Accounting · Tax · Audit · AML — UAE
Accounts you can stand behind. Tax filings that hold up.
Northstar helps UAE businesses close their books, prepare IFRS financial statements, and meet Corporate Tax obligations with the Federal Tax Authority. Our team of ACCA-qualified accountants handles every file from start to finish.
AccountingAccounting from as low as AED 500 a monthServices
What we handle
Every engagement is scoped in writing before work starts, with a fixed fee and a named deliverable.
Tax
- Corporate Tax registration
- Corporate Tax return filing
- Corporate Tax deregistration
- Tax health checks
- Free zone qualifying income review
- Transfer pricing documentation
- VAT registration & deregistration
- VAT return filing
- VAT refunds & voluntary disclosures
- Excise tax
- Tax residency certificates
- Tax group applications
Accounting
- Bookkeeping
- Accounts backlog cleanup
- Bank reconciliations
- Management accounts
- Payroll & WPS
- Budgeting & forecasting
- Virtual CFO services
- Accounting software setup
Financial reporting
- IFRS financial statements
- IFRS for SMEs
- Year-end closing
- Consolidation
- Going concern assessments
- Audit preparation & support
Audit & assurance
- Internal audit
- Internal control reviews
- Stock counts & inventory verification
- Fixed asset verification & reconciliation
- Agreed-upon procedures
- Risk assessment
Advisory
- Forensic accounting
- Bankruptcy & liquidation reports
- Business valuation
- Financial due diligence
- Feasibility studies & business plans
AML & regulatory compliance
- AML/CFT compliance programmes
- goAML registration
- Enterprise-wide risk assessment
- KYC / CDD procedures
- Compliance officer support
- AML training
- Independent AML audit
- Ultimate Beneficial Owner (UBO) filings
- E-invoicing readiness
Accounting & bookkeeping
Accounting from as low as AED 500 a month
Pay for the volume you actually have. Growing businesses move up as their transactions increase.
Starting from
AED 500/ month
For small businesses with a light monthly volume. Your fee is set by your transaction volume and scope, and confirmed in writing before we start.
Get a quoteWhat's included
- Bookkeeping in your accounting software
- Bank and card reconciliations
- VAT return preparation
- Periodic P&L and balance sheet
- A dedicated accountant
What sets your fee
- Transactions per month
- Number of bank accounts
- Payroll and WPS
- Reporting frequency
- Inventory or multi-entity work
Fees exclude VAT. Corporate Tax returns, annual financial statements and backlog cleanup are quoted separately.
Corporate Tax estimator
What might your business owe?
A quick first estimate at the headline rates. Enter figures in AED for one tax period.
- Taxable income
- –
- 0% band
- AED 375,000
- Income taxed at 9%
- –
- Effective rate
- –
- Return & payment due
- –
Indicative only. This ignores exempt income, transfer pricing adjustments, interest limitation, tax groups and free zone rules. Speak to us before relying on a figure.
How an engagement runs
Four stages, agreed up front
Discovery call
We review your entity type, year-end and current records, then send a written scope and fixed fee.
Document request
A single checklist of what we need: ledgers, bank statements, contracts, prior-year filings.
Workpapers & drafts
Reconciliations, computations and drafts, each supported by a trail you can hand to an auditor.
Review & filing
We walk you through the results, finalise, and file or hand over, with dates confirmed in writing.
About
About the team
- Team
- ACCA-qualified accountants
- Standards
- IFRS · IFRS for SMEs
- Coverage
- Mainland & free zones
- Compliance
- Tax · AML/CFT
Northstar Financial Consultancy provides accounting, tax, audit and compliance services to businesses across the UAE.
Our background is in external audit and corporate internal audit, so we know what auditors, regulators and boards look for, and we prepare work that stands up to their review.
Every client is assigned a dedicated accountant as a single point of contact, with the wider team behind them for tax, audit and compliance work.
AML compliance
Does your business need to register for AML?
UAE anti-money laundering rules apply to banks and to a list of non-financial businesses and professions (DNFBPs). If your business falls into one of these groups, it must register on the goAML portal and run an AML compliance programme.
Who must register
- Real estate brokers and agentsFirms involved in buying or selling property for clients.
- Dealers in precious metals and stonesGold, jewellery and gemstone traders, refiners and retailers. Cash transactions of AED 55,000 or more must be reported.
- Accountants and auditorsFirms providing accounting, audit and assurance services to third parties.
- Corporate and trust service providersBusinesses that set up or administer companies for others.
- Lawyers and notariesWhen preparing or carrying out certain transactions for clients.
