ACCOUNTING SERVICES
International Accounting Services
Wherever your company is registered, we keep its books under that country's rules and put every VAT return, corporate tax filing and registry deadline on one calendar. From the Gulf to Europe and from the US to Asia, you work with one team in more than 15 countries.
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Setting up a company does not end with the certificate of incorporation. Each tax authority and company registry expects different filings on different dates, and the owner's country of residence adds its own rules on top. World Company Setup runs the accounting for companies in more than 15 countries, including the UAE, Saudi Arabia, the USA, the UK, Estonia, the Netherlands, Germany, Hong Kong and Singapore, together with local partners, and tracks every obligation in one file.
Key Facts
- One team handles bookkeeping, VAT and corporate tax returns and annual accounts for companies in more than 15 countries.
- UAE taxable income above AED 375,000 is subject to 9% Corporate Tax; the return and payment are due within 9 months of the period end.
- Foreign-owned single-member US LLCs usually file Form 5472 even without sales; the deadline is 15 April for calendar-year companies.
- In the UK, annual accounts are due within 9 months and the CT600 within 12 months.
- Companies with no activity still have annual filing obligations.
Who Is Responsible for Your Company's Books?
Registering a company in Dubai, Delaware, London or Tallinn takes a few weeks. The real workload arrives when the first financial year closes: the tax authority wants a return, the company registry wants annual accounts and the bank wants an explanation of the money that moved through the account. Even if the director lives in another country, these obligations belong to the company, and so do the penalties.
Our accounting service exists to close that gap. We keep the books under each country's own rules, put every filing date on one calendar and look at the tax position in the owner's country of residence in the same file. You deal with one team; we handle the correspondence with local accountants, tax agents and auditors.
Who We Work With
- Founders who live in one country and own a company in another
- Consulting, software and trading firms with a Dubai free zone or mainland company
- Non-US residents selling through a US LLC on Stripe, Amazon or Shopify
- Freelancers and SaaS founders running an Estonian company through e-Residency
- Companies that left a previous accountant with incomplete records and need catch-up bookkeeping
What Our Accounting Service Covers
- Bookkeeping: Monthly reconciliation of bank, Stripe, PayPal and Wise transactions; sales invoices and expense receipts coded to the local chart of accounts.
- VAT and GST: Threshold monitoring, registration, periodic returns and payment reminders.
- Corporate tax returns: UAE Corporate Tax return, UK CT600, US Form 5472 with pro forma Form 1120, Dutch vennootschapsbelasting, Hong Kong Profits Tax Return.
- Annual financial statements: Accounts and annual reports for registries such as Companies House and the Estonian Commercial Register.
- Payroll: Salary calculations and local social security filings for companies with staff.
- Audit coordination: A complete audit file where a statutory audit is required.
- Company-specific compliance calendar: Every deadline in one list, with a written reminder before each one.
- Home-country review: Dividend planning, shareholding structure and where the company is actually managed from, reviewed against the owner's resident-country tax rules.
Accounting Services in More Than 15 Countries
We provide accounting and tax compliance in every jurisdiction where we support company formation. If your company was set up elsewhere, we can still take over its books.
- Gulf and Middle East: United Arab Emirates (Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Ras Al Khaimah), Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, Jordan
- Europe: Estonia, United Kingdom, Netherlands, Germany, Switzerland, Ireland, Liechtenstein, Hungary, Portugal, Cyprus, Isle of Man
- Balkans: Albania, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia
- Americas and Caribbean: United States (Delaware and other states), Canada, Panama, Belize, Bahamas, Cayman Islands, British Virgin Islands, St Kitts and Nevis
- Asia and Pacific: Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia (including Labuan), Indonesia, Vietnam, Philippines, Marshall Islands, Samoa
- Africa and Indian Ocean: Morocco, Seychelles
Zero or low corporate tax does not mean zero paperwork. Many island jurisdictions still require accounting records to be kept, annual returns to be filed and economic substance notifications to be made. In the first month we map each company's current obligations and put them on its calendar.
