SAAS★★★★★
"Shaikh Associates is the first firm where the partner actually reads my reports before our calls. Their backlog clearance saved us during a critical FTA audit."
— EX-BIG 4 · UAE · END-TO-END FINANCE PARTNERS
Accounting & Virtual CFO Services in Dubai, UAE
Top-rated Chartered Accountants in Dubai — bookkeeping, Corporate Tax, VAT, audit & company setup by ex-Deloitte, PwC, EY & KPMG professionals.
No credit cardCancel anytimeDecide on day 31
Our Partners Trained At
Deloitte.PwCEYKPMG
Combined: 60+ years across audit, tax and advisory at the Big 4 — now serving UAE founders directly.
— Our Story
Big 4 standards shouldn't be a Big 4 luxury.
Shaikh Associates was founded in 2021 by a Chartered Accountant in practice since 2015 — bringing Big 4 methodology and rigour to UAE businesses without Big 4 price tags.
We exist to close that gap. Same Big 4 methodology. Same review rigour. Same documentation discipline. Without the pyramid of associates and managers that doubles or triples the bill.
Today our team serves 500+ businesses — from solo founders to multinational groups — with the same playbook that protects Fortune 500 clients.
Read the full story →What Founders Tell Us
"Their systems are bulletproof. When our auditors came in, everything was already audit-ready — no panic, no year-end scramble."
Milestones
2021Founded in Dubai by ex-EY team
100+Clients in first 24 months
500+businesses served across the UAE
100M+AED saved in tax & restructuring
— What We Do
An entire finance function — without an entire finance team.
From bookkeeping to Corporate Tax to M&A advisory, we run the full finance department for 500+ businesses across the UAE. Try our free cost calculator →
0130-day trial free · ★ Flagship
Bookkeeping & Accounting
Daily, weekly, monthly books — reconciled to the cent. IFRS-compliant statements, multi-currency, multi-entity. Cloud accounting on Zoho, QuickBooks, Xero, Tally or SAP.
A Big 4–trained partner owns your account — not a junior team. Monthly closes delivered on time, audit-ready from month one. Try us free for 30 days and see the difference by Day 7.
02Tax & Regulatory
UAE Corporate Tax
CT registration with the FTA, annual return filing, transfer pricing docs, and QFZP (Qualifying Free Zone Person) analysis for DMCC, IFZA, DIFC and Meydan entities.
Small Business Relief assessment, related-party transaction review, and CT health-check included in Growth tier. We've structured compliance for 200+ UAE entities.
03Tax & Regulatory
VAT — Registration to Refund
TRN registration, quarterly VAT return preparation and e-filing, refund applications, and full FTA audit representation — so you never face the Authority alone.
We reconcile your books to VAT returns, flag input tax gaps, and handle FTA correspondence. Included in all bookkeeping tiers from AED 999/month.
04Audit & Assurance
Statutory & Internal Audit
Audit file preparation for DMCC, DIFC, ADGM, IFZA, JAFZA and mainland entities. Year-end IFRS statements, internal controls review, and forensic accounting.
Investor due diligence support, liaison with external auditors, and audit-ready books maintained monthly — not just at year-end.
05Formation
UAE Company Setup
Mainland DED, free zone (DMCC, IFZA, Meydan, RAKEZ) and offshore formation — from trade licence application to corporate bank account and initial bookkeeping setup.
VAT and Corporate Tax registration from Day 1. Most clients operational in 7–12 working days with the right jurisdiction choice upfront.
06Premium Tier
Strategic Advisory & M&A
Virtual CFO, M&A advisory, due diligence, restructuring, fundraise readiness and exit planning. Monthly KPI dashboards, cash flow forecasting, and board-ready investor packs.
Partner-led for family offices, multinationals, and Series A+ founders who need CFO-level insight without a full-time hire.
+ 12 More Services
View All Services →
Don't see what you need?
Payroll, UBO, transfer pricing, backlog clearance, and more — we likely cover it.
Specialist advice
Free calculators
Why Founders Switch To Us
The old way isn't working. Here's what we changed.
Old way
01
Who handles your account
Junior associate, supervised maybe. You pay senior fees for junior work.
Our way
01
Who handles your account
A partner — start to finish. Big 4–trained CA on your account. No junior handoffs.
Old way
02
Trial period
12-month locked contract. Sign now, hope later.
Our way
02
Trial period
30 days free. Decide on day 31. No card, no contract, no obligation.
Old way
03
Quality of books
"We'll fix it before the audit." Year-end panic.
Our way
03
Quality of books
IFRS-clean from day one. Audit-ready every month.
Old way
04
Response time
Contact form. Wait 4 days.
Our way
04
Response time
4-hour WhatsApp response. Direct partner access — real CA.
Old way
05
Pricing
Hourly billing. Surprise invoices.
Our way
05
Pricing
Fixed monthly fee. One flat fee — questions & year-end included.
Old way
06
Geographic reach
UAE-only. "Ask another firm for that."
Our way
06
Geographic reach
UAE + 27 countries. One team, one source of truth.
