Accountants and corporate service providers in Dubai

Dubai is the emirate most foreign founders picture when they think of a UAE company, and its accounting market is the largest in the country by a wide margin: 239 of the 377 firms we list for the UAE are based here. The choice is real rather than cosmetic, because the firms differ in what they were built to do. Some began as business-set-up agents and added accounting; others began as audit and tax practices and added company formation.

That split is visible in the numbers. One hundred and twenty-four of the 239 are corporate service providers and 115 are accounting firms, with no law firms in the group. Most are small, 168 against 66 medium firms and five large networks. Almost all the firms, 236, offer company formation, and 229 do accounting, so you can use one firm for both or ask a set-up agent to hand over to a bookkeeper afterwards.

Firms in Dubai

Avyanco

Corporate services provider · Medium-sized firm

Dubai

  • Company formation
  • Accounting and bookkeeping
  • Tax compliance
  • +7 more

Languages: English

View profile of Avyanco

Incorpyfy

Corporate services provider · Medium-sized firm

Dubai

  • Company formation
  • Accounting and bookkeeping
  • Tax compliance
  • +4 more

Languages: English · Arabic · Hindi

View profile of Incorpyfy

215 more firms in Dubai

Sectors and entity types across Dubai

Real estate is named by 86 firms and e-commerce by 84, followed by trading (60), healthcare (56), manufacturing (49), logistics (41) and construction (40). Forty firms name start-ups and technology. If your business is property, online retail or a trading company moving goods through the emirate, expect to find a firm that has seen your sector many times.

Entity types tell you how the market is organised. Free zone companies are named by 211 firms and mainland companies by 132, and 76 handle branches of foreign companies. Smaller groups handle FZE structures (18), JAFZA-registered companies for activity outside the UAE (22) and companies registered with RAK ICC (17). The question of free zone or mainland is the first one a firm will put to you, and the answer depends on whether you plan to trade with customers inside the UAE. The Ministry of Economy and Tourism sets out the steps for each route.

Dubai also contains zones with their own rules. The Jebel Ali Free Zone lets a single shareholder form a company and multiple shareholders form another type, and the Dubai International Financial Centre offers an English common law framework with its own regulator and courts. Ask whether the firm is experienced with the zone you have in mind, not only with Dubai in general.

After registration: tax, visas and language

Most firms cover what a new company needs after registration. VAT is handled by 226 firms, tax compliance by 234, audit by 158, and 181 firms help with bank accounts. One hundred and seventy-seven help with residence visas and 130 run payroll. Corporate tax and VAT both involve registration with the Federal Tax Authority; the VAT mandatory threshold is AED 375,000, though it does not apply to foreign businesses. Whoever files for you should be a registered tax agent, and you can check that on the authority’s site.

English is offered by 154 firms. Arabic is offered by 15, Russian by nine, French by five and Chinese by four. Eighty-one firms say they focus on foreign clients, the group that is most likely to explain the UAE’s rules without assuming prior knowledge.

For the legal steps, start with the UAE guide. The neighbouring emirates have their own pages: Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, Ajman and Ras Al Khaimah. If you want a provider to handle the whole process, read about company formation in the UAE, or send one request through Accountanty.

Frequently asked questions

Should I choose a Dubai firm for a free zone company?

Often yes. Two hundred and eleven of the 239 firms here handle free zone companies and 132 handle mainland ones. Ask which free zones the firm has registered companies in, since each zone has its own rules and fees.

Do Dubai firms help with bank accounts and visas?

Many do. A total of 181 firms help with bank account opening and 177 with residence visas. Ask what they do and what remains your responsibility, because the bank and immigration authorities make their own decisions.

Which languages do firms in Dubai work in?

English is offered by 154 firms. Arabic is offered by 15, Russian by nine, French by five, Chinese by four and Hindi by three. Mention your language in the quote request so firms can reply accordingly.

Is VAT handled by Dubai firms?

Yes. VAT is handled by 226 of the 239 firms and tax compliance by 234. The Federal Tax Authority keeps a search of registered tax agents, which lets you confirm that the person filing for you is registered.

What if my company is in another emirate?

You can still ask a Dubai firm, but a company in Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, Ajman or Ras Al Khaimah is licensed by that emirate's authority, so check the firm's experience there. Each of those emirates has its own page.

Other cities in United Arab Emirates

Services in the UAE

Setting up a company in the UAE: the guide and every firm

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.