free 20-Minute Call
The 2026 Position
Why Bookkeeping in the UAE Matters More Than Ever in 2026
Keeping the books used to be a back office chore. Today it is the foundation of three federal tax systems that all pull their numbers from the same place: your records.
Clean books are no longer good practice. They are your first line of defence.
Corporate tax is now in its second filing cycle. Your return is due nine months after your financial year ends, and it must be prepared from financial statements that follow IFRS, or IFRS for SMEs if your revenue is below AED 50 million. If the books behind the return are wrong, the return is wrong, and late filing costs AED 500 per month for the first 12 months and AED 1,000 per month after that.
VAT penalties also became stricter under Cabinet Decision No. 129 of 2025, which took effect on 14 April 2026. A late VAT return now costs AED 1,000 the first time and AED 2,000 if repeated within 24 months, while unpaid VAT accrues a 14 percent annual late payment penalty. Every one of those risks traces back to whether your records were complete and up to date.
Audited accounts and e-invoicing
Two more changes raise the bar further. Under Ministerial Decision No. 84 of 2025, businesses with revenue above AED 50 million and all qualifying free zone persons must prepare audited financial statements, and no auditor can sign off on messy books. And from 2027, mandatory e-invoicing will report your invoice data to the FTA in structured digital format, which means errors that once sat quietly in a spreadsheet will become visible to the tax authority in near real time.
What We Do
Our Bookkeeping Services in the UAE
One team handles your complete record cycle, from the first invoice to the monthly close. Every file is prepared by your dedicated bookkeeper and reviewed by a chartered accountant before it reaches you.
Transaction Recording and Chart of Accounts
We record every sale, purchase, expense and payment in a chart of accounts built for your business activity. Correct classification from day one is what makes your VAT return, corporate tax computation and management reports reliable later.
Bank and Credit Card Reconciliation
Every month we match your books against your bank and card statements, so missing deposits, duplicate payments and unrecorded charges are caught within weeks instead of years.
Accounts Payable and Receivable
We track what you owe suppliers and what customers owe you, with ageing reports that show exactly who to chase and when to pay. Fewer surprises, better cash flow.
Payroll Records and WPS Support
Salaries, allowances, gratuity accruals and end of service liabilities are recorded correctly each month. If you need full payroll processing, our payroll services in the UAE run through the Wage Protection System.
VAT Ready Records and Tax Invoices
We keep your records in the format the FTA expects, including compliant tax invoices with your TRN, and we prepare the figures behind every VAT return. If you are not yet registered, our VAT registration team handles that too, and our VAT return filing service submits on time, every time.
Monthly Management Reports
You receive a profit and loss statement, balance sheet and cash summary every month in plain language, so you always know whether the business made money and where it went.
Backlog Bookkeeping Catch Up
Months or years behind? We rebuild past records from bank statements, invoices and contracts through our backlog accounting services, and we have explained how the process works in our backlog accounting guide.
Accounting Software Setup and Migration
We set you up on Zoho Books, QuickBooks, Xero or Tally, migrate your old data and train your team. Read more about our accounting software services if you are choosing a platform.
Verified August 2026
UAE Record Keeping Rules at a Glance
These are the rules your books must meet today. We review this table every month and update it whenever the FTA or the Ministry of Finance changes a requirement.
| Requirement | The rule | Where it comes from |
|---|---|---|
| Corporate tax records | Keep for 7 years after the end of the tax period | Corporate Tax Law and Tax Procedures Law |
| VAT records | Keep for 5 years, 15 years for real estate records | Tax Procedures Law and VAT legislation |
| Penalty for missing records | AED 10,000, then AED 20,000 if repeated within 24 months | Cabinet Decision No. 75 of 2023 and Cabinet Decision No. 129 of 2025 |
| Accounting standard | IFRS, or IFRS for SMEs below AED 50 million revenue | Ministry of Finance decisions under the Corporate Tax Law |
| Audited financial statements | Required above AED 50 million revenue and for all qualifying free zone persons | Ministerial Decision No. 84 of 2025 |
| E-invoicing | Pilot live since 1 July 2026, mandatory 1 January 2027 for AED 50 million plus revenue, 1 July 2027 for others | Ministerial Decisions No. 243 and 244 of 2025 |
The FTA records checklist
During an audit, the FTA can ask for all of the following, so this is what we keep organised for you.
- Tax invoices issued and received
- Credit and debit notes
- Bank statements
- Contracts and agreements
- Payroll records
- Import and export documents
- Fixed asset registers
- Inventory counts
If any item on that list would take you more than a day to produce, your records need attention before the FTA asks, not after.
