Accounting for Education & Training
Nurseries, training centres, tutoring and education providers: we account for fees received in advance, apply the right VAT and run payroll for teaching staff.
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Fee income recognised when it is earned
Education providers collect fees in advance and deliver over a term or a course, so cash and profit rarely line up. Some education services are zero-rated for VAT and others are not, and getting it wrong is costly.
We record fees as deferred revenue and release them over the period of study, track receivables and refunds, and apply the correct VAT treatment to each type of fee. Payroll for teaching staff, WPS and gratuity are included.
- Fees in advance as deferred revenue
- Fee receivables and refunds
- VAT on education services checked
- Payroll for teaching staff
- Course or branch profitability
- Audit-ready accounts
Where we usually come in
"We collect a term's fees and the profit looks huge."
With us: We release fees over the term so profit is accurate.
"We're not sure which fees are zero-rated."
With us: We review each service against the VAT rules.
"Parents pay late."
With us: Fee receivables are tracked and reported.
"Our payroll is the biggest cost and hard to manage."
With us: We run payroll, WPS and gratuity every month.
Accounting built for education & training
Deferred revenue
Fees received in advance released over the term or course.
Receivables
Fees due, instalments and refunds tracked by student or customer.
Education VAT
Zero-rated and standard-rated services identified and documented.
Payroll
Teacher and staff payroll, WPS and end-of-service gratuity.
Reporting
Profit by branch, programme or course.
Corporate Tax
Annual return and Small Business Relief where relevant.
How we work with you
- 1
Map
We review your programmes, fee structures and licences.
- 2
Set up
Fee types and deferred revenue configured.
- 3
Reconcile
Fees, refunds and bank reconciled monthly.
- 4
Report
Accurate profit and cash, reviewed by a partner.
VAT and Corporate Tax for education & training
| Topic | What applies |
|---|---|
| VAT on education | Certain education services are zero-rated, such as qualifying nursery, school and higher education; private training is usually standard-rated |
| Related goods | Uniforms, books and trips can have different VAT treatment from tuition |
| Corporate Tax | 0% up to AED 375,000, 9% above; Small Business Relief may apply up to AED 3M revenue |
| Payroll | WPS and end-of-service gratuity for all staff |
General information as of November 2026. Your facts decide the answer, so take advice before relying on it.
Fixed monthly fees. No surprise invoices.
Startup
AED 999/mo
Up to 50 transactions a month
- Monthly bookkeeping
- Quarterly VAT filing
- Annual financial statements
- WhatsApp support (4hr response)
Most popular
Growth
AED 2,500/mo
Up to 500 transactions a month
- Everything in Startup
- Monthly KPI dashboard
- Audit-ready financial statements
- Corporate Tax registration and filing
- Direct partner access
Scale
Custom
Groups, multi-entity, family offices
- Everything in Growth
- Multi-currency consolidation
- Virtual CFO included
- Quarterly board reports
Get your exact estimate with the bookkeeping cost calculator →
"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."
Education & Training accounting: common questions
Is education zero-rated for VAT in the UAE?
Some education services are zero-rated, including qualifying nursery, pre-school and school education, and certain higher education. Private training courses are usually standard-rated at 5%. We review each fee type.
How should fees paid in advance be recorded?
As deferred revenue, released to income over the period the education is delivered, so each month shows the profit actually earned.
Do you work with training centres as well as nurseries?
Yes. We work with nurseries, training centres, tutoring businesses and other education providers.
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Full bookkeeping, IFRS reports by Day 7, tax health-check included. No credit card required.
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