Falling behind on bookkeeping is more common than most business owners admit — and in the UAE, where Corporate Tax filing deadlines are now a reality, an unrecorded backlog carries real regulatory risk. The reasons are usually the same across businesses of all sizes.
The business was generating revenue and the owner was fully occupied running it. Accounting was deprioritised — until a tax deadline forced the issue.
Many UAE SMEs and free zone companies operate without a full-time finance function. Receipts and invoices accumulate with no one assigned to record them.
A transition between accountants or accounting systems left a gap in the records. The new provider needs to start from a clean, reconciled base.
Operating across AED, USD, EUR, or other currencies adds a layer of reconciliation complexity that many bookkeepers defer, leaving accounts mismatched.
The UAE Corporate Tax return is due within 9 months of the financial year end. Businesses without filed accounts are in breach of their CT obligation.
A bank financing application, visa renewal, or audit requirement triggered the need for current financial statements — and there are none prepared.
Under UAE Corporate Tax law, the CT return must be filed within 9 months of the financial year end. A business without recorded accounts cannot file. Late filing penalties start at AED 500/month for the first 12 months and increase to AED 1,000/month thereafter. Clearing the backlog now is significantly cheaper than the penalties that accumulate from delay.
Turnaround: 5–7 working days from the date all required documents are received. No delays waiting for document requests mid-assignment — we work from the complete package you provide upfront.
The AED 1,500 fixed fee applies to assignments with up to a few hundred transactions, a single entity, and up to three bank accounts. For businesses with higher transaction volumes, multiple entities, or complex revenue recognition, Fastlane will provide a revised fixed-price quote after reviewing the documents. All quotes are fixed price — no hourly billing surprises.
Many UAE businesses — particularly those dealing with international clients or suppliers — operate across multiple currencies. Each currency account needs to be reconciled separately, with exchange rate differences identified and recorded. This is handled as a standard part of the backlog package.
Each account is reconciled to the bank statement line by line. Closing balances are confirmed before the financial statements are prepared, ensuring the accounts are accurate from the ground up — not just approximately close.
Multi-Currency Backlog Quote — WhatsApp FastlaneFastlane works from a complete document package submitted upfront — this is what keeps the turnaround to 5–7 working days. No back-and-forth mid-assignment.
Current copies. Used to confirm entity details, activity codes, and financial year dates.
All invoices raised to customers during the 12-month backlog period. PDF or Excel listing accepted. Grouped by month is helpful but not mandatory.
All supplier invoices, expense receipts, utility bills, and other expenditure documents for the period. Completeness here directly affects the accuracy of the financial statements.
PDF bank statements for every account (AED, USD, EUR, or other currencies) covering the full backlog period from the first day to the last. These are used to reconcile every recorded transaction.
Required to access the CT portal for return submission. If you have never filed CT before, provide the EmaraTax login. If filed previously, share the prior return or confirmation.
If the business is VAT-registered, the VAT returns for the period should be shared to cross-reference revenue figures and input tax positions during the bookkeeping process.
Provides opening balances for the backlog period. If not available, Fastlane will reconstruct the opening position from the bank statements and any available records.
Send all documents listed above via WhatsApp, email, or Google Drive. We confirm receipt and begin immediately — no waiting for a kickoff call or onboarding form.
Day 1 — Work StartsAll income and expense transactions are entered into the accounting system, coded correctly, and reconciled against the bank statements for each currency account. Any discrepancies are flagged and resolved before moving to statements.
Days 1–4Income Statement, Balance Sheet, and Cash Flow Statement produced in IFRS-compliant format. These become the source documents for the Corporate Tax computation.
Days 4–5CT computation prepared from the financial statements — exempt income reviewed, non-deductible expenditure added back, taxable income calculated, and return submitted through EmaraTax. Acknowledgement sent to you.
Days 5–7You receive: full accounting file, financial statements, CT return acknowledgement from FTA, and bank reconciliation summary. Everything you need for your records, any future audit, or bank submission.
End of Day 7Backlog accounting isn't just an administrative inconvenience. In the UAE's current regulatory environment, unrecorded accounts carry concrete financial and legal risks.
AED 500/month for the first 12 months, rising to AED 1,000/month thereafter. Without accounts, you cannot file — every month of delay adds to the penalty.
UAE banks require current financial statements for business loan applications and credit facilities. Businesses with no filed accounts are effectively shut out of bank financing.
If the FTA selects a business for a VAT or CT audit and there are no supporting financial records, the exposure is significant. Reconstructing records under audit pressure is far more expensive than doing it proactively.
Free zone renewals, audit requirements, and AML compliance checks increasingly require current financial records. Companies without them face delays or rejections at renewal.
AED 1,500 to clear 12 months of backlog accounting, file the CT return, and have clean financial statements — versus hundreds or thousands in penalties and the compounding compliance risk of delay. The decision is straightforward once the numbers are laid out.
Fixed price from AED 1,500 + VAT. 5–7 working day turnaround. UAE Corporate Tax filing included. No hourly billing. WhatsApp Fastlane now and we'll confirm your fixed price quote within the hour.
View Accounting Services →Fastlane is an FTA-registered Tax Agent and MoE-approved Auditor based in Dubai, handling backlog bookkeeping, financial statements, Corporate Tax filing, and VAT compliance for UAE mainland and free zone companies. All accounting is prepared under IFRS. Pricing is fixed and confirmed before work begins.