Old way
07
When you grow
"That's outside our scope."
Need M&A? Time to find another firm.
Our way
07
When you grow
M&A, fundraise, restructure — covered. Strategic Advisory tier. Same team, same context.
⬡ Our Proprietary Methodology
The Shaikh Formula™
Six pillars. One trusted finance partner. Every UAE business we serve runs on this.
Built from 10+ years in chartered practice and refined across 500+ client engagements — from messy books to investor-ready in months, not years.
01
Discover & Diagnose
90-day transaction review, gap analysis, and onboarding in 7 days.
02
Clean Books Foundation
IFRS-compliant bookkeeping, reconciled to the cent, every month.
03
Compliance Excellence
VAT, Corporate Tax, UBO — filed on time, every time.
04
Real-Time Reporting
Monthly P&L, Balance Sheet, Cash Flow & KPI dashboards.
05
Strategic Advisory
Virtual CFO, fundraise prep, board reporting, exit planning.
06
Scale & Cross-Border
Multi-entity consolidation across UAE + 27 countries.
The 30-Day Trial · Big-4 Standard · Boutique Price
Test-drive us for 30 days. Decide on day 31.
We'll do 30 days of bookkeeping completely free — no credit card, no contract, no obligation. If we earn your trust, we keep going. If we don't, your books are yours either way.
D1
Onboarding
30-min call. Last 90 days pulled. Setup in 24 hours.
D7
First Reports
P&L, Balance Sheet & Cash Flow — IFRS-clean. Tax & VAT health check.
D30
Your Decision
On day 31, continue at a fixed fee or leave with your books. No lock-in. No exit fees.
What's Included In Your 30-Day Trial
- ✓Full bookkeeping for 30 days
Every transaction categorized, reconciled, recorded. - ✓IFRS-clean financial statements
Ready for audit, banking, or investor review. - ✓Tax & VAT health-check
UAE Corporate Tax exposure & VAT gaps flagged. - ✓Direct WhatsApp access to a partner
Qualified Chartered Accountant — not a chatbot.
No credit card · No contract · No obligation · Cancel anytime
Transparent Pricing
Fixed monthly fees. No surprise invoices.
Three tiers for where you are today and where you're going. 30-day trial always free — across every tier, no exceptions.
Tier 01 · Startup
Startup
Solo founders & new businesses
From AED 999/mo
- Monthly bookkeeping (50 transactions)
- VAT filing (quarterly)
- Annual financial statements
- Cloud accounting (Zoho or QB)
- WhatsApp support (4hr response)
- 30-day trial free
No card. No contract.
Tier 02 · ★ Most Popular
Growth
Scaling SMEs
From AED 2,500/mo
Everything in Startup, plus:
- Monthly KPI dashboard
- Audit-ready statements
- Tax & VAT health-check
- Corporate Tax filing
- Direct partner access
- UBO register compliance
No card. Cancel anytime.
Tier 03 · Scale
Scale
Multinationals & family offices
Custom
Everything in Growth, plus:
- Unlimited transactions, multi-entity
- Multi-currency consolidation
- Virtual CFO included
- Board-ready reports
- Transfer pricing docs
- M&A & due diligence (add-on)
By application only.
Trusted by 500+ businesses across the UAE
Expert Guides
Learn before you decide.
Guides built from FTA publications, MOHRE rules, and 10+ years in chartered practice. Updated regularly.
Accounting
9 min read
Gratuity Provisions Under IFRS: A Guide for UAE Employers
End-of-service gratuity is one of the biggest liabilities on a UAE balance sheet, and one of the most often understated. Here is how to calculate it, how IFRS says to account for it, and the mistakes auditors pick up most.
Read guide →
Corporate Tax
9 min read
QFZP Mistakes We See in Free Zone Audits (and How to Fix Them)
Most free zone companies that lose the 0% rate don't lose it on purpose. Here are the QFZP mistakes that come up most often when we review free zone companies, and how to fix each one before it costs you five years at 9%.
Read guide →
VAT
7 min read
UAE E-Invoicing Penalties Just Changed: What the New AED 50,000 Cap Means for Your Business
On 30 October 2026, the Ministry of Finance announced a new e-invoicing penalty regime. Here's every fine, how the new AED 50,000 cap works, and why it doesn't mean you can delay.
Read guide →
VAT
10 min read
E-Invoicing for UAE Businesses Under AED 50 Million: Your 31 March 2027 Deadline, Explained
If your business turns over less than AED 50 million, mandatory e-invoicing starts on 1 July 2027, and you must appoint an accredited provider by 31 March 2027. Here's the plain-English plan, month by month.
Read guide →
VAT
9 min read
Your Tax Invoice Is No Longer Enough: The New Supplier Checks You Need Before Claiming VAT Back
From 1 October 2026, the FTA can deny your input VAT if you didn't check your supplier first. Here's what FTA Decision No. 13 of 2026 actually requires, and a practical checklist for SMEs.
