Switching accountants in the UAE: a year-end handover checklist
Changing accountants works best at a clean break — a year end or the end of a VAT quarter. What to ask your current accountant for, what to check you control yourself, and how to avoid a gap in filings.
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- When is the best time to change accountants in the UAE?
- At the financial year end, or at the end of a VAT quarter — provided you agree in writing who files the return for the period just ended.
- What should I get from my previous accountant?
- The trial balance and ledger to the cut-off date, the last financial statements, bank reconciliations, balance lists, the fixed asset register, every VAT and Corporate Tax return with working papers, and all FTA correspondence.
- Who has to keep the records after a change of accountant?
- The company. Corporate Tax records are kept for 7 years after the end of the tax period and VAT records for at least 5 years.
Most owners change accountants for ordinary reasons: the business has grown, the service has slipped, or the fee no longer matches the work. The change itself is simple when it is planned around a clean break — and the risk is not the new accountant, but a return that falls between the two.
Pick the break point
- The financial year end is the cleanest point: the outgoing accountant closes the year, and the new one starts the new year.
- The end of a VAT quarter works too, provided you agree in writing who files the return for the quarter just ended.
- Mid-period changes are possible, but the cut-off date, the opening balances and responsibility for the open return all need to be agreed first.
Whatever the date, agree who prepares and files each open return — the last VAT return and the Corporate Tax return for the year just ended. These are the filings that are easiest to miss in a handover.
How we help: Monthly bookkeeping — clean, audit-ready books every month.
What to ask the outgoing accountant for
| Accounts | Trial balance and general ledger to the cut-off date; the last financial statements and, if audited, the audit report |
| Balances | Bank reconciliations; lists of amounts owed to and by the company; fixed asset register; loans and amounts due to or from owners and related parties |
| VAT | Every VAT return filed with its working papers, and any open queries from the FTA |
| Corporate Tax | Returns filed, tax computations, and — for a free zone company — the workings for the 0% position |
| Correspondence | FTA notices, penalties, reconsideration requests and voluntary disclosures |
Ask in writing, list the items and agree a date. A clear list makes the request easy to fulfil.
What you should already control
- EmaraTax. The company's tax account should sit with the company's own email address and its authorised signatory, not with an adviser's mailbox. If it does not, see how to check and regain access.
- The accounting software. The subscription and the administrator log-in should belong to the company. If the books are in the outgoing firm's own system, ask for a full export before access ends.
- Bank and payment platforms. Read-only access for your accountant, granted and removed by you.
The records stay with the company
Corporate Tax records are kept for 7 years after the end of the tax period they relate to, and VAT records for at least 5 years. Changing accountants does not change who must keep them — the company does. Make sure the complete history is in your hands, not only the current year.
What the new accountant should do first
- Agree the opening balances to the last closed accounts and the bank statements.
- Check EmaraTax for the returns filed, payments made and any open penalties.
- Note anything that looks wrong in earlier periods, so it can be corrected by voluntary disclosure where needed — before the FTA raises it.
How we help
We take over from your current accountant using the checklist above, agree the cut-off and who files the open returns, and bring any missing months up to date. Our packages start from AED 399* a month for bookkeeping, and catch-up bookkeeping for a backlog is from AED 299* per month of backlog. See 12 questions to ask an accountant, or tell us your year end and we will plan the handover with you.
* Our fixed fees apply to businesses with annual revenue up to AED 3 million; above that, we prepare a custom quote. They do not apply to businesses dealing in digital currencies (crypto or other virtual assets), which are quoted separately.