Outsourced accounting services in Dubai for SMEs and growing companies

GoStride Accounting Services is an independent accounting firm in Dubai that runs the accounting function for SMEs and growing companies across the UAE. We keep your books, reconcile every account, prepare your VAT and Corporate Tax returns and send monthly reports. One dedicated accountant handles all of it for a fixed monthly fee, so you get a finance team without hiring one. Book a free 30-minute call and we will quote that fee before you commit to anything.

At a glance

Topic	Details
Service	Outsourced accounting: your finance function run by one dedicated accountant
Included	Bookkeeping, reconciliations, payroll and WPS support, VAT returns, Corporate Tax returns, monthly reports, year-end accounts
Turnaround	Books closed by the 15th of each month. Replies within one working hour in UAE business hours
Handover	About a week from your previous accountant, with their cooperation
Fee	Fixed monthly fee, agreed up front and quoted after a free 30-minute call. Set mainly by monthly transaction volume: under 50, 50 to 100, 100 to 250, 250 to 500, or over 500
Software	Xero, QuickBooks, Zoho Books and Vivid360. A cloud platform is included if you have none
Where	Office in Al Qusais, Dubai. Clients in all seven emirates, on the mainland and in the free zones
Contact	WhatsApp or call +971 58 578 5495, hello@gostride.ventures

What outsourced accounting with GoStride covers

You choose how much to hand over. Most clients hand over the full cycle:

• Bookkeeping. Every sales invoice, supplier bill, expense and receipt recorded and coded in your accounting software.
• Bank and card reconciliation. Every bank account, company card and petty cash float tied to its statement each month.
• Receivables and payables. Customer invoices matched to payments and supplier bills tracked against their due dates, with aged lists you can act on.
• Payroll and WPS support. Salaries posted, WPS salary information prepared, and gratuity and leave accrued every month.
• VAT returns. Prepared each quarter from reconciled books, shown to you first and filed before the 28th.
• Corporate Tax returns. Year-end accounts, a Small Business Relief check and the annual return filed before the deadline.
• Monthly reports. Profit and loss, balance sheet, cash flow summary and aged balances, closed by the 15th of the following month, with a plain English note on what moved.
• Year-end accounts and audit support. Financial statements prepared and the schedules your auditor asks for ready before they are requested.
• E-invoicing readiness. Your invoicing and records prepared for the UAE e-invoicing rollout, so the change does not land on you all at once.

Outsourced accounting or an in-house accountant?

An in-house accountant costs more than a salary. Here is what you take on with each option.

	In-house accountant	Outsourced to GoStride
Monthly cost	Salary, plus medical insurance, end of service gratuity, hiring costs, a laptop and software	One fixed monthly fee, agreed up front
Annual leave and sick days	The books stop, or you pay for cover	Covered: your accountant has a team behind them
Tax returns	Often outsourced anyway, at an extra cost	VAT and Corporate Tax returns included in the scope you choose
Review of the work	No one checks the numbers unless you do	Every return and month-end close is reviewed before it reaches you
Keeping up with tax changes	Training time and courses you pay for	Our job, at no extra cost to you
If they leave	Notice period, recruitment and a handover gap	Continuity: your books and history stay with the firm
Scaling up or down	A second hire, or a person with too little work	The scope and fee change with your volume

An in-house accountant makes sense once you need someone on site every day, for example to run stores, chase cash daily or manage a team. Many companies combine both: an in-house administrator for day-to-day entries, and GoStride for reconciliation, review, tax returns and reporting.

When to outsource your accounting

These are the moments when outsourcing usually pays off:

• You are doing the books yourself and losing evenings to them, or putting them off.
• Your books are behind and a VAT return, a Corporate Tax return, an audit or a bank request is coming.
• Your accountant has left, or your current firm is slow to reply.
• You are growing and need reliable monthly numbers before you hire, borrow or raise money.
• You are new to the UAE and want VAT and Corporate Tax right from the first return.

How the handover works

1. A free 30-minute call. We talk through your business, your volume, your software and where your books stand today. You leave with a clear plan and a fixed monthly fee, with no obligation.
2. Document review. We review your business documents, bank statements and existing books, and agree exactly what is in scope.
3. Handover. We take over from your previous accountant or in-house team. With their cooperation this usually takes about a week. Our guide on how to switch accountants in the UAE lists what to ask for.
4. Catch-up if needed. If your books are behind, we rebuild and reconcile them first, so the monthly cycle starts from figures you can trust.
5. The monthly cycle. You share documents, we record and reconcile, your books are closed by the 15th, and your accountant goes through the numbers with you.

