KSA edition · 10
The ownership structure changes what your books need. So does our approach.
A family business with mixed Saudi and foreign ownership needs something different from a GCC subsidiary of a US group.
Companies operating in Saudi Arabia keep their books differently depending on ownership and stage: a Monsha'at-registered SME needs a lean monthly close, a family business needs the Zakat and tax split tracked carefully, and a GCC subsidiary of a foreign group needs figures that reconcile against a parent's own reporting.
- 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.
- Construction and job costingBookkeeping for contractors and builders who need cost and profitability tracked by job, not just by month.
- Medical and dental practicesBookkeeping for medical and dental practices reconciling insurance payments, patient billing and payroll.
- Agencies and consultanciesBookkeeping for marketing agencies, design studios and consulting firms billing clients on retainers and project fees.
- Startups and VC-backed companiesBookkeeping and reporting for early-stage, venture-backed companies watching burn, runway and investor reporting closely.
- HospitalityBookkeeping for hotels, short-term rentals and hospitality operators reconciling booking platform payouts and occupancy-driven revenue.
- ManufacturingBookkeeping for small and mid-size manufacturers tracking raw materials, work in process and finished goods inventory.
- Professional servicesBookkeeping for professional service firms such as engineering, architecture and IT consulting billing clients by project or retainer.
What changes by entity type
SMEs and Monsha'at-registered startups
A business sitting in Monsha'at's micro or small bands, under roughly SAR 40 million in revenue, usually needs a lean monthly close and a clear line to its VAT filing frequency, not a heavier reporting stack it does not yet need.
MISA-licensed foreign entities
A foreign-owned company holding a Ministry of Investment licence typically has 100% non-Saudi ownership, which puts the full 20% corporate income tax on its taxable income rather than a Zakat and tax split.
Family businesses with mixed ownership
Where Saudi or GCC family shareholders sit alongside non-Saudi ownership, the 2.5% Zakat base and the 20% corporate income tax share are calculated and filed separately, and any related-party dealings between family entities may need a Transfer Pricing Disclosure Form.
GCC subsidiaries of US and UK groups
A subsidiary reporting up to a US or UK parent needs its Saudi books to satisfy SOCPA-endorsed IFRS locally while still producing figures the parent's own consolidation can use, without running two disconnected sets of records.
Questions
Questions about entity coverage
Do you work with every entity type from day one?
We work across the ownership structures described here. If your structure is unusual, ask on a call and we will tell you plainly if it needs something we have not built yet.
Does ownership structure change the price?
It can, since a mixed Saudi, GCC and foreign ownership split adds a dual Zakat-and-tax calculation each month that a wholly Saudi-owned or wholly foreign-owned entity does not need.
Do you need my Commercial Registration and MISA licence details before starting?
Yes, your Commercial Registration and, where relevant, your MISA investment licence determine which regime, Zakat, corporate income tax or both, applies to your entity.
Is this only relevant to VAT-registered businesses?
No. Bookkeeping, Zakat registration and the ownership-based tax split apply regardless of VAT registration status, though VAT reconciliation is added once a business registers.
Do you need prior experience in my exact sector before starting?
We work from your existing chart of accounts and software rather than requiring deep prior exposure to your specific sector, though a business with distinct rules, such as one facing Real Estate Transaction Tax on a property disposal, benefits from a scope that flags that rule specifically.
How do you stay current on rules like e-invoicing wave deadlines or GOSI contribution rates?
We track statutory changes relevant to the entities we support, such as the descending Fatoora Phase 2 revenue thresholds or the GOSI contribution rates for Saudi and non-Saudi employees, and update our processes as ZATCA and GOSI issue new guidance.
Next step
Tell us your ownership structure on a call
Describe your entity and shareholders and we will explain how the bookkeeping and tax split would actually be handled.