Bookkeeping
Catch-up and cleanup bookkeeping
Catch-up bookkeeping for UAE companies whose records have fallen behind. Finbryn works through the backlog in QuickBooks Online, Xero or Zoho Books month by month, reconciles every account to its statement, corrects miscoded and duplicate entries, and records each adjustment so a corporate tax return, VAT filing or audit can rest on agreed balances.
Bank reconciliation summary
Illustrative client · August 2026
AED
| Account | Difference | Status | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Operating account··4821 | 184,220.16 | 184,220.16 | 0.00 | Reconciled |
| Reserve account··0937 | 60,000.00 | 60,000.00 | 0.00 | Reconciled |
| Company card··1006 | (12,418.52) | (12,418.52) | 0.00 | Reconciled |
| Card processor clearing | 8,905.40 | 8,905.40 | 0.00 | Reconciled |
| Payroll clearing | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | Reconciled |
Last weekly runFri 28 Aug, every account agreed to its statement.
Two open itemsTwo card receipts requested from you, marked on the card account until they arrive.
Illustrative. An example of the document, not a client's figures.
How the gap usually opens
A bookkeeper leaves without a real handover, a bank feed quietly stops syncing inside Zoho Books, QuickBooks Online or Xero, or a founder simply outgrows the spreadsheet they started with. Nobody notices until a free zone licence renewal, a Corporate Tax registration deadline, or the first VAT period after crossing AED 375,000 in taxable supplies is already close, and the books behind it are not ready.
Rebuilding from the last month that actually closed
Every bank, card and payment-gateway statement across the backlog gets pulled and matched directly to the ledger, working forward from the last period that genuinely reconciled rather than accepting whatever was typed in at the time. A duplicate entry, a transfer miscoded as revenue, or VAT applied at the wrong rate gets corrected as it turns up, with each fix recorded on a written adjustments log naming the period, the entry and the reason.
Mainland and free zone income, kept apart from day one of the rebuild
Where the business holds Qualifying Free Zone Person status, the rebuild separates Qualifying Income from mainland-sourced revenue for every month in the backlog, not just the most recent one, since that split has to hold up for the whole period under review, not only going forward.
Where an already-filed VAT return turns out wrong
If rebuilding the backlog shows a VAT return already submitted was understated or overstated, the adjustments log states exactly how much and for which period, so a tax agent listed with the FTA can decide how to correct it through EmaraTax rather than guessing.
After the backlog is current
Once the ledger catches up, monthly bookkeeping keeps a new gap from opening, and any related mainland or free zone entity can move on to intercompany accounting once its own books are proven clean.
Questions
Frequently asked questions: Catch-up and cleanup bookkeeping
How long does a catch-up take for a UAE company?
It depends on the number of months, accounts and entities involved; we give a schedule once we have seen the statements.
What if a VAT return we already filed turns out to be wrong?
The adjustments schedule shows the difference. Correcting it with the Federal Tax Authority is then done by you or your licensed tax agent.
Can you fix books left behind by a previous bookkeeper?
Yes, picking up an incomplete or miscoded file is one of the most common catch-up jobs we take on.
Do you flag late Economic Substance Regulations filings during a catch-up?
Yes, if a Relevant Activity applies we flag the notification or report deadline and confirm the current requirement with your registered agent rather than assume it has lapsed.
How far back can you go?
As far back as you have bank and card statements. We quote per backlog month after seeing the accounts involved.
Will you change figures that were already reported?
Only where the records show an error, and every change goes in a written adjustments log.
How do we get started with catch-up and cleanup bookkeeping?
Getting started with catch-up and cleanup bookkeeping begins with a short review of your current records and software access. Once that is done we confirm scope and timing in writing, and ongoing work begins on the schedule agreed with you.
What if our records for catch-up and cleanup bookkeeping are not up to date?
If your records are behind, we scope a catch-up first so catch-up and cleanup bookkeeping starts from a clean, reconciled base. That catch-up is priced and timed separately from the ongoing engagement, so you always know what each part costs.
Related services
- BookkeepingMonthly bookkeepingOngoing monthly bookkeeping: transactions sorted into categories, accounts reconciled and month-end reports delivered in the software you already use.
- BookkeepingBank and credit card reconciliationEvery bank, card and payment-processor account reconciled line by line against its statement, so the balance in your books always matches the balance at the institution.
Industries
- Ecommerce (Amazon and Shopify)Bookkeeping for online sellers on Amazon, Shopify, Etsy and their own storefronts, built around clean payout and sales tax data.
- Restaurants and multi-entity franchise groupsBookkeeping for restaurant groups and franchise operators running several locations or legal entities at once.
- Real estate and property managementBookkeeping for property owners and managers tracking income, expenses and reserves at the level of each individual property.
Next step
Talk to the team that would run your books
A short call covers your setup, your software and what a first month would look like. You get a written scope and price after it.