Read guide →
VAT
8 min read
Can You Still Claim VAT on Employee Expenses? The New UAE Rules, Expense by Expense
Staff transport, meals, accommodation, phones, internet and parking: from 1 October 2026, FTA Decision No. 17 of 2026 sets out exactly when you can claim the VAT back. Here's the expense-by-expense table.
Read guide →Have a question about your situation?
Talk to a Chartered Accountant directly. A free 15-minute call, no obligation.
Real founders. Real outcomes.
Each name links to a verified LinkedIn profile. Real people, real businesses, real results.
MOBILITY ★ Featured★★★★★
"Their Corporate Tax structuring saved us AED 380K in our first filing year. QFZP analysis more thorough than our previous Big 4 advisors — at half the cost."
ENERGY★★★★★
"We started with their 30-day free trial. By Day 21 we'd moved off our previous bookkeeper. Six months in and we're recommending them to every founder we know."
CONSULTING★★★★★
"Two years of backlog cleared in 38 days. Series A investors complimented us on how clean our books were during diligence."
MANUFACTURING★★★★★
"Managing 8 entities across Mainland Ajman and UAE. Monthly close went from 21 days to 8."
TECHNOLOGY★★★★★
"Setup, VAT, CT registration, banking, and first 90 days of bookkeeping — all done in 12 working days."
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Everything about our 30-day free trial, pricing, and UAE accounting services.
What does the 30-day free trial include?
Your 30-day trial covers full bookkeeping — every transaction categorized and reconciled, IFRS-compliant P&L, Balance Sheet and Cash Flow statements, plus a tax and VAT health-check. You also get direct WhatsApp access to a Chartered Accountant partner. No credit card, no contract, no obligation. Decide on day 31.
Are you a licensed chartered accounting firm in the UAE?
Yes. Shaikh Associates Chartered Accountants is a licensed UAE accounting practice founded in 2021 by professionals from EY Advisory & Transactions. We serve 500+ businesses across mainland Dubai, DIFC, ADGM, and major free zones with partner-led, IFRS-compliant accounting.
Who actually handles my account — juniors or partners?
A qualified Chartered Accountant partner owns your account from day one — not a rotating team of juniors. You get direct WhatsApp access to the partner reviewing your books, with Big 4–trained rigour at a fixed monthly fee.
What if I'm currently using another firm?
We handle the full transition in 7–10 working days with zero gap in coverage. We coordinate data transfer into Zoho Books, QuickBooks, Xero, Tally, SAP, Odoo, or Oracle — and pick up exactly where your previous firm left off.
How do you handle backlog & books reconstruction?
We start with a full assessment, cost it transparently, and reconstruct your books to IFRS standard. One client cleared two years of backlog in 38 days — clean enough that Series A investors complimented their books during diligence.
How fast can you onboard us?
Standard onboarding takes 7 working days: Day 1 discovery call and transaction pull, Day 7 first clean P&L delivered. For urgent FTA audits, banking deadlines, or investor due diligence, we offer 48-hour express onboarding.
Do you handle Free Zone businesses (DMCC, IFZA, DIFC, Meydan)?
Yes. We work with companies in DMCC, IFZA, DIFC, ADGM, RAKEZ, JAFZA, Meydan Free Zone, mainland DED, and offshore structures. We handle UBO updates, audit thresholds, and QFZP analysis for UAE Corporate Tax.
Can you help with UAE Corporate Tax & QFZP?
Yes. We handle CT registration with the FTA, annual filing, transfer pricing documentation, QFZP (Qualifying Free Zone Person) analysis, and Small Business Relief assessment. Corporate Tax compliance is included in our Growth and Scale tiers.
Are there setup fees or hidden charges?
Zero setup fees and zero hidden charges. Year-end statements, VAT and Corporate Tax filings, FTA correspondence, and ad-hoc partner questions are included in your fixed monthly fee — from AED 999/month for startups.
Will my financial data be secure?
Your data is stored in enterprise-grade cloud platforms (Zoho Books, QuickBooks, Xero) with bank-level encryption and audit trails. Access is role-based and partner-supervised. Your data is always yours — full export anytime, with no exit fees.
What happens after the 30-day trial if I don't continue?
No hard feelings. No exit fees and no locked-in contracts. We hand over your books in your preferred format and help you transition. If we earn your trust during the trial, you continue at a fixed monthly fee. If not, your books are yours.
Can I hire you without the 30-day free trial?
Absolutely. Call or WhatsApp us at +971 50 393 2745 to speak with a partner directly. The trial is optional — many Scale-tier, audit, and M&A clients go straight to a scoped engagement.
Which accounting software do you support?
Zoho Books, QuickBooks Online, Xero, Tally, SAP, Odoo, Oracle, Microsoft Dynamics 365, Sage, FreshBooks, and Wave. We set up, migrate, and manage your cloud accounting stack as part of onboarding.
Certified Cloud Accounting Platforms · Dubai & UAE
We implement, migrate, and manage your books on the platforms UAE businesses trust most.
Registered Across UAE Free Zones & Mainland
Channel partners serving DMCC, IFZA, DIFC, ADGM, Meydan, RAKEZ, JAFZA, and mainland DED entities.