Corporate Tax and VAT Rates by Country (2026)
The table summarises the headline rates and main annual obligation in the seven jurisdictions our clients choose most often. Figures were checked against each country's official tax authority on 28 September 2026. Free zone exemptions, sector regimes and minimum tax rules for large multinational groups are not included.
| Country | Corporate tax | VAT / GST (standard) | Main annual obligation |
|---|---|---|---|
| UAE (Dubai) | 0% up to AED 375,000, 9% above | 5% | Corporate Tax return and payment within 9 months of the tax period end |
| Estonia | 22% (22/78) on distributed profit only; retained profit is not taxed | 24% | Annual report within 6 months of the financial year end |
| USA (foreign-owned single-member LLC) | LLC is tax-transparent; 21% federal if taxed as a C-Corp | No federal VAT; state sales tax applies | Form 5472 with pro forma Form 1120: 15 April for calendar-year filers |
| United Kingdom | 19% up to ÂŁ50,000, 25% above ÂŁ250,000, marginal relief between | 20% | Annual accounts to Companies House (9 months), CT600 (12 months) |
| Netherlands | 19% up to €200,000, 25.8% above | 21% | Annual vennootschapsbelasting return |
| Hong Kong | 8.25% on the first HK$2 million, 16.5% above | No VAT | Profits Tax Return with audited financial statements |
| Singapore | 17% | GST 9% | Annual corporate income tax return to IRAS |
Country-specific packages and document lists are on our Dubai accounting services and accounting service in Estonia pages. For UAE tax planning, see Dubai tax consultancy.
VAT Registration Thresholds
- UAE: Mandatory once taxable supplies exceed AED 375,000 over the previous 12 months; voluntary from AED 187,500.
- Estonia: Mandatory once taxable supplies exceed €40,000 from the start of the calendar year.
- United Kingdom: ÂŁ90,000 taxable turnover.
- Singapore: S$1 million taxable turnover.
Compliance Calendar: Which Filing Is Due When?
The most common problem we see in multi-country structures is not a wrong number but a missed date. We build a calendar like the one below for every client and adjust it to the company's financial year.
United Arab Emirates
- Corporate Tax return and payment: within 9 months of the end of the tax period.
- Record keeping: at least 7 years after the end of the tax period.
- Companies with revenue above AED 50 million and every Qualifying Free Zone Person must prepare audited financial statements.
- Small Business Relief: companies with annual revenue of AED 3 million or less can claim it for tax periods ending on or before 31 December 2029 (Ministerial Decision No. 131, August 2026).
- E-invoicing: the pilot started on 1 July 2026. It becomes mandatory on 1 January 2027 for businesses with revenue of AED 50 million or more; smaller businesses must appoint an Accredited Service Provider by 31 March 2027 and go live on 1 July 2027.
Estonia
- TSD (income and social tax return): 10th of the following month.
- KMD (VAT return): 20th of the following month.
- Annual report: filed with the Commercial Register within 6 months of the financial year end.
United States
- Foreign-owned single-member LLC: Form 5472 with pro forma Form 1120, due 15 April for calendar-year companies. Form 7004 gives a six-month extension.
- Money the owner puts into or takes out of the LLC counts as a reportable transaction, so a filing is usually required even in a year with no sales.
- Under FinCEN's rule finalised in August 2026, companies formed in the US are exempt from beneficial ownership (BOI) reporting.
United Kingdom
- Annual accounts to Companies House: 9 months after the accounting period ends (first accounts: 21 months after incorporation).
- Corporation Tax payment: 9 months and 1 day after the period ends; CT600 return: 12 months.
- Confirmation statement: at least once every 12 months, within 14 days of the end of the review period.
- Since 18 November 2025, new directors and persons with significant control must verify their identity with Companies House; existing directors verify with their next confirmation statement.
Extra Obligations for E-commerce Companies
- Sales to EU consumers: Since 1 July 2021, VAT on distance sales can be reported in a single return through the One Stop Shop (OSS). Sellers established in only one EU country can apply their home VAT rules below an annual €10,000 cross-border threshold.
- Low-value imports: The Import One Stop Shop (IOSS) covers imported goods sold in consignments worth no more than €150.
- USA: Sales tax is levied by the states, and economic nexus thresholds vary from state to state. Amazon, Shopify and Stripe reports need to be tracked state by state.
What Happens If You Miss a Deadline?
Penalties differ widely between countries, and most apply whether or not the company made a profit. Two examples show the scale:
- UAE: Late Corporate Tax registration carries an AED 10,000 penalty. The Federal Tax Authority waives it for companies that file their first return within 7 months of the end of their first tax period.
- USA: Failing to file Form 5472, or filing it incomplete, carries a USD 25,000 penalty per form, with a further USD 25,000 for each 30 days the failure continues more than 90 days after IRS notice.
In the UK, late annual accounts trigger penalties that rise with the delay, and repeated failure can lead to the company being struck off the register.