What stays with you

Outsourcing the work does not mean giving up control.

• Approvals. You approve payments, returns and anything filed in your name. Nothing is submitted without your sign-off.
• Bank access. We work from statements and read-only feeds. We never need the power to move your money.
• Your data. If you use your own Xero, QuickBooks or Zoho Books subscription, the subscription and the data stay in your name. If you leave, your full books go with you.

For mainland and free zone companies across the UAE

We work with mainland companies and with companies in the free zones, including DMCC, JAFZA, DAFZA, Dubai Silicon Oasis, IFZA, Meydan Free Zone, Dubai South, RAKEZ, SAIF Zone, SPC Free Zone and Ajman Free Zone. For free zone companies we keep the books audit-ready and track qualifying income for Corporate Tax from the first month.

Our office is in Dubai, and our accountants work with businesses in all seven emirates: Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, Ajman, Ras Al Khaimah, Fujairah and Umm Al Quwain. Your accountant works in your software and stays in touch by WhatsApp, email, phone or video call.

What affects your fee

Our fees are fixed and monthly, agreed up front and quoted after your free call. The fee changes only when the scope changes. These are the factors that set it:

• Transaction volume. How many sales, purchases and bank lines you have each month.
• Accounts and entities. How many bank accounts, cards, currencies and companies we look after.
• Scope. Bookkeeping only, or bookkeeping with payroll, VAT returns, Corporate Tax returns and management reports.
• How current your books are. A catch-up is quoted separately as a fixed fee.
• Inventory. Whether stock and cost of sales need tracking.
• Software. Whether we work in your existing software, set up new software or move your history across.

Why SMEs choose GoStride Accounting Services

• One dedicated accountant. One person knows your business and answers your questions, with a team behind them for review and cover.
• A reply within one working hour. During UAE business hours, by WhatsApp, email or phone.
• Fixed monthly fees. Agreed up front, and changed only when your scope changes.
• Books closed by the 15th. The same rhythm every month.
• Books and tax in one place. The same books feed your VAT and Corporate Tax returns, so every figure agrees.
• Works in your software. Xero, QuickBooks, Zoho Books and Vivid360. If you have no software yet, a cloud accounting platform is included.

Related services

• Bookkeeping services in Dubai: monthly books closed by the 15th, including catch-up bookkeeping.
• VAT return filing services in the UAE: quarterly returns prepared from reconciled books and filed before the deadline.
• Corporate Tax consultant and return filing in the UAE: year-end accounts, Small Business Relief and free zone checks.
• Payroll and WPS support in Dubai: payroll posted monthly and WPS salary information prepared.
• Management accounts and MIS reporting: a monthly reporting pack, cash flow and budgets.
• Fractional CFO services in Dubai: budgets, forecasts and pricing decisions with a senior finance lead.
• Cloud accounting in Xero, QuickBooks or Zoho Books: software set up for you and bank feeds reconciled.

You can also see all of our accounting services in Dubai on one page.

Outsourced accounting questions we hear often

How much does outsourced accounting cost in Dubai?

We charge a fixed monthly fee, agreed up front. It depends on your transaction volume, how many accounts and companies we look after, and whether payroll, tax returns and management reports are included. Book a free 30-minute call and we will quote a fixed fee for your scope.

Is outsourced accounting cheaper than hiring an accountant?

For most SMEs, yes. An in-house accountant brings a salary, medical insurance, end of service gratuity, hiring costs, software and leave cover, and the tax returns are often outsourced anyway. An outsourced fee covers the work, the review and the cover in one figure. Once you need someone on site every day, an in-house hire alongside us can make sense.

Is my financial data safe with an outsourced accountant?

We work from statements and read-only bank feeds, so we never hold the power to move your money. Your accounting software subscription and data can stay in your name, and nothing is filed without your approval.

Can you work alongside our in-house staff?

Yes. Many clients keep an administrator for day-to-day entries while we handle reconciliation, review, VAT and Corporate Tax returns and monthly reports.

Do you also file our VAT and Corporate Tax returns?

Yes. Returns are prepared from the books we keep, shown to you first and filed before each deadline, so the figures agree across every return.

What if we want to bring accounting back in house later?

Your books go with you. We hand over the full ledger, reconciliations and supporting schedules, and brief your new accountant so nothing is lost.

Do you work with businesses outside Dubai?

Yes. Our office is in Dubai and we work with businesses in all seven emirates, on the mainland and in the free zones.