Control gaps, found early
Find control gaps before they lead to losses, penalties or reporting problems.
Internal Audit Servicesin Abu Dhabi
What can go wrong, which controls are not working, and what should be fixed first.
Our audit team includes experienced chartered accountants and tax professionals. Where the review covers UAE tax processes, we test the control trail around records, filings and supporting documents against current Federal Tax Authority requirements.
Risk-Based Scope Clear Findings Follow-Through
- 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)
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Audit Trigger Check
Tell us the entity type, industry, the processes that concern you and any audit findings still open. We confirm which rules apply to your organisation and scope the engagement around them.
Overview
Trusted Internal Audit Services in Abu Dhabi
Internal audit should give management a clear answer to three questions: what can go wrong, which controls are not working, and what should be fixed first. Bestax performs independent reviews of your processes and controls so owners, directors and management can make decisions using evidence instead of assumptions.
We tailor the scope to the size, industry and risk profile of your business. A growing trading company can need a focused review of purchasing, inventory and receivables, while a larger group can need a wider risk-based programme covering finance, operations, IT, compliance and governance.
What the review delivers
Approvals tested in practice
Test whether approvals and responsibilities are working in practice, not only written in a policy.
Records that hold up
Check whether accounting, tax and operational records can support management decisions and regulatory filings.
Fraud indicators
Identify fraud indicators, unusual transactions and weak segregation of duties.
A practical action plan
Create a practical action plan with owners and deadlines for each high-risk finding.
What We Perform
Types of Internal Audits We Perform
Six routes into the same question. The scope is agreed against the risk that brought you here rather than against a standard programme applied to every business.
Financial Controls Audit
We test reconciliations, approvals, journal entries, cash handling, receivables, payables, payroll, fixed assets and financial reporting controls. The objective is to find errors, weak controls and unusual activity before they affect reporting or cash flow.
Operational Audit
We review workflows, hand-offs, duplicate work, approval delays, procurement, inventory movement and resource use. You receive recommendations focused on making the process simpler, faster and easier to control.
Compliance Audit
We compare selected business processes with the laws, licence conditions, policies and regulatory requirements that apply to your organisation. The scope is agreed before fieldwork so the review stays relevant to your actual obligations.
IT and Access Controls Audit
We review user access, segregation of duties, backup processes, change controls, system permissions and key technology risks that can affect financial data or business continuity.
Risk-Based Internal Audit
We rank business areas by impact and likelihood, then focus audit effort on the processes that could cause the greatest financial, operational, regulatory or reputational damage.
Outsourced and Co-Sourced Internal Audit
Bestax can operate as your outsourced internal audit team or support an existing in-house function with specialist reviews, extra capacity, testing and independent follow-up.
Tax Controls
Tax and Accounting Control Review
A modern internal audit should also test whether the financial records behind your tax filings are reliable. When tax controls are included in scope, we review how transactions move from invoices and source documents into the accounting system and then into VAT or Corporate Tax reporting.
For Corporate Tax, the FTA requires relevant records and documents to be retained for at least seven years after the end of the Tax Period to which they relate. Taxable Persons are also expected to file Corporate Tax returns and pay Corporate Tax due within the applicable legal timeframe, generally no later than nine months after the end of the Tax Period. Our role in an internal audit is to test whether your internal process supports accurate and timely compliance, not simply whether a return was submitted.
What we test when tax is in scope
- Revenue and expense cut-off controls
- Invoice and supporting-document trails
- VAT coding and reconciliation controls
- Corporate Tax data preparation and review controls
- Related-party transaction capture
- Fixed asset and depreciation records
- Record retention and document access
- Responsibility for tax filings and management review
The Triggers
8 Audit Triggers That Tell You It Is Time for a Review
Many businesses wait for a regulator, bank, investor or external auditor to raise a problem. We use an Audit Trigger Check before the engagement so management can see whether the risk is already high enough to justify immediate review.
Bank and ledger balances keep disagreeing
Repeated reconciliation differences usually point to process, timing or approval weaknesses that need root-cause testing.
One person controls a transaction from start to finish
If the same person can create a supplier, approve a purchase, process payment and reconcile the account, fraud and error risk rises.
Stock losses or adjustments keep increasing
Frequent write-offs, negative stock or unexplained adjustments can signal weak receiving, storage, system or approval controls.
VAT or tax figures require last-minute manual fixes
Heavy spreadsheet adjustments close to filing deadlines can indicate that accounting and tax controls are not working consistently.
Management reports do not match the accounting system
Different versions of revenue, margin or receivables make decisions harder and usually point to data ownership or reporting-control gaps.
Staff changes have left access rights unclear
Former employees, shared logins and excessive system permissions can expose financial and customer data.
The business has grown faster than its procedures
A process that worked with five employees can break when the business has fifty. Growth often creates approval and responsibility gaps.
Previous audit findings are still open
Repeated findings mean the problem is no longer identification. The real issue is ownership, deadline control and management follow-through.
Our Internal Audit Process
Scope and Objective
We meet management to understand the concern, business process, recent changes and expected outcome. We agree what is in scope and what is outside scope before work begins.
Risk Assessment
We identify the main financial, operational, compliance, fraud and technology risks in the selected process. High-impact areas receive more testing.
Process Walkthrough
We follow real transactions from start to finish, speak with the people doing the work and compare actual practice with policies and system controls.