Why Businesses Outsource to Bookkeeping Firms in Dubai
Most owners do not leave their books messy on purpose. They simply run out of time, and hiring in house is expensive for a task that rarely needs a full time seat. That is why so many businesses hand their books to an outside specialist instead. Here is the honest comparison.
Full time bookkeeper in house
- Typical monthly cost
- AED 4,000 to 8,000 salary, plus visa, insurance, gratuity and software
- Review
- Usually none, one person works unchecked
- Cover
- Work stops during leave or resignation
- Tax knowledge
- Varies by hire
- Scaling
- New hire needed as volume grows
Outsourced to Bestax
- Typical monthly cost
- Fixed fee from AED 1,500 per month, everything included
- Review
- Every entry reviewed by a chartered accountant
- Cover
- A team that never goes on holiday
- Tax knowledge
- FTA registered tax agents in the same office
- Scaling
- Fee adjusts with transaction volume
Outsourcing also removes a quieter risk. When one person controls the records with no oversight, errors and even fraud can sit undetected for years. A second pair of qualified eyes on every reconciliation is one of the simplest fraud controls a business can buy.
How Bestax Compares with Other Bookkeeping Companies in Dubai
Plenty of providers can enter transactions into software. What you should compare is what happens after the data entry. Ask any provider these five questions, and ask us the same.
Who reviews the work?
At Bestax, every monthly file is reviewed and signed off by a chartered accountant, not just prepared by a data entry clerk.
Are they registered with the FTA?
We are an FTA registered tax agency and we publish the proof: Tax Agency Approval Number 30008692. Your books are kept by the same firm that can legally represent you before the FTA.
Is the fee fixed in writing?
Ours is. You approve the scope and price before work starts, and the fee only changes if your transaction volume does.
Do the books connect to your tax filings?
Our bookkeeping, VAT and corporate tax return filing teams work from one set of records, so your VAT returns and your corporate tax return always tell the same story. That consistency is exactly what reduces questions in an FTA audit.
What do you actually receive each month?
We commit to a named list of monthly deliverables, listed in the next section. If a provider cannot name theirs, that tells you something.
How We Start: Onboarding in Five Simple Steps
Free consultation
A 30 minute call or meeting to understand your business, your software and the state of your records. No obligation.
Records review
We look at your current books, bank statements and filings, then send you a written summary of gaps, risks and what fixing them will take.
Fixed fee proposal
You receive a clear scope and monthly price. Work starts only after you approve it.
Setup and catch up
We build or clean your chart of accounts, connect your bank feeds, migrate your software if needed and clear any backlog.
Monthly rhythm
From then on, your books close every month, your reports arrive on schedule and your deadlines are tracked in a compliance calendar we maintain for you.
Your Deliverables
What You Receive Every Month
Bookkeeping only helps you if it produces something you can use. Every Bestax bookkeeping client receives this fixed monthly pack, usually within 10 days of month end.
- Profit and loss statement, balance sheet and trial balance
- Bank and credit card reconciliations for every account
- Accounts receivable and payable ageing reports, so you know who owes you and what you owe
- A VAT position summary showing the output and input VAT building up for your next return
- A short plain language note from your bookkeeper flagging anything unusual, from a duplicate supplier payment to a customer who has stopped paying
Nothing in the pack needs an accounting degree to read. If a number needs explaining, we explain it in the monthly note or on a call.
Where We Are
A Bookkeeping Firm in Business Bay, Minutes from Your Office
Bestax operates from Office 601, Damac Executive Bay Tower B, Al A’amal Street, Business Bay, Dubai. If your company is based in Business Bay, Downtown, DIFC or along Sheikh Zayed Road, you can drop off documents, meet your bookkeeper face to face and resolve questions in person instead of over endless emails.
Working with a bookkeeping firm in Business Bay has a practical advantage that outsourced offshore providers cannot match: when the FTA, your bank or an auditor needs something urgently, we are in the same city, in the same time zone, and available Monday to Saturday from 9am to 8pm. We also arrange document collection from your office anywhere in Dubai, and clients outside the city work with us fully online through shared drives and monthly video calls.
Who We Help
Bookkeeping Built Around How Your Business Actually Trades
Startups and New Businesses
Your first year sets the pattern. We set up your chart of accounts correctly, watch your revenue against the VAT registration threshold of AED 375,000 (voluntary registration opens at AED 187,500) and make sure corporate tax registration happens on time, which avoids the AED 10,000 late registration penalty.
Growing Companies
Most growing companies come to us with books that are three to six months behind and a deadline approaching. We catch up the records, move you to a monthly close and keep you there. If your revenue is AED 3 million or below, we also check whether Small Business Relief applies to your tax period, because it is available for periods ending on or before 31 December 2029 following Ministerial Decision No. 131 of 2026.
