Accounting and tax service costs in Dubai (2026)

Accounting and tax costs in Dubai depend mainly on how much work your records create: transaction volume, entities and bank accounts, the state of your books and your VAT and Corporate Tax position. Alliance CA's published fees start from AED 1,000 per month for accounting, AED 500 per tax period for a VAT return and AED 1,000 per tax period for a Corporate Tax return, all exclusive of VAT. The Federal Tax Authority (FTA) charges nothing to register for VAT or Corporate Tax, but it does charge for a Tax Residency Certificate.

How much do accounting services cost in Dubai?

There is no single market rate: accounting fees depend on turnover, transaction volume, the number of entities and bank accounts, and the state of your records. At Alliance CA, ongoing accounting starts from AED 1,000 per month, exclusive of VAT, for businesses with turnover up to AED 5M, and the final fee is confirmed after a scoping call.

Alliance CA prices its Accounting & Bookkeeping and Compliance & Finance packages by turnover band. These are starting fees, exclusive of VAT:

• Accounting & Bookkeeping covers accounting and bookkeeping, preparation of financial statements and routine incidental accounting support. The accounting platform fee is billed separately, and backlog cleanup and software migration are quoted separately.
• Compliance & Finance includes everything in the accounting package, plus the accounting platform subscription, preparation and filing of all statutory returns, VAT and Corporate Tax compliance, FTA-compliant documentation and one complimentary visit per month.

Comparing quotes? Our guide to choosing an accounting firm in Dubai covers what to ask.

What are the typical costs of bookkeeping services in the UAE?

Bookkeeping costs depend mainly on how many transactions, bank accounts and entities need recording, and on whether the books are up to date. Alliance CA prices bookkeeping within its accounting service, from AED 1,000 per month, exclusive of VAT. Backlog cleanup and software migration are quoted separately, and the accounting platform fee is billed separately.

Alliance CA agrees which reports you receive, and the dates they arrive, during scoping, so ask for them to be written into your quote. If your books are behind, expect two costs: a separately quoted fee to bring the records up to date, then the ongoing monthly fee.

How much does it cost to file corporate tax in the UAE?

The FTA's table of service fees includes no charge for submitting a Corporate Tax return, so the cost is the work of preparing it, plus any tax due. Alliance CA's standalone Corporate Tax filing starts from AED 1,000 per tax period, exclusive of VAT, and covers the CT computation and FTA return, including Small Business Relief checks.

The return must be filed, and any Corporate Tax due paid, within nine months of the end of the Tax Period. This applies to businesses eligible for Small Business Relief too.

Much of the work sits in the accounts: Taxable Income starts from the net profit or loss before tax in the financial statements, so complete, reconciled books make the return quicker to prepare.

Small Business Relief lets an eligible Resident Person elect to be treated as having no Taxable Income for a Tax Period if its Revenue is AED 3,000,000 or less in that period and every previous one. Qualifying Free Zone Persons cannot elect for it. The relief can now be claimed for Tax Periods ending on or before 31 December 2029; see Small Business Relief extension to 2029.

How much does it cost to register for VAT in the UAE?

Registering for VAT is free of charge at the FTA, and so is registering for Corporate Tax. Alliance CA's registration services, covering new VAT, Corporate Tax and AML registrations, amendments and de-registration, are priced from AED 500 onwards, exclusive of VAT.

Registration is mandatory for a UAE-resident business when its taxable supplies and imports exceed AED 375,000 over the past 12 months, or are expected to exceed it within the next 30 days. A resident business can register voluntarily when its taxable supplies, imports or taxable expenses over the same periods exceed AED 187,500. You must apply within 30 days of becoming required to register, and the FTA imposes a late registration penalty after that. Our article on when VAT registration is mandatory explains the tests.

Does it cost me to be VAT registered?

Not in FTA fees, but registration brings ongoing obligations that take time. You must charge VAT on taxable supplies (the standard rate is 5%), keep records that allow your transactions to be verified, and file a VAT return for every tax period. In return, you may be able to reclaim VAT paid on business-related goods and services.

What is the cost of filing a VAT return in the UAE?

The FTA's table of service fees includes no charge for submitting a VAT return, so the cost is the work of preparing it, plus any VAT due. Alliance CA's standalone VAT filing starts from AED 500 per tax period, exclusive of VAT, covering VAT computation, return submission and advisory for the period.

Because the fee is charged per tax period, how often you file matters. The standard tax period is three calendar months, but the FTA can assign a shorter or longer one; the UAE government portal says businesses with annual turnover of AED 150 million or more file monthly. The return and payment are due within 28 days of the end of each tax period.

When asking for a quote, check whether it also covers corrections to earlier returns, refund claims or FTA queries. Alliance CA's VAT services page lists the wider VAT work it offers.

How much does a tax residency certificate cost in the UAE?

The FTA charges an AED 50 submission fee plus a review and issuance fee: AED 500 for applicants registered with a Corporate Tax TRN, AED 1,000 for individuals without one, and AED 1,750 for companies and other juridical persons without one. Each printed copy costs AED 250, and the fees are not refunded if the application is rejected.

• The fees are set by Cabinet Decision No. 65 of 2020 and its amendments, and must be paid in full before the application can be submitted.
• The FTA's estimated processing time is 10 business days from receipt of a completed application.
• If another country needs its own residency form stamped by the FTA (an "International Form"), the FTA says this cost is included in the certificate processing fee.

A Corporate Tax TRN lowers the fee, so check whether your business should already be registered: see Corporate Tax registration deadlines and penalties.

What affects the price of accounting and tax services?

The main drivers are transaction volume, the number of entities, bank accounts and locations, the quality of your records, the software used, the complexity of your VAT and Corporate Tax position, and free zone status. Alliance CA's published fees are indicative; its final pricing depends on complexity, data quality, transaction volume and number of business locations.

• Transaction volume. More invoices, receipts and bank lines mean more recording and reconciliation.
• Entities, bank accounts and locations. Each separate company needs its own books, but branches of one UAE company file a single VAT return and do not register or file separately for Corporate Tax.
• Record quality and backlog. Incomplete or out-of-date books must be fixed before monthly accounts or a return can be finished.
• Software. At Alliance CA, the accounting platform subscription is billed separately unless your package includes it, and software migration is quoted separately.
• VAT and Corporate Tax complexity. Monthly VAT periods mean more returns a year, and adjustments, corrections, reliefs and group structures add review time.
• Free zone status. A free zone company that meets the conditions to be a Qualifying Free Zone Person can benefit from 0% Corporate Tax on its Qualifying Income. For Tax Periods starting on or after 1 January 2025, a Qualifying Free Zone Person must prepare and maintain audited financial statements, as must a Taxable Person that is not a Tax Group and has Revenue above AED 50,000,000 in the Tax Period. A Tax Group must prepare and maintain audited special purpose financial statements.

Alliance CA prepares financial records and coordinates the audit, but the audit report is issued by the appointed external auditor. See audit and assurance.

Getting help

Published fees are a starting point; the final figure depends on your own records, entities and filing obligations. Alliance CA's accounting and bookkeeping page sets out what its starting fee covers, and you can arrange a scoping consultation through the contact page.