Tax prep support
Franchise and annual report preparation support
Finbryn prepares the reconciliation behind your Zakat certificate and the financial statements filed through the Ministry of Commerce's Qawaem platform, the two records that keep a Saudi company in good standing separately from its Zakat and tax return itself.
Tax working papers
Illustrative client · August 2026
SAR
- Year-end books closed and reconciledDone
- Fixed asset and depreciation scheduleDone
- Book-to-tax adjustments listedDone
- Supporting schedules for the preparerIn progress
- Handed to the signer for review and filingNext
Illustrative. An example of the document, not a client's figures.
Good standing has two separate gatekeepers
A Saudi company's Zakat and tax return keeps it compliant with ZATCA, but two other filings keep it in good standing more broadly: the Zakat certificate ZATCA issues, and the annual financial statements the Ministry of Commerce requires through its Qawaem platform. We track both on the same calendar as the return itself, since either one lapsing can block a tender, a bank facility or a supplier relationship even when the tax return is filed on time.
The Zakat certificate, and what blocks it
ZATCA issues a Zakat certificate only once an establishment has no outstanding Zakat or tax balance, so a certificate request that stalls is almost always a reconciliation problem, not a paperwork one. We check your ZATCA account position ahead of a renewal, so a surprise balance is resolved before a tender deadline, not discovered on it.
Qawaem, separate from the Zakat filing
The Ministry of Commerce requires companies to file audited annual financial statements electronically through Qawaem, as a condition of good standing that sits apart from ZATCA's Zakat and tax filings. We prepare the underlying IFRS financial statements this filing needs, working from the same reconciled books that feed the Zakat computation, so the two sets of numbers do not drift apart.
Statutory audit sits outside what we do
Qawaem asks for audited statements, and only a SOCPA-licensed auditor can perform that audit. We prepare audit-ready IFRS financial statements and the supporting schedules the auditor needs, and hand the file over once it is ready, rather than presenting our own review as the audit itself.
Renewal calendar, not a once-a-year scramble
Because the Commercial Registration renewal, the Zakat certificate and the Qawaem filing run on different clocks from the Zakat and tax return, we keep one renewal calendar across all of them rather than treating good standing as something that only comes up at year end.
Where this fits
This follows on from monthly bookkeeping and the Zakat and tax preparation it feeds. See pricing for good-standing preparation rates.
Questions
Frequently asked questions: Franchise and annual report preparation support
Is the Zakat certificate the same as filing our Zakat return?
No. The return reports the liability; the certificate is a separate document ZATCA issues only once there is no outstanding Zakat or tax balance on the account.
What is Qawaem and do we need it?
Qawaem is the Ministry of Commerce platform where companies file audited annual financial statements, a good-standing requirement that sits apart from ZATCA's Zakat and tax filings.
Do you perform the audit Qawaem needs?
No. Only a SOCPA-licensed auditor can perform a statutory audit. We prepare audit-ready IFRS financial statements and hand the file to your auditor.
What actually blocks a Zakat certificate renewal?
Almost always an outstanding balance or an unreconciled prior-period figure on the ZATCA account, which is why we check the position before a renewal is due rather than after a tender deadline forces the question.
Is franchise tax the same as income tax?
No. Franchise tax is usually a separate fee for the right to operate in a state, calculated on a different basis than income tax.
What happens if we miss a deadline?
A missed franchise filing can put a company into bad standing or administrative dissolution, so we track every state's date on one calendar.
How do we get started with franchise and annual report preparation support?
Getting started with franchise and annual report preparation support 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 franchise and annual report preparation support are not up to date?
If your records are behind, we scope a catch-up first so franchise and annual report preparation support 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.
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- Startups and VC-backed companiesBookkeeping and reporting for early-stage, venture-backed companies watching burn, runway and investor reporting closely.
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.