Free Zone Companies
The 0 percent corporate tax rate on qualifying income depends on evidence: audited financial statements, proof of substance and revenue analysis showing non-qualifying income stays within the de minimis limit of the lower of 5 percent of revenue or AED 5 million. The standard for bookkeeping in the UAE is simply higher for free zone companies, because weak records can cost you the 0 percent rate for five tax periods.
E-commerce and Trading Businesses
Payment gateway settlements, cash on delivery reconciliations, import VAT, customs documents and multi-currency transactions create thousands of small entries where errors multiply. We reconcile gateway reports to bank deposits line by line so your revenue is complete and your input VAT claims survive scrutiny.
Restaurants, Salons and Retail
Daily sales from POS systems, supplier invoices, inventory counts and tips need to flow into the ledger accurately every day. We link your POS reports to your books so cash and card takings always match what was banked.
Real Estate and Construction
Records connected to real estate must be kept for 15 years, the longest retention rule in UAE tax law. Long project cycles, retentions and staged invoicing also complicate VAT timing. We structure your records so every project has its own clean cost and revenue trail.
Freelancers and Sole Establishments
If your business turnover passes AED 1 million in a calendar year, corporate tax applies to you and you must register by 31 March of the following year. Proper books tell you in time, before the deadline passes and the penalty applies. Our tax consultants in Dubai then handle the registration and the return.
Fixable, and Cheaper Early
Common Bookkeeping Mistakes We Fix Every Week
New clients bring us the same problems again and again. Every one of these is fixable, and cheaper to fix early.
Mixing personal and business spending
One card for everything means every FTA query starts with untangling your groceries from your cost of sales. We separate the accounts and clean the history.
Recording sales only from bank deposits
Gateway fees, refunds and cash sales disappear, so revenue is understated or overstated, and both are a problem in a tax audit.
No monthly bank reconciliation
Unreconciled books quietly drift away from reality. We have seen differences of six figures discovered years too late.
Claiming input VAT on blocked expenses
VAT on entertainment and on certain vehicles available for personal use cannot be recovered. Claiming it builds a liability that surfaces in an audit long after.
Invoices that do not meet FTA requirements
A tax invoice without the required details, starting with your TRN, can cost your customer their input VAT claim and cost you a penalty.
Leaving the whole year to deadline month
Twelve months of records rebuilt in three weeks is expensive and error prone. A monthly close costs less and removes the panic.
What It Costs
Simple Fixed Pricing
AED 1,500
per month, from
Bookkeeping packages start from AED 1,500 per month.
Your exact fee depends on four things.
- Transaction volume
- The number of entities and bank accounts
- The state of your current records
- Whether you need extras such as payroll or VAT filing bundled in
After the free consultation you receive one written fixed quote, and that is the amount you pay. No hourly billing, no surprises at month end.
What Clients Say About Our Bookkeeping Team
Bestax is rated 4.8 out of 5 from more than 290 Google reviews, built over 10+ years with a team of 35+ professionals serving more than 1,000 clients.
- 4.8Rated out of 5
- 290+Google reviews
- 35+Professionals
- 10+Years
My company Uktra Dex Trading is with Bestax Chartered company for bookkeeping and they arranged also all for opening of my company in Dubai.
Zoran BojovicGoogle review · April 2026 Bestax have been managing my accounts for the past 1 year now and I must say they do an amazing job. My tax returns are always on time and I never faced any penalty.
Melvin RossGoogle review · October 2025 They have been handling all my accounting and tax submissions without mistakes.
Philippos ZannettosGoogle review · March 2026 Bestax Chartered Accountant supported us with Accounting and VAT work. Their team was easy to communicate with and helped us stay on track with business compliance.
TheodoreGoogle review · June 2026
On time records, zero penalties and answers in plain language. That is what we aim to repeat for every client.
Read these and more on Bestax on Google (opens in a new tab)
Our Other Services
Your books feed everything else your business files. Because these teams sit in one office, nothing gets lost between providers.
Accounting Services in Dubai
Full accounting support built on top of your bookkeeping, from financial statements to advisory.
VAT Registration and VAT Return Filing
Registration when you cross the threshold and returns filed within 28 days of each period.
Corporate Tax Registration and Return Filing
EmaraTax registration and returns prepared from books we already know are right.
CFO Services
Budgets, cash flow forecasts and board reporting when you need finance leadership without a full time hire.
Tax Consultancy
FTA registered tax agents for planning, audits and representation.
For a plain English overview of how records and accounting fit together, read our essential guide to accounting and bookkeeping in Dubai.
Bookkeeping in Dubai: Your Questions Answered
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