Start with what the company will actually do.
Describe the offer, customers and intended transactions in plain language. That operating picture gives the setup conversation a useful starting point.
Included in the opening map
Countworth / United Arab Emirates
Set up right.
Stay ready.
Company formation is only the opening move. Countworth connects setup with the records, operating finance and ongoing decisions that make the company real.
Operating route / 01Formation connected to financeBrief · setup · first record · ongoing view
01 The opening brief
Build the route around
the operating reality.
Choose a topic to see what belongs in the first working conversation.02 Formation sequence
Four states.
One operating thread.
The record-keeping plan appears before the first transaction, not after the first pile-up.- 01Brief
Understand the company
Activity, people, intended operation and current context are gathered into one working brief.
- 02Route
Coordinate the setup
The agreed setup actions, requested information and ownership of each next step are kept visible.
- 03Record
Prepare the finance base
The bookkeeping method, evidence flow and first review point are designed before transactions accumulate.
- 04Operate
Begin with a rhythm
The company moves into recurring records, open-item review and reporting that can develop with the business.
Activity, ownership, setup and evidence organise around one finance-ready company state.
03 First transaction lab
Do not let the first month
become the first clean-up.
Move through one transaction to see how evidence becomes a reviewable record.Give every transaction a source.
Invoices, receipts and bank evidence enter an agreed capture route instead of sitting across inboxes and devices.
04 UAE bookkeeping
A control surface
for the month.
The value is not data entry. It is knowing what arrived, what matched and what still needs an answer.UAE month engine / interactive model Evidence registeredEvidence → bank → answer → view
Evidence enters one route.
Invoices, receipts and bank records arrive with a visible source and date.
Evidence registered05 / Service and fee architecture
Precise entry points. Clearer boundaries.
Start with the work.
Keep the boundary visible.
Small-scope work should feel precise. Broader support should be easy to compare without hiding what changes the final fee.
A narrow starting point, stated plainly.
Essentials applies only inside the transaction or revenue threshold shown. Registration, historic clean-up, multi-entity work, advisory and work outside the threshold are scoped separately.
From AED 262.50Per month · 50–70 transactions
Bookkeeping Essentials
A deliberately narrow bookkeeping starting point for a straightforward monthly transaction record.
- 50–70 transactions monthly
- Clean digital records
- Engagement scope confirmed
AED 262.5050–70 monthly transactions · filing cadence confirmed
VAT return filing
An entry filing price for a straightforward VAT record inside the stated transaction threshold.
- VAT records reviewed
- Return working prepared
- Filing route confirmed
AED 150Annual revenue below AED 3 million
Corporate Tax filing
An entry filing price for a straightforward company inside the stated revenue threshold.
- Revenue threshold checked
- Eligibility reviewed
- Filing scope confirmed
When the finance function needs to carry more weight.
Managed starting points cover wider recurring or specialist work. Deliverables, cadence and the final quotation are confirmed from the actual operation.
From AED 1,400/monthManaged finance scope
Accounting & bookkeeping
A broader monthly layer spanning books, reconciliations, management outputs and year-end readiness.
- Monthly bookkeeping
- Management accounts
- Year-end readiness
From AED 1,800/quarterManaged compliance scope
VAT & Corporate Tax
Quarterly compliance support connecting VAT work, annual Corporate Tax and free-zone qualification questions.
- VAT filing cycle
- Corporate Tax route
- Qualification review
From AED 165/employee/monthManaged payroll scope
Payroll management
A recurring payroll operation covering employee records, WPS outputs, gratuity and end-of-service calculations.
- WPS workflow
- Payslips and records
- Gratuity and EOS
From AED 4,500/monthManaged advisory scope
Fractional CFO
Senior finance support for board-ready reporting, rolling cash visibility, forecasts and founder decisions.
- Board reporting
- Rolling cash view
- Forecast and decisions
From AED 5,000/projectDefined project scope
Financial advisory
Financial models, valuations, diligence work or funding packs built around a defined output.
