A proper accounting system at AED 0/month. Here's exactly what the Zoho Books free tier includes, what's missing (VAT features), and when you need to upgrade.
Everything a low-activity free zone company needs for proper bookkeeping — at zero cost, with no trial period or credit card required.
| Feature | Free Plan | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Sales invoices | ✅ Yes | Create and send invoices |
| Purchase invoices / bills | ✅ Yes | Record supplier invoices |
| Chart of accounts | ✅ Yes | Standard double-entry ledger |
| P&L report | ✅ Yes | Basic income statement |
| Balance sheet | ✅ Yes | Statement of financial position |
| Journal entries | ✅ Yes | Adjustments, accruals, provisions |
| Audit trail | ✅ Yes | Every edit logged with timestamp |
| Cloud access | ✅ Yes | Accountant can log in remotely |
The free tier has specific gaps — particularly around VAT compliance. Your accountant works around these with a hybrid approach.
| Feature | Free Plan | Workaround |
|---|---|---|
| FTA tax invoices (TRN + VAT) | ❌ Limited | Accountant prepares VAT workings separately |
| VAT return reports | ❌ No | VAT computation done in Excel by accountant |
| Automated bank feeds | ❌ No | Manual bank reconciliation |
| Multi-currency | ❌ Limited | Manual conversion entries |
| Inventory tracking | ❌ No | Separate tracker if trading company |
| Payroll / WPS | ❌ No | Handled separately |
| Recurring invoices | ❌ Limited | Manual creation each period |
The free tier works for consultancies, holding companies, and dormant entities. Upgrade when your business hits any of these triggers.
| Capability | Free (AED 0) | Standard (~AED 55) | Professional (~AED 110) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Invoicing | Basic | VAT-compliant | VAT + recurring |
| Bank feeds | No | Yes | Yes |
| VAT reports | No | Yes | Yes |
| Multi-currency | No | Limited | Full |
| Inventory | No | Basic | Full |
| Users | 1 | 3 | 5 |
| Best for | Dormant / <20 txns | Active SME | Trading / multi-entity |
Fastlane configures your Zoho Books (free or paid), records your monthly transactions, files VAT and CT, and prepares your audit — from AED 499/month.
View Accounting Packages — From AED 499/monthPrepared by the accounting team at Fastlane Management Consultancy (TRN: 104218042400003). Fastlane uses Zoho Books, QuickBooks, and Xero for client engagements across all UAE free zones and mainland. Zoho Books features and pricing reflect publicly available information as at March 2026 — confirm current plans at zoho.com/books.