Your Home Country Still Taxes You: CFC Rules and Place of Management
A company formed in Dubai, the US or any other country is taxed under that country's system. If the owner lives elsewhere, the picture has two sides, and the costliest mistakes usually appear on the owner's side.
Place of Effective Management
Many countries treat a company as tax resident where it is actually managed. A company whose decisions are all taken in the owner's country of residence, whose contracts are signed there and which has no real activity where it is registered can be treated as resident in the owner's country. Board minutes and a clear record of where decisions are made are part of good accounting.
Controlled Foreign Company Rules
Many tax systems have CFC rules that tax a foreign company's undistributed profits in the owner's hands when the company sits in a low-tax jurisdiction and earns mainly passive income such as interest, dividends, rent and royalties. Control thresholds, passive-income tests and minimum tax levels differ from country to country. Active trading and service companies usually fall outside these rules; holding structures need a closer look.
Double Tax Treaties and Automatic Exchange of Information
Dividends a resident individual receives from a foreign company are generally taxable at home, with credit for foreign tax under the applicable double tax treaty. Many jurisdictions, including the UAE, exchange financial account information automatically under the OECD Common Reporting Standard (CRS). The safest planning assumption is that bank accounts and company income are visible to the owner's home tax authority.
This is general information; we recommend an individual tax review for your own structure.
Does a Company With No Activity Still Need Accounting?
In most countries, yes. A company with no sales still has annual obligations:
- United Kingdom: Dormant companies still file annual accounts and a confirmation statement with Companies House.
- Estonia: Inactive companies still submit an annual report to the register.
- USA: Even the owner's capital contribution can be a reportable transaction on Form 5472.
- UAE: Companies registered for Corporate Tax file a return even without income.
If you no longer plan to use the company, formal closure is usually cheaper than paying for years of nil filings.
Catch-Up Bookkeeping and Switching Accountants
If earlier years were never booked or returns were missed, we first establish which periods are open, then rebuild the records from bank statements. Where penalties are likely, we look at voluntary disclosure options and start with the nearest deadline. If you are changing accountants, we coordinate the handover: software access, copies of past returns and tax authority authorisations.
What Determines the Cost of Accounting Services?
We quote each company on its actual workload rather than publishing a flat price list, because two companies in the same country can differ in cost several times over. The main factors are:
- Jurisdiction and entity type (LLC, Ltd, OĂś, BV, GmbH, free zone or offshore company)
- Monthly number of bank and payment transactions
- VAT registration and filing frequency
- Staff and payroll
- Statutory audit requirement
- Multiple currencies and payment platforms
- Periods that need catch-up work
Dubai package options are listed on our Dubai accounting services page. For other countries, send us your company details and we will prepare a written quote.
Five Questions to Ask Before Hiring an Accountant
- Who signs the return in my company's country, and are they authorised locally?
- Do you review my home-country tax position, or only keep the local books?
- Who tracks deadlines, and are reminders sent in writing?
- Will I have access to the accounting software and records?
- If I leave, in what format do I receive my records?
Official Sources
Rates, thresholds and dates on this page were checked against the official sources below on 28 September 2026. The page is updated when the rules change.
- UAE Federal Tax Authority: VAT registration, Corporate Tax filing deadline
- UAE Ministry of Finance: Small Business Relief extension to 2029, late registration penalty, e-invoicing timeline
- Estonian Tax and Customs Board (EMTA): income tax, standard VAT rate; Estonian Ministry of Finance: 2026 changes
- IRS: Instructions for Form 5472; FinCEN: BOI reporting
- GOV.UK: Corporation Tax rates, annual accounts, company tax returns
- Netherlands Tax Administration: corporate income tax rates
- Hong Kong Inland Revenue Department: Profits Tax
- IRAS Singapore: corporate income tax rates, GST registration
How Does Remote Accounting Work?
Documents are shared digitally and filings that need a signature use qualified e-signatures or the digital method the authority accepts. The process runs in five steps.
1. Initial review
Company documents, bank and payment accounts and past filings are reviewed; gaps and upcoming deadlines are listed.
2. Setup
A chart of accounts and accounting software suited to the country are set up and bank and payment feeds connected.
3. Monthly close
Invoices and expenses are matched to transactions and unexplained items are sent to the owner in one list.
4. Filing
VAT, corporate tax and annual accounts are prepared and submitted after the owner's approval.
5. Year-end review
Dividends, the owner's home-country tax position and next year's compliance calendar are reviewed.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
International Accounting Services frequently asked questions.
