Accounting · Catch-Up Accounting
Backlog Accounting & Catch-Up Bookkeeping in Dubai
Months or years of missing books rebuilt from your bank statements, invoices and contracts — reconciled, reviewed for VAT and corporate tax exposure, and brought current before a filing deadline, an audit or a fundraise.
- Ledgers Reconstructed
- VAT & Tax Exposure Flagged
- Brought Up to Date
Licensed by Dubai DET · Licence 1394564
At a glance
- Statements are the backbone of the rebuild
- Bank
- Rebuilt month by month and reconciled
- Ledgers
- Exposure flagged for voluntary disclosure
- VAT & CT
- Books handed over ready for filing or audit
- Current
Behind on your books? Fix it before a deadline forces the issue
Books fall behind for ordinary reasons: a bookkeeper leaves, the business grows faster than the admin, or nobody owned the job after setup. The gap becomes urgent when something needs the numbers — a corporate tax return with a fixed filing deadline, a VAT return that must match the ledger, a free zone renewal that needs audited accounts, or an investor’s due diligence. By then, missing records are harder to recover and errors may already sit in filed returns.
Smartgic rebuilds the books in a planned sequence. We gather bank statements, sales and purchase invoices, contracts and payroll records — helping you request copies from banks and suppliers where yours are missing — then reconstruct the ledgers month by month and reconcile every account. As we go, we flag VAT and corporate tax differences so they can be corrected through a voluntary disclosure where needed, and hand you current, reconciled books ready for filing or audit.
Key facts
- Statements are the backbone of the rebuild
- Bank
- Rebuilt month by month and reconciled
- Ledgers
- Exposure flagged for voluntary disclosure
- VAT & CT
- Books handed over ready for filing or audit
- Current
Everything covered in Backlog Accounting
The concrete scope our team delivers, grouped the way we actually run your file.
Assessment & Records
Knowing what exists before anything is rebuilt.
- Backlog review and work plan
- Gap list of missing records
- Bank and supplier statement requests
- Document indexing by period
Reconstruction
The ledgers rebuilt and reconciled, period by period.
- Transaction recording from bank statements
- Receivable and payable reconstruction
- Shareholder and related-party accounts
- Fixed asset and depreciation schedules
- Period-by-period reconciliations
Tax & Handover
Exposure identified and books handed over ready to use.
- Comparison with filed VAT returns
- Corporate tax position review
- Voluntary disclosure support
- Trial balances and adjustment summary
- Handover to monthly bookkeeping
What you gain with Backlog Accounting
The practical difference when the work is planned and filed properly the first time.
A Clear Plan First
We assess how far behind you are and what records exist, then set the order of work around your nearest deadline.
Missing Records Recovered
Where invoices or statements are missing, we help you request copies from banks, suppliers and customers, and document what cannot be found.
Every Account Reconciled
Bank, card, receivable, payable, loan and shareholder accounts are reconciled for each period, not just forced to agree at the year-end.
Tax Exposure Surfaced Early
Differences between the rebuilt books and filed VAT or corporate tax returns are flagged, so corrections can be made by voluntary disclosure.
Shareholder Accounts Untangled
Personal payments through the company and company costs paid personally are separated and recorded as shareholder balances, with your confirmation.
A Clean Starting Point
You finish with current, reconciled books and opening balances that monthly bookkeeping or accounting can continue from without rework.
A clear process, step by step
One adviser owns your file from first call to completion, and you always know which step you are on.
- 01
Backlog Assessment
We review what exists — bank statements, invoices, prior accounts, filed VAT and corporate tax returns — and agree the periods to rebuild and the deadline to work towards.
- 02
Records Gathered
You provide what you have; we list the gaps and help you obtain bank statements, supplier statements and missing invoices, so transactions are supported wherever possible.
- 03
Ledgers Reconstructed
We record transactions period by period from the bank outwards, match them to invoices and contracts, and reconcile bank, receivable, payable and shareholder balances.
- 04
Tax Review
We compare the rebuilt figures with VAT and corporate tax returns already filed, quantify any differences and explain where a voluntary disclosure or late registration may be needed.
- 05
Books Brought Current
You receive reconciled books, trial balances and a summary of adjustments and open items, ready for filing, audit or monthly bookkeeping to continue.
Who it’s for and what you’ll need
Have these ready and we can move quickly. If something is missing, we will tell you what the authority accepts instead.
When catch-up accounting is needed
- A corporate tax return is due and the books for the period are incomplete
- VAT returns have been filed from estimates rather than reconciled ledgers
- An audit, licence renewal or bank review needs accounts you do not have
- An investor, buyer or partner has started due diligence
- A bookkeeper or finance manager left and nobody took over the records
Documents we’ll need
- Bank statements for every account and period
- Sales and purchase invoices you still hold
- Contracts, leases and loan agreements
- Payroll records and WPS salary files
- Any previous accounts or trial balances
- Filed VAT and corporate tax returns
- Access to old accounting software or spreadsheets
Need documents attested or translated? Our document clearing team can help.
Backlog Accounting questions
Straight answers to what clients ask us most. If yours is not here, ask us directly.
As far back as the records go. Bank statements are the backbone, so if you can obtain them, we can rebuild the ledger for the period and match invoices and contracts to it. Where documents are lost, we record transactions from the bank with a clear note of the missing support, and agree with you how to treat them.
If the rebuilt books show that a filed VAT return understated or overstated tax, the error is usually corrected through a voluntary disclosure on EmaraTax; some smaller errors can instead be adjusted in a later return. We quantify the difference period by period and prepare the correction with you. Penalties depend on the error and the FTA’s assessment, so we explain your position rather than quote a figure.
Often, if we start early enough. The corporate tax return is due within 9 months of the end of the tax period, and the time a rebuild needs depends on the number of periods, transaction volume and how complete your records are. We give you a realistic plan after the assessment and prioritise the periods the return depends on.
Registration is required for taxable persons whether or not they make a profit, including free zone companies. If you should have registered and did not, the books we rebuild will support a late registration and the returns that follow. A late-registration penalty exists; we explain how it applies to your situation and help you regularise the position.
They help, but they are not essential. Previous files — software backups, spreadsheets, working papers — save time and show how transactions were treated before. Without them, we rebuild from bank statements and source documents. Either way, we review earlier work rather than relying on it, because backlogs often hide errors that were carried forward.
You can take the reconciled books back in-house, or move straight into monthly bookkeeping or accounting with us, starting from the balances we have just agreed. Continuing monthly usually costs less than another catch-up later, and keeps VAT and corporate tax filings drawn from current records.
Related services
Most clients combine these. We run them as one engagement with a single point of contact.
Guides on Backlog Accounting
In-depth articles from our team on the questions clients most often ask about this service.
Let’s plan your next move
Tell us what you are planning. An adviser will come back with the route, the documents and an itemised quote — no obligation, no pressure to commit.
Visit our office
Office 44, Floor M2, BN Complex, Deira Al Muteena, Dubai, UAE
Mon – Sat, 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM (GST)
Get directions