Behind on your books? How to catch up before the FTA asks
Months of missing entries make every VAT and Corporate Tax return harder and riskier. Here's a practical way to catch up.
- VAT returns and Corporate Tax returns both rely on accurate books.
- UAE businesses must keep records for at least five years, and longer in some cases.
- Catching up works best in order: bank first, then sales, purchases and adjustments.
Why it matters now
With both VAT and Corporate Tax in place, your books are the starting point for every return. Missing or wrong entries lead to errors, penalties and stressful last-minute work.
The law also requires you to keep accounting records and supporting documents for at least five years, and longer in some situations.
A step-by-step catch-up plan
- Collect bank and card statements for every account, for the full period.
- Record sales from invoices, POS reports or marketplace statements.
- Record purchases and expenses, keeping the tax invoices you'll need for VAT.
- Reconcile every account so your books match the bank to the dirham.
- Make year-end adjustments such as accruals, prepayments and depreciation.
- Review VAT returns already filed and correct errors through a voluntary disclosure if needed.
Keep it from happening again
Once you're up to date, a monthly or quarterly bookkeeping routine keeps you there. That's exactly what our bookkeeping plans do, with Corporate Tax filing included.
Our backlog accounting cover everything in this guide, from registration to filing.
This guide is general information about UAE tax rules as of 29 October 2026, not tax advice for your business. Rules and FTA practice change; speak to an adviser before acting.