Accountants for UAE SMEs.
A complete finance function for UAE mainland and freezone SMEs: IFRS bookkeeping, FTA VAT returns, the 9% Corporate Tax regime, WPS payroll and Economic Substance Reporting. FTA Tax Agent registered, with full-overlap working hours.
A market reshaped by the 2023 tax reforms.
Accountants for UAE SMEs now run two federal tax regimes rather than none. VAT at 5 percent applies once taxable supplies pass AED 375,000, and Corporate Tax at 9 percent applies to profits above the same figure for periods starting on or after 1 June 2023. Both are administered through EmaraTax.
The United Arab Emirates spent four decades as one of the world's last major zero-tax jurisdictions for businesses. That changed materially: 5% VAT arrived in January 2018, and a 9% federal Corporate Tax on profits above AED 375,000 became effective for accounting periods starting on or after 1 June 2023. The compliance regime that supports both is now a significant operational matter for UAE SMEs.
The Federal Tax Authority (FTA) administers both regimes through the EmaraTax portal. Businesses with taxable supplies above AED 375,000 must register for VAT. All taxable persons, including freezone entities, must register for Corporate Tax, even if they qualify for the 0% Qualifying Free Zone Person regime. Annual returns are filed within nine months of the financial year-end.
On top of federal taxes, UAE businesses face Economic Substance Regulations (ESR) for relevant activities, Ultimate Beneficial Owner (UBO) disclosure, Anti-Money Laundering (AML) compliance for designated non-financial businesses, and the Wages Protection System (WPS) for processing payroll through authorised channels.
Accountaire is FTA Tax Agent registered, IFRS-trained, and runs a full-overlap working day with the UAE. Whether you operate on the mainland or in a freezone like DIFC, ADGM, DMCC, JAFZA or any of the 40+ others, we handle the complete UAE compliance stack.
Reporting is prepared under IFRS as issued by the IFRS Foundation, which is the standard the Corporate Tax regime is built on. New entrants usually start with our company incorporation service for the mainland or freezone entity, then VAT and Corporate Tax compliance once registered. Owner-managed groups should read small business accounting for 5 to 50 employee firms, and the filing calendar itself is set out in our UAE VAT and Corporate Tax compliance calendar. Free zone and mainland companies draw on the same full list of accounting services. Most start with cloud bookkeeping and monthly management accounts, then add filings as the registration thresholds are crossed.
What do accountants for UAE SMEs file, and when?
The federal cycle we run for mainland and freezone entities alike.
| Obligation | Applies to | Timing |
|---|---|---|
| VAT registration | Taxable supplies above AED 375,000 | Mandatory, voluntary from AED 187,500 |
| VAT return through EmaraTax | Registered businesses | Quarterly for most, monthly for larger taxpayers |
| Corporate Tax registration | All taxable persons, freezones included | Required even where the rate is nil |
| Corporate Tax return | All taxable persons | Nine months after the end of the tax period |
| Small Business Relief election | Revenue at or below AED 3,000,000 | Claimed in the return, subject to the sunset date |
| WPS salary file | Employers on the Wages Protection System | Every pay cycle through an authorised channel |
| Economic Substance and UBO filings | Entities carrying on relevant activities | Annually, per the applicable regulation |
Built for UAE businesses.
Mainland or freezone, every service calibrated to the UAE regime.
IFRS bookkeeping
Daily bookkeeping in Xero or QuickBooks. IFRS-compliant chart of accounts. Bank reconciliation for AED and foreign currency accounts.
WPS payroll
WPS-compliant payroll processing for mainland and freezone entities. End-of-service gratuity tracking. Multi-currency where applicable.
FTA VAT & Corporate Tax
Quarterly VAT returns and annual Corporate Tax returns via EmaraTax. FTA Tax Agent registered. Small-business relief applied where eligible.
ESR & UBO compliance
Economic Substance Regulation notifications and reports for relevant activities. Ultimate Beneficial Owner registry maintained.
Management accounts
Monthly IFRS-aligned reporting. Multi-entity consolidation common for UAE group structures.
CFO-as-a-Service
Strategic finance for scaling UAE businesses: fundraising, multi-jurisdictional structuring, exit preparation.
UAE compliance, handled.
The filings, portals and deadlines we own for every UAE client.
- FTA Tax Agent registrationWe are FTA-registered tax agents, authorised to submit VAT and Corporate Tax returns on behalf of clients through EmaraTax with full legal standing.
- VAT registration & quarterly returns Voluntary or mandatory registration. Quarterly VAT returns filed via EmaraTax. Input VAT reconciliation, reverse-charge mechanism, designated-zone rules applied correctly.
- Corporate Tax registration & annual returnRegistration with FTA within statutory timeline. Annual Corporate Tax return filed within nine months of financial year-end. 9% rate above AED 375k, 0% below.
- Qualifying Free Zone Person (QFZP) assessmentFor freezone entities, we assess your eligibility for the 0% QFZP rate, document qualifying income vs. non-qualifying, and prepare the annual return accordingly.
- Small Business Relief (SBR) electionFor businesses with revenue under AED 3M, we evaluate and elect SBR where it produces a better outcome, treating you as if you had no taxable income for the period.
- Economic Substance Regulations (ESR)For relevant-activity entities: distribution, headquarters, holding, IP, finance, insurance, lease, shipping. Notifications and reports filed via the Ministry of Finance portal.
- WPS payroll processing Salary Information Files generated to WPS specifications. Disbursements processed via authorised exchange houses or banks. End-of-service gratuity accrued and tracked.
- IFRS-compliant statutory accounts Annual financial statements prepared to International Financial Reporting Standards. Suitable for licensing renewal, freezone authority requirements and bank-loan covenants.
What UAE clients tell us they value.
FTA-registered Tax Agents.
We hold formal FTA Tax Agent registration. Submissions go through us officially. Our team is IFRS-trained and current on the 2023 Corporate Tax regime including QFZP and SBR.
Full working-day overlap.
Our entire working day overlaps yours. Same-day responses are the norm, not the exception.
IFRS-aligned Xero / QuickBooks.
Modern cloud accounting configured to IFRS. EmaraTax integration. We handle freezone-specific reporting requirements for DIFC, ADGM, DMCC and others.
AED-priced. Fixed monthly fees.
Local pricing in AED. From AED 1,850/month. No hourly billing. Year-round compliance support included, no separate fees for VAT, Corporate Tax or ESR within scope.
"We needed someone who understood FTA VAT and IFRS reporting without us having to micromanage. Monthly pack lands on the 4th, every month. That alone made the switch worth it."