Yes. Documents are shared digitally, bank and payment accounts are connected to the accounting software and returns are filed online. The point to watch is where decisions are made: if every decision is taken in your home country, the company may be treated as tax resident there under place-of-management rules. Remote bookkeeping is fine; documenting where management decisions happen is what matters.
In most countries, yes. UK dormant companies still file accounts and a confirmation statement, Estonian companies submit an annual report, and in the US even the owner's capital contribution can be reportable on Form 5472. UAE companies registered for Corporate Tax file a return even without income. If you will not use the company, closing it formally is usually cheaper.
A foreign-owned single-member LLC files Form 5472 with a pro forma Form 1120 to report transactions with its owner. For calendar-year companies the deadline is 15 April, extendable by six months with Form 7004. The penalty for not filing is USD 25,000 per form. State annual reports and state taxes are tracked separately.
UAE Corporate Tax is 0% on taxable income up to AED 375,000 and 9% above that. Companies with annual revenue of AED 3 million or less can elect Small Business Relief for tax periods ending on or before 31 December 2029. The return and payment are due within 9 months of the end of the tax period. Qualifying Free Zone Persons follow separate rules.
Annual accounts go to Companies House within 9 months of the accounting period end, and a confirmation statement at least once every 12 months. Corporation Tax is paid to HMRC 9 months and 1 day after the period ends, and the CT600 return is due within 12 months. Since 18 November 2025, directors must also verify their identity with Companies House.
It can. If the company is effectively managed from your country of residence, it may be treated as resident there. Many countries also have CFC rules that tax the undistributed profits of companies in low-tax jurisdictions earning mainly passive income. Thresholds differ by country, so each structure needs its own review.
Cost depends on the jurisdiction and entity type, monthly transaction volume, VAT registration, payroll, audit requirements and any catch-up periods. Because two companies in the same country can differ several times over in workload, we prepare a written quote once we have your company details.
We first identify which periods are open and which filings were missed, then rebuild the records from bank statements. Where penalties are likely, we look at voluntary disclosure options. Work starts with the nearest deadline.
We provide accounting in more than 15 countries where we support company formation, including the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the USA, Canada, the UK, Estonia, the Netherlands, Germany, Switzerland, Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia, Panama and the Cayman Islands. We also take over the books of companies we did not form.
Yes. Each country's filings are prepared under local rules with our local partners, while you work with one team and one compliance calendar covering all your companies. Intercompany transactions and profit transfers are tracked in the same file.
Yes. Hong Kong companies file their Profits Tax Return with audited financial statements. Separate rules apply to dormant companies. Profits tax is 8.25% on the first HK$2 million and 16.5% on the remainder.
In most cases, yes. Many zero or low-tax jurisdictions such as the Cayman Islands, the British Virgin Islands, Seychelles and Belize require accounting records to be kept, annual returns to be filed and economic substance notifications to be made. The obligations depend on the company's activities.
CLIENT REVIEWS
What do our clients say about us?
Experiences shared by clients whose company formation and corporate processes we have managed across multiple jurisdictions.
“The World Company Setup team was a huge help in setting up my company in Estonia and provided excellent service. They guided me in detail at every step and helped us complete the bureaucratic procedures quickly and smoothly. Thanks to their professionalism and customer-focused approach, the whole process was far easier and more efficient. I would absolutely recommend them to anyone looking to set up a company in Estonia. (Translated from Turkish)”
“From start to finish they managed a difficult and demanding process perfectly. They have a very experienced team — congratulations. The right firm for setting up a company abroad and handling every step correctly. I definitely recommend them. (Translated from Turkish)”
“Throughout my company formation in Dubai — from the decision stage all the way to the post-setup accounting work — it meant a great deal to work with a team that inspired confidence at every stage and patiently guided me even when I asked the same questions more than once. I recommend them to everyone with complete peace of mind. (Translated from Turkish)”
“I would like to thank the entire team, and especially Mr Turgut and Ms Gülhan, for the care and attention they showed throughout our company formation process, which let us complete everything quickly and without a single problem. (Translated from Turkish)”
“I chose to set up a company in Hong Kong due to tax advantages and worked with World Company Setup for the process. Everything was handled quickly, transparently, and professionally. They make business management much easier and offer great value for money.”
“I was struggling to adapt to accounting processes in Dubai. The world company setup team provided both training and hands-on support, making it easy for me to manage everything efficiently. Their approach is professional and educational.”
“Even though we had established our company, we couldn’t open a bank account for several months. After starting to work with World Company Setup, they helped us open our bank account within just one week. Their fast and solution-oriented approach made a big difference.”