What accounting services cost in Dubai in 2026: the market table
Most Dubai firms price accounting as a monthly retainer scaled to transaction volume and reporting depth. The ranges below reflect published UAE market rates as advertised by accounting providers across Dubai, alongside Sky Sigma’s own published plans for comparison.
| Service level | Typical Dubai market rate | Sky Sigma published plan |
|---|---|---|
| Basic bookkeeping (low transaction volume, records + reconciliation) | AED 500 – 2,500 / month | AED 350 / month |
| Standard SMB accounting (bookkeeping + VAT-ready books + management view) | AED 2,500 – 5,000 / month | AED 700 / month |
| Full accounting & compliance (multi-entity or higher volume, filings supported) | AED 5,000 – 12,000+ / month | AED 1,000 / month |
Market ranges: published UAE market rates, last verified July 2026. Sky Sigma plans as published on sky-sigma.com/pricing. Every business differs — treat ranges as orientation, not quotes.
One-off and per-filing costs: VAT, corporate tax and audit
Beyond the monthly retainer, UAE businesses meet a handful of per-filing or one-off costs. These are the figures most commonly advertised in the Dubai market in 2026:
| Item | Typical Dubai market rate |
|---|---|
| VAT return preparation and filing | AED 1,500 – 3,000 per quarter |
| Corporate tax return preparation and filing | from AED 2,000 per year |
| Corporate tax registration support (one-off) | AED 500 – 2,000 |
| External audit (where required, e.g. some free zones) | from AED 10,000 per year |
Published UAE market rates, last verified July 2026. At Sky Sigma, VAT and corporate tax compliance are built into the relevant monthly plans rather than billed as surprise extras — see the pricing page for exactly what each plan includes.
What actually drives the price up or down
Two businesses with the same revenue can pay very different accounting fees, and the difference is almost always explained by a few concrete factors:
- Transaction volume — the single biggest driver; 50 invoices a month is a different workload from 1,500
- VAT registration status — VAT-registered businesses need filing-ready books and quarterly returns
- Corporate tax position — since UAE corporate tax (0% up to AED 375,000 taxable income, 9% above) took effect, books must support a CT return every year
- Payroll headcount — WPS payroll processing typically adds a per-employee cost
- Cleanup and catch-up work — months of backlog cost more to fix than to maintain
- Reporting depth — bank-ready or investor-ready reporting costs more than compliance-only books
- Who does the work — senior, locally licensed teams price higher than offshore data entry; ask who actually touches your file
Bookkeeping vs accounting vs tax agent: what you are actually buying
Quotes vary partly because the word "accounting" covers three different layers of work. Bookkeeping is the recording layer: transactions captured, bank accounts reconciled, records kept audit-ready. Accounting adds the judgement layer: management accounts, accruals, depreciation, and financial statements you can act on. Tax agency is the representation layer: a Federal Tax Authority (FTA)-approved firm that can prepare and submit VAT and corporate tax filings and deal with the FTA on your behalf.
When you compare quotes, check which layers are actually included. A low headline retainer that covers only data entry can end up costing more once VAT returns, corporate tax filings and year-end statements are billed separately. Sky Sigma is an FTA-Approved Tax Agent, so the representation layer is part of the service rather than a referral to a third party.
How Sky Sigma prices it — and why we publish the numbers
Most Dubai accounting firms ask you to "request a quote". We publish our plans instead: AED 350 per month for bookkeeping-first needs, AED 700 for the standard SMB plan, and AED 1,000 for the full accounting and compliance plan — each with its scope listed openly on the pricing page. Publishing prices keeps us honest about scope and saves you a sales call just to learn a number.
Sky Sigma is an independent private accounting firm and FTA-Approved Tax Agent based in Dubai. We are not a government entity and are not affiliated with the FTA or any UAE authority — we advise, prepare and support, and where a government submission is required, your business files with the authority while we prepare and guide every step.
How to choose: five checks before you sign a retainer
Whatever firm you shortlist — including us — run these checks before committing:
- Scope in writing: exactly which filings, reports and reconciliations the monthly fee includes
- FTA credentials: is the firm an FTA-Approved Tax Agent, and will it represent you if the FTA asks questions?
- Who works your file: a named accountant you can reach, not an anonymous back office
- Software and access: you should own your accounting data and be able to see it any time
- Exit terms: month-to-month beats long lock-ins — a confident firm does not need to trap you