Bookkeeping, VAT and Corporate Tax Support for UAE SMEs

Not necessarily. Many UAE SMEs — particularly sole establishments, trading companies, and small service businesses with fewer than 50 staff — do not need a full-time in-house accountant. A structured offshore accounting support arrangement can handle monthly bookkeeping, VAT return workings, Corporate Tax working papers, and monthly reporting at a fraction of the cost of a full-time hire. The key is having proper CA-supervised review in place so the output meets UAE compliance standards.

VAT return working paper preparation and Corporate Tax support at Hive Support starts from AED 500 per filing period. Monthly bookkeeping and accounting support packages are priced based on transaction volume, reporting requirements, and the level of review involved. Contact us for a proposal based on your specific business needs.

Yes, provided the team has the right UAE VAT knowledge and a proper review process. At Hive Support, VAT support includes transaction review, input and output VAT working, tax coding review, identification of missing documents, and preparation of VAT return workings. Work is reviewed by experienced accounting professionals before delivery. The actual submission to the FTA is typically completed by the business owner or their local representative, but we prepare and review all the underlying working papers.

It means your accounting work is not just processed — it is reviewed. At Hive Support, bookkeeping, reconciliations, VAT working papers, and monthly reports go through a review layer before they are delivered to you. This review is carried out by experienced Chartered Accountants who check for accuracy, consistency, unusual transactions, and completeness. This is different from a basic data entry service where output is rarely checked before delivery.

Yes. We support both free zone and mainland UAE companies. The bookkeeping, VAT support, and Corporate Tax working paper requirements apply across both structures, though the specific compliance obligations may vary. During the initial consultation, we review your business structure, registration details, and accounting software to ensure the support arrangement is set up correctly from the start.

We work with most common accounting platforms used by UAE SMEs, including QuickBooks Online, Xero, Zoho Books, and others. If you are not currently using accounting software, we can advise on a suitable option based on your business size, transaction volume, and VAT and Corporate Tax reporting requirements. We do not require you to switch platforms — we work within your existing system where possible.

Once we have completed the initial consultation and agreed on the scope of work, we typically begin within one to two weeks. The onboarding process covers access to your accounting software, a review of current records, agreement on the monthly workflow, and setting up the communication and document sharing process. If your books require cleanup before regular monthly support begins, we will advise on this upfront.

Typically: bank and credit card statements, sales invoices or a sales summary, purchase invoices and expense receipts, and any payroll information if applicable. We agree on a clear document collection process at the start so you know exactly what to provide, when, and how. Most clients share documents through a shared folder, accounting software access, or WhatsApp depending on their preference.