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Bookkeeping services in Dubai cost about AED 400 to AED 1,500 a month for a small free zone company, based on the price lists we read. The fee mostly follows how many transactions you have: bank lines, sales invoices and supplier bills. Good books are not a nice extra. They are the base for your VAT returns, your corporate tax return and, for many free zone companies, a yearly audit. Once you are VAT registered, the VAT certificate guide explains where to download your certificate and how to check a supplier's TRN.
UAEFreeZoneDirectory.com is a free zone directory and does not keep books. When you ask for a quote, a licensed accounting partner prices the work.
What bookkeeping costs in Dubai
Accounting firms publish monthly bookkeeping fees of about AED 400 to AED 1,500 (published prices of 2 agencies and one free zone's own service, checked ). The bottom of the range is a promotional plan, and 5% VAT is added to it. Mid range plans from another firm bundle VAT and corporate tax registration and filing. The top of the range is Meydan Free Zone's own service at its higher transaction band.
Two free zones publish their own bookkeeping prices:
| Free zone service | Published price | What sets the price |
|---|---|---|
| Meydan Free Zone, up to 100 transactions | AED 1,000 a month | Transactions per month |
| Meydan Free Zone, up to 200 transactions | AED 1,500 a month | Transactions per month |
| SRTIP SPARK Elite package | Inside the AED 8,499 licence package | Bookkeeping up to 25 transactions a year |
Source: Meydan Free Zone mAccounting bookkeeping page and SRTIP SPARK packages, checked .
These are fees for keeping the books. Audit, VAT returns and the corporate tax return may be priced separately. Ask each firm to list what the monthly fee includes, in writing.
Why your books matter in a free zone
A free zone licence does not remove the need for accounts. Four deadlines and rules rely on them:
- Corporate tax return. Due within 9 months from the end of each tax period, with the tax paid by then. See corporate tax registration.
- The 0% free zone rate. A qualifying free zone person pays 0% on qualifying income only if it meets the conditions, and it must have audited financial statements. The auditor needs clean books. See audit for free zone companies.
- VAT returns. Once you pass AED 375,000 of taxable supplies you register, and every return draws on your sales and purchase records. See VAT registration.
- Small business relief. Companies that elect it must show revenue of AED 3,000,000 or less in the current and every earlier period. Your books are the proof.
Some free zones also ask for accounts at renewal. Fujairah Free Zone lists an audited financial report among its renewal papers. SHAMS asks for an audited report before it gives more than 20 visas.
What a monthly bookkeeping service should cover
Ask for each of these by name:
- Recording sales invoices, supplier bills and expenses
- Monthly bank reconciliation for every account and card
- A VAT ledger split by standard rated, zero rated and exempt, if you are registered
- A monthly or quarterly profit and loss and balance sheet
- Year end close and a trial balance handed to the auditor
- A clear rule for what counts as a transaction and what happens above the limit
The last point causes most disputes. A plan priced on a small yearly transaction cap can cost far more than its headline once you trade every day.
How to pick a bookkeeper
- Count your transactions for a normal month: bank lines plus invoices issued plus bills received.
- Decide whether you need VAT returns and corporate tax filing in the same fee.
- Ask two or three firms, plus your free zone if it sells the service, for a written quote on the same numbers.
- Check that the firm will hand over the books in a standard format if you move.
- Agree a monthly cut off date, so your records are never more than a few weeks behind.
What to watch for in quotes
- A low monthly fee with a tiny transaction cap and a high charge per extra line.
- Bookkeeping that stops at data entry, with no reconciliation.
- No year end close, so the auditor bills you to fix the books first.
- Starting in month eleven. Catch up work is priced higher than keeping current.
Ask for a quote
Fill in the form on this page with your free zone, activity, number of bank accounts and rough monthly transactions. We pass it to a licensed accounting partner, who replies with a fixed monthly fee and lists what sits outside it. For a zone that sells its own service, see the Meydan Free Zone page. For the other yearly costs of a company, read free zone hidden costs.
Sources
- https://www.meydanfz.ae/meydan-plus/maccounting/bookkeeping (Meydan bookkeeping fees)
- https://lp.srtip.ae/start-your-business/ (SRTIP SPARK Elite package with bookkeeping)
- https://bcl.ae/resources/guides-and-insights/accounting-bookkeeping/what-is-the-cost-of-bookkeeping-in-dubai/ and https://virtuzone.com/corporate-services/corporate-tax/ (accounting firm fees)
- https://mof.gov.ae/en/public-finance/tax/corporate-tax/ (return deadline)
- FTA bulletin for free zone persons (audited statements)
- Fujairah Free Zone renewal process and https://shamsfz.ae/knowledge-hub/faqs/ (renewal and visa quota rules)
