Common Challenges We Solve
Setting up VAT and Corporate Tax registration correctly from day one, including assessing eligibility for Small Business Relief where revenue is still below the threshold. Building basic financial processes that scale as the business grows, rather than accumulating technical debt that needs unwinding later. Preparing financial information investors will actually trust during due diligence.
We also help founders understand which metrics investors will actually scrutinise during due diligence, so management accounts are built with that eventual audience already in mind.
VAT & Tax Considerations for Startups
Our Services for Startups
Who We Work With
Early-stage and growth-stage startups across technology, e-commerce, consumer products and services, from pre-revenue through to post-Series A.
Getting Started
Cap Table and Equity Tracking
Get Expert Help for Your Business
Talk to an FTA-approved tax consultant today. Free consultation, no obligation — we’ll tell you exactly what your business needs.
Burn Rate and Runway Reporting
Investors and founders alike want clear visibility into monthly burn rate and remaining runway. We build this reporting into your regular financial package, so it’s always current rather than reconstructed only when a board meeting or investor update requires it.
R&D Cost Tracking and Incentive Eligibility
Tech and product startups often invest heavily in research and development, and tracking these costs clearly can matter both for internal decision-making and for any incentive programmes that may apply. We help build clear R&D cost visibility into your accounting from an early stage.
Employee Stock Option Plan Accounting
Startups offering equity or stock options to employees need this properly reflected in their financial statements, since it represents a real cost even though no cash changes hands at the time of grant. We help ensure ESOP arrangements are accounted for correctly ahead of any future fundraise or exit.
Grant Funding and Government Incentive Accounting
Startups receiving grant funding or government incentive support need this tracked separately from equity funding and revenue, with attention to any conditions attached to the grant. We ensure grant income is recorded and reported correctly against whatever conditions apply.
Multi-Entity Structures for International Expansion
Startups expanding beyond the UAE often set up additional entities in target markets, which raises intercompany transaction and transfer pricing questions between the UAE entity and its overseas counterparts. We help think through the accounting implications as this structure develops.
Convertible Notes and SAFE Instrument Accounting
Startups raising through convertible notes or SAFE instruments need these liabilities or equity instruments accounted for correctly ahead of conversion, since the accounting treatment differs from standard equity or debt. We help ensure these instruments are properly reflected in your financial statements.
We also help founders understand how these instruments will affect the cap table and financial statements once a triggering event occurs.
Frequently Asked Questions
Mandatory VAT registration is required once taxable supplies exceed AED 375,000 in the past 12 months or are expected to in the next 30 days, with voluntary registration available above AED 187,500.
Yes — businesses with revenue below AED 3 million may elect for Small Business Relief during the transitional period, though registration is still generally required.
We scale our involvement to your actual stage and volume, starting lean and adding services as your business and complexity grow, rather than a one-size-fits-all package.
Yes — we prepare clean, investor-ready financial statements and can support the due diligence process directly alongside your fundraise.
Yes — pre-revenue startups still generally need to consider registration timing and basic financial record-keeping, and we can advise on the right approach at this stage.