Saudi Arabia / Accounting & Bookkeeping
Keep clear records.
Know where you stand.
Bookkeeping records what happened. Accounting turns those records into a reliable view of your business—and the basis for reporting and tax returns.
Sources checked 11 October 2026 · Official references & scope
01 / Set the foundation
Start with the company.
Then set up its books.
Prepare this before transactions build up. Software alone does not make the records compliant.
Confirm the framework
Agree the Saudi-endorsed accounting standards that apply: full IFRS or IFRS for SMEs where eligible. Check the entity and regulator’s requirements.
SOCPA: endorsed standards ↗ (opens in a new tab)Set the financial year
Check the AoA (Articles of Association), first reporting period and opening balances. Keep the company’s books distinct from its owners’ personal spending.
Company registration guideAssign responsibility
Name who supplies records, records entries and reviews reports. Agree access, backups and handover—whether work is in-house or outsourced.
Hiring an accountant?The Commercial Books Law requires the books within its scope to be kept in Arabic. Confirm how your system produces the required records if your team also works in English.
Commercial Books Law · Arabic ↗ (opens in a new tab)02 / Keep the evidence together
A useful file.
Not a pile of receipts.
Practical preparation checklist. Keep the records relevant to your activity; no documents are uploaded here.
A bank statement is not the whole record. Keep the invoice or agreement explaining each transaction, and identify who it belongs to.
03 / Build a monthly rhythm
Record. Match. Review.
Then close the month.
A practical DuVolks workflow—not a universal statutory monthly filing deadline.
- 01 / Gather
Close the records
Collect invoices, bank movements and payroll. List missing documents before closing the month.
- 02 / Reconcile
Match the balances
Match bank, customer, supplier and payroll balances. Explain differences and track corrections.
- 03 / Review
Understand the result
Review profit, cash, unpaid invoices and upcoming commitments—not only the bank balance.
- 04 / Sign off
Agree the next action
Approve adjustments, save the final reports and flag returns or payments coming due.
What the owner should be able to see
Three useful answers.
Tax returns use these records, but are a separate task. Agree who prepares and submits each return. An invoice tool or a completed VAT return does not replace the full books.
See tax obligations & deadlines04 / Prepare the year-end
Close the accounts.
Complete the right reporting.
Plan the review and approvals before the deadline. Don’t leave the audit decision until the filing month.
Company financial statements / Qawaem
Within 6 monthsFile the annual financial statements through Qawaem within six months of the financial year-end. This is separate from ZATCA return deadlines.
The responsible manager or board depends on the company form. Outsourcing preparation does not transfer that statutory responsibility.
MC: responsibilities & filing ↗ (opens in a new tab)Audit / A separate assessment
Small does not automatically
mean audit-exempt.
Check the legal form, AoA, group structure and applicable rules with a qualified adviser. Exemptions have conditions and exceptions; do not judge by revenue alone.
An audit exemption does not remove the obligation to prepare and file company financial statements.
Companies Law · Articles 17–19 · Arabic ↗ (opens in a new tab)If an audit is required, engage an appropriately licensed, independent auditor. Bookkeeping support is not an audit opinion.
Keep the audit trail
Retention is part of the work.
The Commercial Books Law requires at least 10 years for the books and supporting records within its scope. Other tax or regulatory rules can require longer retention; confirm your record types before deleting anything.
Record retention · Article 8 · Arabic ↗ (opens in a new tab)From loose records to a useful routine
Bring the records.
We’ll help organise the next step.
Agree the bookkeeping, reporting and coordination you need. Tax submissions and statutory audit should be explicitly included or arranged separately—not assumed.
Official references & review scope Checked 11 October 2026
Targeted review of Saudi-endorsed accounting standards, commercial books, company financial-statement filing and audit boundaries. The monthly routine and owner reports are practical suggestions, not prescribed filing forms.
General orientation for Saudi companies. Foreign branches, listed or regulated entities and special situations need their own assessment. This is not a company-specific accounting, tax or audit opinion.
References open in a new tab. Arabic sources are labelled. Confirm the applicable reporting framework and current filing requirements for your entity.