Records that hold up
Bookkeeping & Accounting Services in UAE
Since corporate tax arrived, the books stopped being a formality. Proper records are now what your tax position, your audit and your bank relationship all rest on.
GCC business setup specialists
Books kept for the filing, not just the file
Most companies that get into trouble were not dishonest, they were disorganised — a year of receipts handed over in March, a bank account mixing personal and company spending, and no one able to say what the profit actually was.
- Monthly, not a panic at year end
- Records kept to what your authority expects
- The same team through audit and tax filing
20+
Mainland, free zone and offshore jurisdictions we file in — so the recommendation is based on your activity, not on which authority we happen to be registered with.
7,000+
Companies successfully established.
Black Swan Business Setup Services•Black Swan Business Setup Services•Black Swan Business Setup Services
What we do
The accounting cycle we run for you
What applies to your company depends on your authority, your activity and whether you are VAT registered.
| Work | What it involves | Rhythm |
|---|---|---|
| Bookkeeping | Sales, purchases, bank and cash posted and reconciled; supporting documents filed against each entry | Monthly |
| Management reporting | Profit and loss, balance sheet and cash position, with the numbers explained in plain terms | Monthly or quarterly |
| Year-end statements | Financial statements prepared to the format your authority accepts | Annual |
| Audit support | Schedules, reconciliations and the auditor's queries handled where an audit is required | Annual |
| Corporate tax records | Books maintained so the tax computation and return can be prepared from them | Ongoing, filed annually |
| VAT records | Tax invoices, input and output tracked and reconciled, where you are registered | Per return period |
Record-keeping obligations and audit requirements differ by authority and activity. What applies to your company is confirmed in writing before the engagement starts.
How it works
Getting your books under control
Whether you are starting clean or handing over a backlog, the first month is about establishing what is actually there.
01
Position and handover
We look at what exists — ledgers, spreadsheets, a shoebox — and establish the opening position, the gaps, and what your authority expects of you. You get a scope and a fixed monthly fee.
02
Clean-up and setup
Backlog brought up to date, chart of accounts set to your activity, bank feeds and document flow agreed so it stays current rather than being rebuilt each year.
03
Monthly rhythm
Books posted and reconciled, reports issued and explained, and the records kept in the state the corporate tax return and any audit will need.
To get started
What we need from you
Most of this is a one-off handover; after that it is a monthly document flow.
- Trade licence and memorandum of association
- Corporate tax registration details
- VAT registration certificate, if registered
- Bank statements for the period, all accounts
- Sales invoices issued
- Purchase invoices and expense receipts
- Any existing ledgers, spreadsheets or accounting file
- Prior-year financial statements, if any
- Loan, lease and finance agreements
- Payroll records and employment contracts
- Fixed asset list with purchase dates
- Details of related-party transactions
Scope
What is included, and what is not
Stated plainly, so nothing is added once the engagement starts.
Included in the service fee
- Monthly bookkeeping and bank reconciliation
- Chart of accounts set to your activity
- Management profit and loss and balance sheet
- Year-end financial statements
- Schedules and support for your auditor
- Records maintained for corporate tax
- VAT record-keeping where registered
- A named accountant you can actually call
Not included, quoted separately
- The statutory audit itself, performed by a licensed auditor
- Government, authority and filing fees
- Backlog clean-up beyond the agreed opening position
- Payroll processing and WPS, quoted separately
- Company formation and licence renewal
- Legal or tax advisory opinions
- Accounting software licences
- Representation in a tax audit, quoted separately
Verify independently
Official UAE authorities
We file directly with these bodies on your behalf.
Federal Tax AuthorityMinistry of Human Resources & EmiratisationIdentity, Citizenship, Customs & Port SecurityAbu Dhabi Department of Economic DevelopmentIFZA — International Free Zone AuthorityUAE Government Portal
Questions
Bookkeeping & Accounting Services in UAE — FAQs
Does my UAE company have to keep accounts?
Yes. Record-keeping is a requirement regardless of whether tax turns out to be payable, and corporate tax registration applies to companies generally. The detail of what you must keep, and for how long, depends on your authority and activity.
Do I need an audit?
Most free zones require audited accounts annually. On the mainland it depends on the authority and the activity. We confirm your position in writing rather than assuming.
I have a year of receipts and nothing else. Can you help?
Yes — that is a common starting point. We establish an opening position, bring the backlog up to date and then keep it current. The clean-up is scoped and priced separately from the monthly work.
Can you work with my existing accounting software?
Generally yes. If you have nothing in place we will recommend something proportionate to the size of the business rather than the most expensive option.
Do you file my corporate tax return as well?
Tax registration and filing is handled under our tax compliance service, by the same team, using the records produced here. Keeping the two together is what stops the year-end scramble.
What happens if my records are not in order?
In the short term it makes audits and tax filing slow and expensive. Over time it affects your bank relationship, your licence renewal and, if the company is ever examined, your ability to support the position you took.
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At Black Swan Business Setup Services, our mission is simple: to empower entrepreneurs and companies of all sizes to establish and expand their presence in the UAE, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, and beyond.
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