Control Testing
We test samples, approvals, reconciliations, system access, documents and exception handling. The testing is designed around the risk, not a generic checklist.
Findings and Management Discussion
We discuss factual findings with responsible managers before finalising the report. This reduces misunderstandings and helps us agree realistic corrective actions.
Final Report and Risk Rating
You receive a concise report that explains the issue, why it matters, the root cause, risk level and recommended action.
Follow-Up
High-risk findings are tracked by owner and deadline. Where follow-up is included, we retest completed actions and report unresolved items to management.
The Checklist
What We Review During an Internal Audit
The exact list follows the agreed scope. A typical Abu Dhabi engagement covers the areas below.
- General ledger, trial balance and management reports
- Bank reconciliations and cash controls
- Sales, receivables and customer credit controls
- Purchasing, supplier onboarding and payment approvals
- Inventory, warehouses and stock adjustments
- Payroll, employee master data and approval controls
- Fixed asset registers and asset custody
- Contracts and authority limits
- Accounting system access and user permissions
- VAT and Corporate Tax control processes where included in scope
- Policies, procedures and evidence that key controls were actually performed
- Previous internal or external audit findings and management actions
The Report
Internal Audit Abu Dhabi Reporting Built for Management Action
A useful report should tell management what needs attention first. We avoid long descriptions that hide the real issue. Each significant finding is written so a decision-maker can quickly understand the control gap, business impact, root cause and corrective action.
This gives management a working control document rather than a one-time audit report.
Our reports can include
- Executive risk summary
- Detailed findings
- Agreed management responses
- Action owners
- Deadlines
- Follow-up status
Who We Support
Who We Support in Abu Dhabi
Internal audit can add value at different stages of a business. We adjust the scope to the risks that matter in your industry and operating model.
- Trading and distribution companies
- Construction, contracting and project-based businesses
- Real estate and property businesses
- Manufacturing and industrial companies
- Professional and business service firms
- Hospitality and restaurant groups
- Technology and e-commerce businesses
- Healthcare and other regulated businesses, subject to the rules that apply to the entity
- Groups with multiple branches, entities or shared-service functions
- ADGM and Abu Dhabi entities that need risk, control or governance support
Why Choose Bestax for Internal Audit Services in Abu Dhabi
An outside view, a scope weighted to the risks that can cost you most, and findings written so a decision-maker can act on them.
Independent Review
Your team runs the process every day. We bring an outside view and test whether the controls work consistently without relying only on management explanations.
UAE Tax and Accounting Knowledge
Our accounting and tax experience helps us identify control gaps that affect financial reporting, VAT, Corporate Tax and document trails.
Risk-Based Scope
We focus more time on the areas that can create the biggest loss, compliance issue or operational disruption.
Clear Findings
Each important observation explains the risk, the control weakness, the root cause and the practical action required.
Scalable Support
Use us for a one-time review, a focused process audit, periodic reviews, co-sourcing or a fully outsourced internal audit programme.
Follow-Through
Our Control Action Tracker gives management visibility over open findings and supports evidence-based closure of important issues.
Our Strength in Numbers
10+ Years of Experience
Long-term experience supporting UAE businesses with accounting, tax, audit and compliance work.
35+ Professionals
A multidisciplinary team for financial, operational, tax, technology and compliance reviews.
1,000+ Clients
Experience across different business sizes and industries gives us practical insight into common control failures.
Practical Follow-Up
We do not stop at reporting findings. We help management track actions and verify whether major issues were actually resolved.
Our Other Services
Internal audit is one part of a controlled financial year. Bestax handles the work that sits either side of it.
Accounting and Bookkeeping
We maintain accurate accounting records, reconciliations and management reporting so your financial information is ready for tax, audit and business decisions.
VAT Services
We support VAT registration, return preparation, reconciliations, corrections and advisory based on the current UAE VAT framework.
Corporate Tax Services
We support Corporate Tax registration, return preparation, tax computations, relief assessments and ongoing compliance.
External Audit Support
We help businesses prepare records, schedules and reconciliations required for external audit and resolve accounting issues before year-end reporting.
Transfer Pricing
We help identify related-party transactions, review documentation requirements and support transfer pricing compliance.
AML Compliance
Where AML obligations apply to the business, we support risk assessments, policies, controls, record keeping and compliance processes.
What Clients Say About Bestax
We believe our work speaks for itself. Our clients say it louder. Businesses across the Emirates trust Bestax for reviews that are scoped to real risk, evidenced properly, and followed through to closure.
Had my first corporate tax filing done through Bestax. They offered a tax planning session that was extremely helpful, especially because I was unsure what expenses could be deducted legally. They kinda guided me through the whole process because, as a healthcare professional, I had no clue how things work around here.
I'm very pleased with the support provided by Athira and her team in completing my Transfer Pricing report and filing the Corporate Tax returns for my company. They are highly responsive, and the quality of their work and reports is truly excellent.
Very smooth and efficient service to open a freezone company. Even while sitting in canada. They are great. Highly highly recommend.
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.
Maham guided me through the business license renewal process. She even flagged upcoming compliance changes I had no clue about. It’s that extra attention to detail that makes Bestax stand out.
Anusha at Bestax keeps our financials in top shape. Her budgeting advice has improved our cash flow significantly. Highly reliable team!
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Frequently Asked Questions
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