What registration involves
- Registration on the goAML portal of the UAE Financial Intelligence Unit
- Registration with your supervisory authority, such as the Ministry of Economy and Tourism
- A documented business-wide risk assessment
- KYC and customer due diligence procedures
- An appointed compliance officer
- Suspicious transaction reporting and record keeping
- Regular staff training and independent review
Failing to register or maintain a compliant programme can lead to significant administrative penalties.
E-invoicing
UAE e-invoicing starts 1 January 2027
Business-to-business and business-to-government invoices will have to be issued and received electronically through an accredited service provider (ASP), with invoice data reported to the Federal Tax Authority. It applies to businesses whether or not they are registered for VAT.
| Who | Appoint an ASP by | E-invoicing mandatory from |
|---|---|---|
| Businesses with revenue of AED 50 million or more | 30 Oct 2026 | 1 Jan 2027 |
| Businesses with revenue below AED 50 million | 31 Mar 2027 | 1 Jul 2027 |
| Government entities | 31 Mar 2027 | 1 Oct 2027 |
Who is covered
- Any business carrying on business in the UAE, for its B2B and B2G transactions
- Revenue is taken from the latest financial statements to decide your phase
- Members of a VAT tax group each onboard separately; transactions within the group have a 24-month grace period from 1 January 2027
Currently excluded
- Sales to consumers (B2C)
- Government activities in a sovereign capacity
- International airline passenger tickets
- VAT-exempt financial services
How to get ready
- Assess your scopeConfirm your revenue phase and review invoice types, systems and data gaps.
- Appoint one accredited service providerChoose from the Ministry of Finance's list of ASPs and sign the contract before your deadline.
- Confirm your TIN on EmaraTaxYour Tax Identification Number is the first 10 digits of your TRN. Businesses without a TRN register with the FTA first.
- Onboard through EmaraTaxUse the E-Invoicing tile to link your chosen ASP, which issues your Peppol participant ID.
- Integrate and testConnect your accounting or ERP system to the ASP and test sending, receiving and reporting invoices.
- Go liveStart issuing e-invoices by your deadline and keep your ASP updated on any changes to your registration.
Voluntary e-invoicing opened on 1 July 2026. Dates reflect Ministerial Decisions No. 243 and 244 of 2025 as amended; confirm with the Ministry of Finance before relying on them.
UAE compliance at a glance
Key thresholds and dates
The figures clients ask about most. Rules change, so confirm against the Federal Tax Authority before acting.
| Item | Threshold / rate | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Corporate Tax rate | 0% / 9% | 0% on taxable income up to AED 375,000; 9% on the amount above. |
| Small Business Relief | ≤ AED 3,000,000 | Resident businesses under the revenue limit can elect to be treated as having no taxable income, for tax periods ending on or before 31 December 2026. |
| CT return & payment | 9 months | Due within nine months of the end of the tax period. |
| Qualifying Free Zone Person | 0% on qualifying income | Subject to substance, audited financial statements and de minimis conditions. |
| E-invoicing (revenue ≥ AED 50m) | 1 Jan 2027 | Appoint an accredited service provider by 30 October 2026. Smaller businesses follow on 1 July 2027. |
| VAT mandatory registration | AED 375,000 | Taxable supplies and imports over the past 12 months, or expected in the next 30 days. |
| Standard VAT rate | 5% | Applies to most goods and services supplied in the UAE. |
FAQ
Common questions
Do I need to register for Corporate Tax if my profit is below AED 375,000?
Yes. Registration is required for taxable persons regardless of profit level. A low profit affects how much tax is payable, not whether you need to register and file.
My company is in a free zone. Am I exempt?
Not automatically. The 0% rate applies only to qualifying income of a Qualifying Free Zone Person that meets all the conditions. Other income is taxed at the standard rates, and a return is still required.
We are an accounting firm / real estate broker. Is goAML registration mandatory?
Yes. Both are listed as designated non-financial businesses and professions, so registration on goAML and an AML compliance programme are required.
We are not VAT registered. Does e-invoicing apply to us?
It can. The e-invoicing rules cover businesses carrying on business in the UAE for their B2B and B2G transactions, not only VAT-registered ones. Businesses without a TRN will need to register with the FTA to get a Tax Identification Number.
How are your fees set?
After the discovery call we quote a fixed fee based on the scope, volume of transactions and state of your records. You approve the quote before any work begins.
Can you work with my existing accounting software?
Yes. We work from exports of most systems, including Zoho Books, QuickBooks, Tally, Xero and Oracle, as well as spreadsheets and raw bank statements.
Our books are behind by a year or more. Can you help?
Yes. Backlog cleanup is a common engagement. We rebuild the ledger from bank statements and source documents, then prepare the statements and filings in order.
Contact
Book a consultation
Tell us about your business and what you need. You'll get a reply within one working day.