Services
Ongoing Business Support
Overview
Once your UAE entity is live, day‑to‑day compliance never stops: trade‑licence renewals, staff‑visa cycles, VAT & Corporate‑Tax returns, ESR filings, payroll, bookkeeping, and regulatory change management. Ongoing Business Support provides a single service layer that keeps your company operational, compliant, and audit‑ready while you focus on growth.
Decisions Before You Begin
- In‑house vs. outsourced compliance – assess whether your volume of transactions justifies full‑time accountants/PROs or a retainer‑based service.
- Scope definition – choose modules: accounting & VAT, Corporate‑Tax, payroll & WPS, PRO & visa services, licencing & lease renewals, bank & audit liaison.
- Authority access – ensure your team has user credentials for FTA, ICP, MOHRE, Free‑Zone or DED portals; grant limited Power of Attorney to service provider.
- Renewal calendar – map all critical dates (licence, visas, lease, trademark, insurance) 90–180 days ahead.
- Data‑retention policy – digital vs. physical archiving; all records must be retrievable for 5–10 years per UAE law.
Critical Pre‑Engagement Checklist
| Item | Why It Matters | Action Point |
|---|---|---|
| Clean opening balances | Correct prior‑period errors to avoid compounding | Reconcile bank, inventory, and VAT control accounts at hand‑over |
| Portal‑access audit | Missing logins delay filings & renewals | Create master list of e‑channels and reset passwords |
| Staff‑visa dashboard | Visas expire every 2–3 years; fines accrue daily | Export visa list from ICP; tag expiry‑date alerts |
| ESR & UBO status check | Past non‑filings incur escalating fines | Verify last submissions; file remedials if needed |
| Payroll WPS compliance | MOHRE blocks new visas for WPS non‑compliance | Collect labour contracts; align pay dates with WPS cycle |
| Insurance coverage review | Health & work‑men’s comp renewal tied to visas | Track policy numbers, renewal dates, coverage limits |
Documents & Information to Have Ready
| Document / Data | Frequency | Notes |
| Trade licence & MoA | Annual | Mandatory for licence renewal & bank KYC updates |
| Lease contract & Ejari | Annual / renewal | Needed for Mainland licence renewal and visa quota adjustments |
| Chart of accounts & ledgers | Continuous | Export from ERP for monthly closing |
| VAT & Corporate‑Tax portal logins | Continuous | User name, password, UAE Pass mobile number |
| Payroll files & WPS SIF | Monthly | Salary Information Files must match bank WPS submissions |
| Staff passport/visa copies | Onboard/renewal | Keep scanned copies for PRO filings and insurance enrolment |
| Bank statements (all accounts) | Monthly | Reconcile cash movements; support audit & CT filings |
| Insurance policies & receipts | Annual | Attach to employee visa files and general‑ledger prepaid schedule |
| Board resolutions & minutes | As executed | Record capital changes, dividend approvals, CT elections |
| Previous audit reports | Historical | Provide to incoming auditors; track qualified opinions |
Compliance & Operations Roadmap
| Frequency | Task Cluster | Authority / Output |
| Monthly | • Bookkeeping close & bank reconciliation• Payroll processing & WPS file submission• Visa & Emirates‑ID renewals in 90‑day window | FTA, MOHRE, ICP |
| Quarterly | • VAT return (VAT201) & payment• Management‑accounts pack & variance analysis• ESR interim substance check (if applicable) | FTA, MoF |
| Semi‑Annual | • ESR notification (if relevant activity)• UBO register review & update | MoF, DED/Free Zone |
| Annual | • Trade‑licence & establishment‑card renewal• Audited financial statements & CT return• Lease/Ejari renewal and office‑inspection compliance• Staff medical‑insurance policy renegotiation | DED/Free Zone, FTA, ICP, Insurance Authority |
| Ad‑hoc | • Shareholder amendments (MoA update, share transfer)• Bank KYC refresh & signatory changes• Regulatory change briefing sessions | DLD Notary, Banks, Regulatory bodies |
Do’s & Don’ts
Do’s
- Set automated calendar alerts 90 days before every critical expiry—licence, visas, insurance, lease.
- Reconcile VAT control accounts monthly so quarterly submissions tie to ledgers.
- Maintain a single source of truth— use cloud ERP/HRMS accessible to accountants, PROs, and auditors.
- Perform quarterly compliance health‑checks— catch ESR or UBO gaps early.
- Conduct annual supplier & customer KYC refresh— supports AML compliance and bank relationship management.
Dont’s
- Don’t let visas lapse into grace period— overstay fines accrue at AED 50 per day after 30 days.
- Don’t back‑date invoices— UAE e‑invoicing logs timestamps; edits trigger audit flags.
- Don’t pay salaries outside WPS for employees on residence visas— MOHRE blocks new work permits.
- Don’t ignore bank KYC requests— account freezes occur 30 days after unanswered compliance emails.
- Don’t leave licence renewal to final week— DED & Free Zone portals sometimes push major updates causing outages.
Common Pitfalls & How to Avoid Them
- Missed ESR filing windows – AED 20k–400k fines; schedule reminders and prepare substance docs all year.
- Unreconciled inter‑company balances – leads to transfer‑pricing exposure; clear inter‑company accounts quarterly.
- Fragmented document storage – auditors waste time; deploy an indexed cloud repository (e.g., SharePoint, Google Drive).
- Over/under‑declared VAT due to FX errors – use CB UAE rates and lock monthly exchange tables in ERP.
- PRO bottlenecks during Ramadan & year‑end – submit visa and licence renewals well in advance of holiday queues.
Ongoing Essentials
- Continuous professional‑development – subscribe to FTA, MOHRE, and Free‑Zone circulars; update SOPs within 30 days of regulatory changes.
- Quarterly board‑pack review – directors sign off management accounts and compliance status.
- Cyber‑security & data‑protection checks – align with UAE PDPL; audit user access to finance & HR systems.
- Insurance gap analysis – review coverage vs. asset/employee growth annually.
- Business‑continuity planning – maintain cloud backups and tested disaster‑recovery procedures for finance systems.
