A practical, numbers-first playbook for founders and finance managers in the UAE.
- 40% average cost reduction
- 20–30 hours team time saved per month
- 99% on-time VAT filings
1) Why outsourcing beats in-house for SMEs
For a typical Dubai SME, bookkeeping is essential but non-core. In-house hiring creates fixed costs—recruitment, visas, medicals, office space, licenses, paid leave, software seats, laptops—and risk of single-point dependency. Outsourcing converts those fixed costs into a flexible, SLA-driven service that scales with your transaction volume and seasonality.
- Elastic capacity: Scale up during peak months without adding headcount.
- Process maturity: Providers operate proven month-end checklists and four-eyes reviews.
- Tech leverage: Document capture, rules, and reconciliation automate 60–80% of routine work.
- Regulatory comfort: UAE VAT rules applied correctly; documentation centralized for FTA audits.
2) The 40% savings — real-world cost math
Here's a conservative comparison for a growing SME handling ~400 transactions/month.
In-house bookkeeper (typical)
- Salary + benefits: AED 8,000–12,000 / month
- Visa/medical/HR overhead amortized: AED 800 / month
- Software seats (QBO + capture + approvals): AED 400 / month
- Office/equipment: AED 300 / month
Total: AED 9,500–13,500 / month
Outsourced bookkeeping (SLA-based)
- All-in bundle (QBO + capture + reconciliation + VAT): AED 5,500–7,500 / month
- Scale pricing by transaction bands; no HR overhead
Total: AED 5,500–7,500 / month → ≈40% savings
Your numbers may vary by industry complexity (construction/contracting vs. services), multi-currency, inventory, and e-commerce connectors.
3) QuickBooks-powered UAE bookkeeping stack
QuickBooks Online sits at the center, with a few best-in-class add-ons to automate inputs and approvals. This combination keeps ledgers current, reduces late-posting risk, and compresses month-end close.
Recommended stack
- QuickBooks Online (Advanced): core ledger, bank feeds, multi-currency, custom fields.
- Dext/Hubdoc: auto-capture bills/receipts, categorize, push to QBO with attachments.
- ApprovalMax (optional): maker–checker approvals; vendor and spend controls.
- Synder (for e-commerce): multichannel payouts, fee splits, and product mapping.
- Power BI/Looker Studio: management dashboards for margins, AR aging, and cash.
Monthly workflow (typical SLA)
- Day 1–5: Inbox capture & coding (bills, expenses, sales), bank feed rules, receipt matching.
- Day 6–10: Reconciliations (banks, wallets, gateways), fixed assets, accruals.
- Day 11–12: VAT review (5%/0%/exempt), reverse charge, EC sales where applicable.
- Day 13–15: Management pack: P&L, Balance Sheet, cash flow, AR/AP aging, KPI notes.
4) Scope of work & SLAs
- Chart of Accounts alignment (IFRS-friendly, UAE VAT mapped)
- Daily posting & reconciliations, document attachment policy
- Cut-off controls, month-end checklists, four-eyes review
- VAT returns with schedules & support files
- Audit-ready document packs; auditor Q&A support
- Optional: Payroll setup (WPS), expense policies, and cost-center reporting
5) Transparent pricing models in Dubai
Pick a pricing structure that tracks your volume profile:
- Band pricing: e.g., 0–250 / 251–750 / 751–1,500 txns with included SLA hours.
- Bundle pricing: fixed QBO + capture + VAT filing + month-end pack.
- Scale unit pricing: per additional bank/marketplace or multi-entity add-ons.
We provide a written SoW with response times, deliverables, and a 30-day exit clause.
6) VAT, audit readiness & controls
Compliance is built into the process—document capture on every transaction, correct VAT codes, reconciliations tied to statements, and a traceable workflow for approvals and reversals. Everything your auditor or the FTA will ask for is kept in one place.
- VAT coding: standard 5%, 0%, exempt, imports with reverse charge; evidence attached.
- Reconciliations: banks, gateways, petty cash, intercompany.
- Audit pack: TB, lead schedules, samples with documents, management representation.
Get started in 2 minutes
Want a tailored quote for your Dubai business? Contact us:
📧 Email: pbooks@hotmail.com
📞 Phone: +966 58 314 9106
💬 WhatsApp: +966 58 314 9106
FAQs
How quickly can you onboard?
Typically 3–5 business days for QBO setup, bank feeds, document inbox, and VAT mapping. Catch-up assignments are scheduled as a mini-project with milestones.
Will I lose control of my data?
No. You retain ownership and admin rights in QuickBooks and connected apps. We work on least-privilege principles and provide access logs on request.
Can you handle multi-currency and multiple entities?
Yes—QBO multicurrency, entity-specific VAT logic, and consolidated reporting are supported.
How can outsourcing bookkeeping cut costs by ~40% in Dubai?
By replacing fixed in-house overheads with a variable, SLA-driven service. You avoid recruitment, visas, end-of-service, software provisioning, and peak-time overtime while gaining process automation and standardized QuickBooks workflows.
Is outsourced bookkeeping compliant with UAE VAT?
Yes—providers follow FTA guidance, maintain audit trails, apply 5% standard/0%/exempt correctly, and prepare FTA returns with supporting documentation.
Which software stack works best?
QuickBooks Online plus connected apps: Dext/Hubdoc for capture, ApprovalMax for workflows, Synder for e-commerce, and Power BI/Looker for reporting.
What access do you need to start?
Read-only bank feeds, view access to invoicing/payment tools, and a shared document inbox for bills and receipts.
Next steps
If reducing cost, staying compliant, and getting timely numbers sounds good, let's map your current flow to the QuickBooks stack and give you a fixed quote.