Accounting and bookkeeping in Bahrain

Accounting for a foreign-owned company in Bahrain is shaped by the legal form you choose. The Sijilat business types page says a W.L.L. must appoint one or more auditors and keep its business books for 10 years, and it lists an Economic Substance Report and anti-money laundering compliance among the company’s commitments. A branch of a foreign company has to submit an audited annual budget. So the bookkeeping you pay for should produce records an auditor can sign off, not only a monthly ledger.

Before you sign, ask the firm which accounting software it works in and whether you can log in from abroad to see the ledger. Ask how often it closes the month, in which language the management reports arrive, how it keeps the VAT records in step with the books, and who prepares the year-end file for the auditor. For a branch, ask how the Bahrain ledger will be reconciled with the head office’s group accounts. The pages on VAT in Bahrain and audit in Bahrain cover the next two steps.

Accountanty lists 31 firms offering accounting in Bahrain: 20 accounting firms, 10 corporate service providers and one law firm. Twenty-four are small practices, three are medium-sized and four belong to large networks, and 13 say they focus on foreign clients. Twenty-six are in Manama and three in Seef.

Firms offering accounting in Bahrain

7 more firms offering accounting in Bahrain

Frequently asked questions

How long does a Bahrain W.L.L. keep its books?

Sijilat lists keeping business books for 10 years among the commitments of a W.L.L. Ask your accountant where the records are stored, in which format, and how you get them back if you move to another firm.

Can I get my Bahrain accounts in English?

English is offered by 24 of the 31 firms listed for accounting in Bahrain, Arabic by four and Russian by two. Ask which language the firm uses for your monthly reports and which it uses when it deals with the authorities.

Does bookkeeping for a branch differ from a W.L.L.?

The day-to-day work is similar, but a branch reports to its head office and has to submit an audited annual budget in Bahrain. Ask the firm how it will align the branch ledger with the parent's chart of accounts and reporting calendar.

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General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules, rates and fees change: check them with the official sources linked on this page or with a qualified adviser before you act.