- Model or valuation
- Transaction support
- Fixed deliverable
From AED 3,500/monthFor in-scope businesses
AML compliance
An ongoing compliance framework from goAML and KYC through monitoring and reporting support.
- goAML and KYC
- Monitoring framework
- Reporting support
From AED 8,000/fileDefined documentation scope
Transfer pricing
Documentation for related-party flows, combining disclosure, functional analysis and file preparation.
- Related-party map
- Functional analysis
- File preparation
06 Operating motion
Formation is a moment.
Finance is a loop.
A dedicated motion chapter connects the setup decision to the records and reporting that follow.A route-specific motion story built around formation, transaction capture, month close and founder reporting.
Remotion / UAE formation to operations
07 Ongoing reporting
Keep the company
ready for the next question.
Reporting should begin with the decisions and open items the people running the company need to understand.What is known now?
Start with a dependable underlying record and a clear view of what has and has not been reconciled.
- Closed activity
- Open balances
- Evidence status
What changed this month?
Bring material movements and exceptions into a concise review rather than a dense pack without context.
- Cash movement
- Operating changes
- Unusual items
What needs a decision?
Turn the record into a short agenda for the choices, follow-up and responsibilities that come next.
- Questions to resolve
- Actions and owners
- Next review point
08 UK + UAE context
One complete brief.
Clearly scoped workstreams.
If the business crosses contexts, begin with the complete picture and identify the appropriate route for each part.United Kingdom
People, ownership, personal circumstances or an existing company may form part of the opening picture.
First conversationShared contextScope each route
United Arab Emirates
The intended activity, formation path and operating finance needs are mapped as their own workstream.
This website organises the starting conversation. Specific advice and responsibilities are confirmed from the relevant facts and engagement.
09 / UK–UAE scenario room
Company tax, formation and recurring operating costs kept visibly separate.
Compare the structure.
Do not hide the assumptions.
The model compares corporate-level outflows. It does not assume that a new incorporation changes tax residence, management and control, permanent-establishment exposure or the personal tax position of the people extracting value.
Countworth / corporate tax scenarioIllustration · not advice
- Selected formation
- IFZA One-visa · AED 14,900 / £3,041
- UAE recurring cost
- AED 20,175 / £4,117 yearly
- UK annual outflow
- £28,050
- UAE annual outflow
- £8,030
- Three-year UAE outflow
- £27,130
Assumption ledger
- UK: 12-month period; taxable profit equals adjusted relevant profits; no exempt distributions; thresholds divide by the entered associated-company count plus one.
- Standard UAE: 0% up to AED 375,000 taxable income and 9% above.
- QFZP: 0% only on assumed qualifying taxable income and 9% on non-qualifying income; no AED 375,000 band.
- SBR: AED 3 million is a revenue/history eligibility threshold, not the ordinary taxable-income band.
- Three-year view: profit, FX, regime and recurring costs stay constant; formation is charged once.
Read before using the result.
Illustrative corporate-level comparison, not a quotation, relocation recommendation or tax opinion. Actual treatment depends on residence, central management and control, permanent establishments, associated companies, QFZP/SBR eligibility, transfer pricing, profit extraction and current exchange rates.
10 Before setup moves
Useful questions,
answered plainly.
01Is the UAE route only for a new company?+
No. The starting point can be a company that is already formed but needs its transaction records, bookkeeping responsibilities and recurring finance routine organised.
02Will Countworth choose a structure from website answers?+
No. Website interactions help organise the first conversation. Recommendations and responsibilities depend on the actual facts and an appropriately scoped professional engagement.
03Can setup and bookkeeping be planned together?+
Yes. The purpose of this route is to consider the record-keeping and operating finance workflow while the setup is being coordinated, rather than after transactions have already accumulated.
04Can UK and UAE matters be discussed together?+
Yes. Both contexts can be mapped in the first conversation, then the relevant workstreams and professional input can be scoped separately and clearly.
05What should I bring to the first conversation?+
A plain-language description of the business, the intended activity and ownership, any existing setup documents, and what you expect the company to do operationally are useful starting points.
UAE / Operating launch
One company. A finance function from the start.