Compare the same work
Two monthly fees are comparable only when they cover the same entity, accounting period, records and deliverables. Start with the work you need, then ask each provider to mark it included, separately priced or outside scope.
- Monthly bookkeeping and bank reconciliation
- Financial reports and how often you receive them
- VAT preparation and submission support for your assigned filing periods
- Payroll and WPS responsibilities
- Annual corporate tax return, financial statements and audit requirements
- Software access, onboarding and any historical clean-up
Does monthly bookkeeping include quarterly VAT?
Not automatically. At MERAKI, Essentials starts from AED 750 a month and VAT work is separate. Growth starts from AED 1,350 a month and Complete from AED 2,750 a month; both include quarterly VAT preparation and submission support within the agreed scope. A monthly VAT filing requirement is a different scope—check the subscriber matrix before comparing.
Recording VAT in the books is not the same deliverable as preparing and supporting submission of a VAT return. Ask who prepares, reviews and submits, and what information you must provide.
Keep corporate tax and annual accounts separate in the comparison
MERAKI accounting subscriptions do not automatically include corporate tax returns, annual financial statements or registrations. The published corporate tax return fee is AED 500 for annual revenue up to and including AED 3 million, and from AED 2,000 above AED 3 million. These are professional service fees, not the amount of tax payable or a government filing charge.
A professional-fee revenue tier does not establish eligibility for tax relief. Likewise, a tax return, annual financial statements and an independent audit are separate deliverables; confirm which your proposal covers.
Compare the annual commitment
For MERAKI, monthly billing means 12 monthly fees over a full year, plus standard onboarding of AED 1,000 where applicable. Annual payment is 11 times the agreed monthly fee and includes standard onboarding.
Then add only work not already included: the filing periods you actually need, annual work, catch-up records, software or external charges where applicable, and VAT. Do not add a quarterly return twice when it is already in your subscription.
- Write down recurring fees for the full comparison period
- Add onboarding and agreed one-off work
- Add separately priced tax returns and annual accounts
- Identify software, authority and specialist-provider charges
- Reconcile inclusions, subscriber benefits and VAT before accepting
What to share for a useful proposal
Start with an introductory enquiry; do not send account passwords or confidential documents in the initial message. The service pages below show the relevant scope, and the price estimator lets you assemble published fees for review. An estimate is not an order or a confirmed quotation.
- Your business activity, legal entity and financial year-end
- Whether you are registered for VAT and your assigned filing frequency
- Which months of records are complete and which need catch-up
- Bank accounts, currencies, sales channels and payroll needs
- The reports you need and any known filing or renewal dates
