Bookkeeping services record supported transactions, reconcile bank and payment balances, and identify missing information. We organise monthly processing or a defined catch-up assignment, with the ledgers and open questions handed over for review.
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An agreed bookkeeping scope records supported transactions, reconciles bank and payment balances, and hands over updated ledgers with unresolved questions. Specify the accounts, systems and periods covered; financial statements and tax work need their own agreed scope.
Use monthly processing when opening balances and the ongoing document flow are ready. Use a defined catch-up assignment when earlier periods, missing records or unexplained balances need attention before a dependable monthly routine can begin.
The number of transaction sources, accounts, currencies and periods matters alongside volume. Missing invoices, historic balances and payment-platform settlements can add reconciliation work, so use a representative record sample when agreeing the scope and fee.
Define the periods, accounts and transaction sources to include before agreeing a service scope.
Expand a deliverable for the detail.
Record the agreed period using invoices, receipts and exports, with duplicate or missing entries identified for review.
Match bank, card and payment-provider movements to the books and explain outstanding customer or supplier balances.
Keep missing evidence, unresolved transactions and approved corrections visible when the period passes to the accountant.
Bookkeeping prepares transaction records. Tax advice, return approval and independent audit need clearly assigned responsibilities and any relevant professional authorisation.
Customer payment to match
Processing fee withheld
Net settlement received
When the evidence matchesLink the invoice, processor report and bank entry. Keep the fee visible instead of recording the net deposit as the full sale.
If the difference is unexplainedAdd it to the open-items register with its owner and missing record. Leave it unresolved until reviewed.
Illustrates reconciliation only; no VAT treatment or client result is represented.
Reconciled balances + an open-items list
In this fictional example, AED 1,200 received less an AED 20 processing fee equals an AED 1,180 bank settlement. The three records explain the difference; this is a reconciliation illustration, not a client result or tax calculation.
Read the detailed considerationsMove from source records to reconciled ledgers through a routine that suits the company’s transaction patterns.
Identify the systems where invoices, payments and expenses originate. Check whether exports are available and whether transactions can be matched using consistent references.
Agree account categories, document naming, approval responsibilities and the treatment of common transaction types. Confirm which questions require an accountant or tax specialist.
Import or enter transactions with their supporting evidence. Check for duplicate entries, missing sequences and invoices belonging to another company or reporting period.
Match bank, card and settlement activity to the ledgers. Review outstanding receivables and payables, separating genuine unpaid invoices from matching errors.
Deliver the agreed ledger exports and reconciliation summaries. Obtain answers to open questions and record any corrections before handing the period to the accountant.
Agree the handover at the start of the engagement so recorded transactions can be checked and used by the next reviewer.
| Handover item | What the business supplies | What to request at period end |
|---|---|---|
| Sales and customer balances | Invoices, credit notes and receipt references | Updated sales records and outstanding customer balances |
| Purchases and expenses | Supplier invoices, receipts and business-purpose explanations | Recorded costs with missing evidence and open questions identified |
| Bank and card accounts | Complete statements and transaction exports | Reconciliation summaries and unexplained differences |
| Payment platforms | Gross sales, refunds, fees and settlement reports | A bridge from platform activity to net bank payouts |
| Period close | Answers to queries and approval of agreed corrections | Ledger exports, supporting files and the unresolved-items list |
Agree financial statements, tax classifications, returns and audit work separately if required. A bookkeeping handover does not itself approve a tax position.
CompanyFormation.ae · Bookkeeping Support for UAE Businesses
Provide complete periods wherever possible. The list below is a working input pack, with extra records added for payroll, stock or other activities in scope.
A missing receipt should be flagged and investigated; it should not be replaced with an invented description or document.
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Have a question about one of these records?
Start with the sources of transactions: sales invoices, supplier bills, bank accounts, corporate cards, payroll and payment platforms. Name who supplies each source and agree a cutoff date. Match the work to the volume, currencies and completeness of the records rather than a vague transaction allowance.
