Accounts from incorporation to date
We prepare the accounts from the day of incorporation, or from wherever the books stopped, to the present date, in the accounting software you already use.
Record · Backlog accounting
Books rebuilt from incorporation to today.
Books fall behind after rapid growth, a system change or turnover in the finance team. ebs Chartered Accountants rebuilds them from source documents, from incorporation or wherever they stopped, in the software you already use, then catches up the overdue VAT and corporate tax filings and closes each year properly.
- Late VAT return
- AED 1,000
- AED 2,000 for a repeat within 24 months
- Late corporate tax return
- AED 500
- per month or part month for the first 12 months
- Disclose an error first
- 1% a month
- on the tax difference, against 15% plus 1% a month after an audit notice
- We rebuild from
- Incorporation
- to the present date, in the software you already use
Record
Who this is for
- One entity in the group has never had proper books since the day it was incorporated.
- A system migration stopped the books part-way through the year, and the new ledger was never reconciled to the old one.
- Turnover in the finance team left months of transactions unposted and reconciliations of uncertain status.
- VAT returns were filed on estimates, and the differences now need correcting.
- The FY2025 corporate tax return was due by 30 September 2026 and is not yet filed.
- A lender, an investor, a buyer or the auditor needs accounts for years the company cannot yet produce.
What we do
The work, end to end.
Rebuilt from source documents
We reconstruct the records from bank statements, cheques, invoices, bills, vouchers and payment slips, and reconcile every bank account to its statements as we go.
Payables and receivables resolved
We establish what the company actually owes and is owed, clear stale balances and give you aged lists of both.
VAT catch-up filing
We prepare and file missing VAT returns from the rebuilt books. Where a return already filed turns out to be wrong, we explain how to correct it before anything goes to the FTA.
Corporate tax catch-up filing
We bring the accounts behind an overdue corporate tax return up to date, then prepare and file the return, starting with whichever deadline has passed.
Reports and analysis
An income statement, balance sheet and cash flow statement for each period, receivables and payables reports, and an analysis of sales performance, financial ratios, break-even and working capital.
Closed properly
Each year is closed properly, with an audit-ready file, so ongoing bookkeeping starts from balances you can trust.
How it works
How the engagement runs.
- 1
To start
Talk to management
We start with a discussion with your senior team about the business, how it has run and where the records are.
- 2
At the start
Gather the documents
We consolidate cheques, bank statements, transaction documents, vouchers, bills and payment slips, and list anything missing.
- 3
Varies
Update the records
We post every transaction from the information you provide and reconcile each bank account, period by period.
- 4
As each period closes
Produce and review the reports
We prepare and review the income statement, balance sheet, cash flow, receivables and payables reports, and the sales, ratio, break-even and working-capital analysis.
- 5
On completion
Discuss the results
We take management through the reports: how the business has performed and where it can improve. Overdue returns are then filed, and ongoing bookkeeping can start.
What you get
Deliverables
- Books brought up to date from incorporation, or from where they stopped
- Every bank account reconciled for every period
- An income statement, balance sheet and cash flow statement for each period
- Aged receivables and payables, with stale balances resolved
- Sales performance, ratio, break-even and working-capital analysis
- Overdue VAT and corporate tax returns prepared and filed
- An audit-ready file, with each year closed properly
Know the law
The rules in brief
- 1
Anyone conducting business in the UAE must keep accounting records, whether or not they are registered for VAT.
Federal Decree-Law No. 28 of 2022, Art. 4
- 2
A VAT return, and any VAT payable, must reach the FTA by the 28th day after the end of the tax period.
Cabinet Decision No. 52 of 2017, Art. 64
- 3
A late VAT return costs AED 1,000, or AED 2,000 for a repeat within 24 months.
Cabinet Decision No. 40 of 2017, as amended by Cabinet Decision No. 129 of 2025
- 4
A late corporate tax return costs AED 500 per month or part month for the first 12 months, then AED 1,000 per month.
Cabinet Decision No. 75 of 2023
- 5
An error disclosed voluntarily costs 1% a month on the tax difference. If the FTA notifies a tax audit first, the penalty is 15% of the difference plus 1% a month.
Cabinet Decision No. 40 of 2017, as amended by Cabinet Decision No. 129 of 2025; Cabinet Decision No. 75 of 2023
- 6
A business that registers late for VAT owes VAT on all its supplies from the date it should have registered, and a late-registration penalty of AED 10,000.
Cabinet Decision No. 52 of 2017, Art. 7; Cabinet Decision No. 40 of 2017, as amended by Cabinet Decision No. 129 of 2025
- 7
The FTA can audit or assess a tax period for 5 years after it ends, or 15 years in cases of tax evasion. Where a business failed to register, the limit is 15 years from when registration was due.
Federal Decree-Law No. 28 of 2022, Art. 46
To the day of incorporation, if needed. We prepare the accounts from incorporation, or from the last point the books were reliable, to the present date, in whatever accounting software the company already uses.
Everything that shows money moving: bank statements for every account, cheques, sales and purchase invoices, bills, vouchers, payment slips and contracts. The rebuild can only be as complete as the documents, so we give you a list of what is missing early on. Missing copies can often be requested from banks or suppliers.
It depends on how many months are missing, how many transactions there are and how quickly the documents arrive. We agree the order of work with you, starting with whatever has a deadline, such as an overdue VAT or corporate tax return.
We rebuild the books and compare them with what was filed. Where a return was wrong, the error has to be corrected, often by voluntary disclosure, which costs 1% a month on the tax difference. Waiting until the FTA notifies an audit costs a fixed 15% plus 1% a month, so acting first is cheaper. We explain the options before anything is filed.
Registration is mandatory once supplies exceed AED 375,000 in the previous 12 months, or are expected to in the next 30 days, and the application is due within 30 days. A late registrant owes VAT on all supplies from the date it should have registered, plus a AED 10,000 penalty. The rebuilt books show whether, and when, the threshold was crossed.
Yes. Corporate tax catch-up filing is part of the work: we bring the accounts up to date, then prepare and file the return. A late return costs AED 500 for each month or part month for the first 12 months and AED 1,000 a month after that, so returns with passed deadlines come first. For corporate tax in depth, see our sister site, https://corporatetax.ebs.ae/.
Possibly. The FTA waives the penalty, or credits it back if already paid, where the first corporate tax return is filed within 7 months of the end of the first tax period. Once that window has passed, the waiver is not available, which is one more reason to catch up the books quickly.
Our aim is a clean, audit-ready file: every period closed properly, every balance reconciled and backed by documents. Where a document is missing, we record the gap rather than cover it, so your auditor sees exactly what is supported.
Often needed together
Talk to us
Find out how far behind the books are
Tell us when the books were last up to date, which entities are affected and which VAT or corporate tax returns are outstanding. We will tell you what to gather and what to tackle first. The first consultation is free.
- Zoho Advanced Partner
- FTA Registered Tax Agency, so VAT and corporate tax are filed for you
- Accountants with Big Four audit-firm experience
- Mon to Fri, 9:00 am to 6:00 pm (GST)
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