10 October 2026 · Cost
What Drives a Year-End Accounting Quote
A year-end accounting quote usually turns on the state of the ledger, the number of accounts and entities, the quality of source records, the reconciliations still open, and whether tax working papers are needed. The Federal Tax Authority's Accounting Standards Guide sets the financial-reporting context. It does not set private accounting fees, so ask for deliverables and exclusions in writing.
Exiloz Management & Tax Consultant · Dubai-based FTA-focused advisory · VAT, corporate tax & accounting
What should a year-end quote return?
An outsourced year-end accounting quote starts with the work left in the ledger, not the name of the service. The first review should identify entities, bank and payment accounts, transaction volume, open reconciliations, missing source records and the closing date. A company with monthly reconciliations needs a different scope from one carrying suspense, owner payments and old supplier balances. That opening review is where a reliable scope becomes visible.
The Federal Tax Authority Accounting Standards Guide explains the reporting context, while Article 20 of Federal Decree-Law No. 47 of 2022 starts taxable income with accounting income and applies the required adjustments. That is why a quote for posting transactions is not automatically a quote for a tax-ready close. Ask for the final trial balance, reconciliations, adjustment log and tax handover as separate outputs. The list also gives management a record of what it is paying to receive.
Private accounting fees are not set by the FTA. A usable proposal names what will be checked, what records the business must supply and what happens when a balance cannot be proven. The price should describe a file you can inspect. If it only promises support, you cannot tell whether the second conversation is included. A fixed fee is useful only when the boundary around it is readable.
Choose help for the gap you can name
This work fits a business whose staff can provide records but cannot finish the close, reconcile several account groups or explain the old balances. It also fits an owner who has inherited a ledger from another provider. Start with the latest trial balance and its date. Do not send a marketing brief and ask the accountant to discover the size of the job after signing. The opening file should show which balances are already trusted.
You may not need outside help when the ledger is current, the reconciliations are signed, the source records are indexed and management can answer every material question. You still need a handover file. If those conditions are absent, identify whether the gap is bookkeeping correction, reconciliation, tax working papers or audit support. That decision changes the scope more than the monthly transaction count alone. It also prevents a close engagement from quietly becoming monthly bookkeeping.
The cost of getting the scope wrong is usually a second investigation. Missing documents lead to rework, late adjustments and a tax preparer rebuilding the close from a general ledger export. A balance can be mathematically posted and still unsupported. Send the latest trial balance, bank reconciliation, aged receivables, aged payables and asset register before asking for a quote.
Put the deliverable beside the price
The written scope should name the balances and the evidence used to test them. Bank statements support cash. Supplier statements support payables. The asset register supports fixed assets. Payroll reports support staff costs. Payment gateways, card processors, intercompany accounts and tax control accounts deserve their own line when they exist. Full accounts preparation is too broad to compare. The scope should say who requests each record and who answers the exception.
The table is a practical quote check. It puts the deliverable beside the record and the issue that can move the work. It does not replace the engagement letter. The letter should state the review cut-off, the handover format, management approvals and the treatment of missing documents.
Keep accounting support separate from statutory audit work. Exiloz can prepare schedules and audit support, but it does not perform a statutory audit or sign an audit opinion. It is not a registered Tax Agent or an FTA-accredited e-invoicing ASP. The service description should say preparation, reconciliation and support, not a credential the firm does not hold.
| Work item | Evidence | What changes the quote |
|---|---|---|
| Bank and payment accounts | Statements, gateway reports and reconciliations | Old unmatched items or several payment channels |
| Receivables and payables | Aged listings, later receipts and supplier statements | Disputes, missing invoices or related parties |
| Fixed assets and payroll | Asset register, purchase files and payroll reports | Unposted additions, disposals or corrections |
| Tax handover | Tax bridge and adjustment workings | Exempt income, related parties or open judgements |
Test the ledger before you promise a finish
Start with a dated records request. Freeze the trial balance version, mark exceptions, then reconcile cash and gateways before reviewing profit. Move through receivables, payables, fixed assets, payroll, related parties and tax accounts. A proposed adjustment needs a calculation and a source document. An unresolved item needs an owner and a next action. Keep an exception list beside the working ledger so corrections do not disappear into later edits.
Example. Draft revenue is AED 49,000,000. A further AED 2,000,000 belongs to the same period. AED 49,000,000 + AED 2,000,000 = AED 51,000,000. Ministerial Decision No. 84 of 2025 uses an AED 50,000,000 revenue threshold for a non-Tax Group taxable person, so the audit position must be flagged before the close is presented as finished.
Management approves entries that depend on business facts. The accountant records the calculation and supporting file. The tax preparer reviews the bridge from accounting income to taxable income. If an audit is required, an independent auditor performs that work. A scope that sends all questions to the tax preparer has not finished the accounting handover.
The evidence boundary belongs in the engagement
Price moves with entities, account groups, transaction volume, record quality, unresolved items, foreign currency, inventory, gateways, related parties and the level of handover needed. Those drivers can be listed before work starts. A market rate without the same scope is not evidence that one proposal is cheaper. Compare the records tested and the files returned.
The evidence boundary is straightforward. The FTA guide explains how financial statements and accounting income interact with Corporate Tax, but it does not publish an outsourced accountant's fee or predict the hours for a particular ledger. The provider and client must decide that in writing. Do not turn an unpriced government requirement into an invented price.
Ask today for a close index with the final trial balance, reconciliation status, adjustment support, tax bridge and unresolved-item report. If the provider cannot show those objects, ask what the fee actually buys. The practical test is simple: could another reviewer trace the closing figure back to the source record without calling the owner? If the answer is no, the handover still contains unpriced work.
Related guides
Frequently Asked Questions
For setting a clear year-end accounting scope.
What affects year-end accounting cost in Dubai?
The main drivers are the number of accounts and entities, transaction volume, unreconciled balances, missing source records, and whether the handover includes tax working papers. The Federal Tax Authority's Accounting Standards Guide sets the reporting context, but it does not prescribe private fees. Compare quotes by deliverable, not by the headline price.
Should the quote include tax adjustments?
Ask the provider to state whether the quote covers the tax bridge, supporting schedules and explanations for judgement-based entries. The Federal Tax Authority's guidance on determining taxable income treats accounting income as the starting point and requires applicable adjustments. A bookkeeping-only quote may leave that bridge for someone else.
Can a fixed quote change?
Yes, if the agreed scope excludes missing records, new entities, long-open balances or extra review work. Exiloz should identify those conditions before starting. The Federal Tax Authority's record-keeping guidance supports retaining documents behind the figures, so source-record gaps can affect both time and scope.
What should I request before accepting?
Request the closing date, deliverables, source records required, reconciliation scope, tax handover, review process and exclusions. The Federal Tax Authority's Accounting Standards Guide explains the financial-reporting context. A clear written scope lets you see what the fee buys and where management decisions remain.
Need a clear closing quote?
Exiloz reviews the ledger, identifies the work still open and scopes a year-end accounts handover for your next Corporate Tax return.