If earlier periods are incomplete, agree a catch-up scope and opening balances before starting a normal monthly cycle. The handover should show what has been processed and what still needs an answer. Financial reporting, VAT review and Corporate Tax preparation can then use an agreed, traceable starting point.
Identify the source records, balances and open questions before agreeing the work.
Capture transactions from the actual source documents, with consistent invoice dates, references, counterparties and descriptions. A bank payment alone may not explain the expense or its tax treatment. Agree how staff submit receipts and identify purchases paid personally, and keep a visible list of documents that have not yet arrived. Source: FTA: Corporate Tax records and filing responsibilities.
Reconciliation compares the books with independent evidence. Bank accounts, corporate cards and payment gateways should be matched to statements, while customer and supplier balances need review against invoices and payments. Transfers, bank charges, refunds and settlement deductions can otherwise make a busy business look more profitable or cash-rich than it is.
The handover should contain updated ledgers, bank and payment-platform reconciliations, the supporting files and a short unresolved-items log. Each open item needs an amount, evidence still required and a person to answer it. Keep owner funding, transfers between accounts and customer receipts distinguishable rather than forcing every deposit into sales. The FTA requires records supporting Corporate Tax information; this handover format is a practical way to organise them, not a prescribed government template. Agree the cutoff and reviewer before the next month begins. Source: FTA — Corporate Tax records and documentation.
An accurate proposal needs a sample of the records and an understanding of how many systems, accounts and periods are involved.
| Cost component | What to account for |
|---|---|
| Recurring transaction processing | The volume and type of entries matter, including sales channels, expense claims, currencies and how much information arrives in a usable format. |
| Reconciliation work | Multiple bank accounts, payment gateways, stock records and intercompany transactions can add work beyond basic invoice entry. |
| Backdated periods | Historic bookkeeping is priced around the number of periods, missing evidence and the work needed to establish reliable opening balances. |
| System setup and subscriptions | Migration, bank-feed configuration, document capture tools and software licences should be included explicitly or shown as separate components. |
Review the scope when activity grows or a new sales channel is introduced.
Tell us how many accounts and payment platforms you use, the period to cover and whether your records are up to date.
The frequency should fit the business. A higher transaction volume may justify more frequent processing even when management reports are monthly.
Access, opening balances and agreed categories are needed before new entries can be recorded consistently.
The business provides complete invoices, statements and explanations. Processing speed depends on the condition and availability of those records.
Unmatched payments and missing documents need answers before the period can be treated as complete.
The best bookkeeping routine is one the business can repeat without a year-end scramble.
Give staff and suppliers a clear date for providing records, and keep late documents visible for the next reconciliation review.
Consistent names and references help avoid duplicates and make aged balances easier to chase or investigate.
Keep source records, approved adjustments and ledger exports together for each period. Record-retention responsibilities should remain clear if staff, software or service providers change.
Need to discuss your own circumstances?
They show that money moved, but may not explain what was bought or support a particular tax treatment. Keep the invoice or other source evidence alongside the payment record.
Identify the business purpose and provide the receipt and payment details. The entry can then be reviewed as an amount involving the owner or employee rather than being hidden in general expenses.
Yes, when included in scope. Gross receipts, fees, refunds and settlement timing need separate matching so that the net bank payout is not mistaken for the entire sale.
Bookkeeping supplies the transaction evidence. Tax classification, adjustments and return approval still need to be agreed with the person responsible for Corporate Tax or VAT. A bookkeeping engagement should state whether any tax work is included and who is authorised to perform it.
For Corporate Tax, the FTA states that Taxable Persons and Exempt Persons must retain relevant records for at least seven years after the end of the tax period concerned. Other obligations can require a different period. Agree a retention schedule with your accountant and keep source documents as well as software exports. Source: FTA: Corporate Tax records and filing responsibilities.
A move can be planned after reviewing the existing records. Keep the original files, agree a conversion date and reconcile opening balances before using the new system. Confirm the software, subscription owner, access permissions and export arrangements in the proposed scope; no particular platform is assumed.
Tell us what you need and the support you’re looking for.
