Accounting and tax for online education companies in the UAE

Accounting for edtech and online academies

Accounting and Tax for Online Education Companies in the UAE

You build the courses. We handle Bookkeeping, Tax and Compliance accurately and on time.

Most commercial online courses are standard-rated at 5%

12:40

18:05

Gateway payout reconciled Every enrolment matched

Tutor payouts recorded Revenue shares posted

VAT return filed Ahead of the deadline

Awards

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Accountants for Every Kind of Online Education Business

Whether you sell one flagship course or run a platform with thousands of learners, your revenue model shapes your tax position. We work with all of these.

E-learning platforms and LMS providers

Subscription and licence revenue, B2B contracts and multi-currency collections.

Online tutoring marketplaces

Session bookings, tutor revenue shares and commission income.

Course creators and online academies

Course sales, cohort fees, bundles, coupons and refunds.

Corporate training and upskilling

Invoiced programmes, milestone billing and client VAT requirements.

Test prep and language schools

Packages sold in advance, instalment plans and overseas learners.

Edtech SaaS and app developers

App store payouts, in-app purchases and investor-ready reporting.

Test Your Tax Knowledge

Six questions online education founders often get wrong. Pick an answer to see how it works in the UAE and how we help.

Question 1 of 6 VAT

Are online courses zero-rated for VAT?

Answer B. Zero rating covers specific qualifying education from recognised institutions. We review each product you sell and apply the right treatment.

Question 2 of 6 VAT

A learner in London buys your course. Do you charge 5% VAT?

Answer C. Exports of services can be zero-rated when the conditions are met. We map customer location data so your return holds up.

Question 3 of 6 Revenue

A learner pays AED 1,200 for a 12-month plan in January. What is January's revenue?

Answer A. Upfront plans are earned over time. We maintain deferred revenue schedules so your figures show what you have actually earned.

Question 4 of 6 Bookkeeping

Your gateway pays out one lump sum a week. Is that enough for your books?

Answer B. Payouts arrive net of fees, refunds and chargebacks. We reconcile every gateway monthly, with unlimited transactions included.

Question 5 of 6 Revenue

Your marketplace keeps 30% and pays tutors 70%. What revenue do you report?

Answer C. Whether you act as principal or agent affects both revenue and VAT. We assess your model and record payouts correctly.

Question 6 of 6 Corporate Tax

Your academy is in a free zone. Is your income automatically taxed at 0%?

Answer B. The 0% rate only applies to qualifying income that meets the conditions. We register you, assess reliefs and prepare your return.

Your Finance Syllabus, Handled by BCL

Every service your online education company needs, delivered by one team. Choose a module to see what is included.

Course contents 6 modules, one team

Module 1

Bookkeeping and reconciliation

Thousands of small payments, several currencies and constant refunds. We turn it all into clean monthly books.

Payment gateway, app store and bank reconciliations
Enrolments, renewals, refunds and chargebacks
Instructor, tutor and affiliate payouts
Multi-currency accounting and exchange differences

Unlimited transactions included

Your Learning Path to Clean Books

Onboarding follows a simple sequence, so your records are in order before your next filing deadline.

1 Lesson 1

Discovery call

We learn how you sell, where your learners are and which platforms you use.

2 Lesson 2

Systems review

We connect gateways, learning platform exports and bank feeds to one set of books.

3 Lesson 3

Clean-up and registrations

We bring past records up to date and complete any VAT or Corporate Tax registrations.

Graduation

Monthly close and filings

We close your books every month, file on time and send you clear reports.

Why Online Education Companies Choose BCL

High transaction volumes, overseas learners and subscription revenue need an accountant who understands digital businesses and UAE tax law in equal measure.

Unlimited transactions

Grow from hundreds to thousands of learners without your accounting fees growing with them.

UAE tax specialists

VAT, Corporate Tax and Transfer Pricing handled by one team, so nothing falls between advisers.

Mainland and free zone expertise

Advice that fits your licence, from setup through to annual compliance.

Reports you can act on

See which courses, markets and channels are actually profitable each month.

Comprehensive Service Packages

Simple, Transparent Pricing

Everything Your Business Needs — Accounting, Tax, Audit & Beyond

✦ Accounting & Book-keeping is included FREE in all packages

🛡️ 100% Refund Guarantee — Not satisfied within the first 3 months? Receive your full money back.

Why BCL Globiz? — how we compare

Feature	Others	BCL Globiz
Accounting fees	Extra charge	FREE
Transaction limits	Yes (capped)	Unlimited
Revenue cap	Yes	No cap
Refund policy	None	100% refund

Unlimited Transactions

Complete freedom to grow your business.

No Revenue Cap

Scale without worrying about revenue limits.

100% Refund

If you're not satisfied, we'll refund your payment.

Unlimited Transactions

Complete freedom to grow your business.

No Revenue Cap

Scale without worrying about revenue limits.

100% Refund

If you're not satisfied, we'll refund your payment.

Prospective

Staying ahead going forward

Monthly packages that keep you compliant as you go, so there's no backlog to clean up next year.

Monthly Yearly Get 2 Months Free!

Get 2 Months Free!

Essential

Grow

Essential

Accounting & Corporate Tax Compliance Support

Who is this for

Startups and new businesses setting up corporate tax compliance for the first time.

AED 500 20% Off

AED 400

+ 5% VAT · Per month, billed monthly

What's included

Corporate tax compliance Support 4 services included

CT advisory
Ongoing advisory on corporate tax matters
Annual CT computation
CT return preparation & filing support

Accounting & bookkeeping 14 services included

Monthly accounting and bookkeeping
Setup of chart of accounts
Setup of invoicing templates
Backlog accounting
Sales invoice creation & posting
Purchase bill posting
Expense bill posting
Bank account reconciliation & posting
Credit card reconciliation & posting
Other journal entries posting
Month-end & year-end closing entries
Complete document management as per FTA guidelines
Annual audit-ready documentation
Audit file preparation

Monthly reporting 4 reports included

Monthly balance sheet
Monthly profit & loss statement
Monthly accounts receivable report
Monthly accounts payable report

Support 4 benefits included

A dedicated team will be assigned to you
Support via email, virtual calls & in-person meetings
A dedicated WhatsApp group for quick communication
Monthly review meetings

E-Invoicing Now in Essential New

Now part of Essential E-invoicing support comes built into the Essential plan, alongside your regular compliance.
Up to 100 e-invoices in Zoho Books Already on Zoho? Issue e-invoices straight from the software, with no separate plan to buy.
Setup and ASP appointment We set up e-invoicing for your business and help you appoint an Accredited Service Provider (ASP), so you're never working it out alone.

*E-invoicing is included at no additional charge in our plans. Zoho Books offers the first 100 e-invoicing transactions free on Professional plans and above. Additional transactions are charged starting from AED 41 per 100 transactions. These charges are subject to Zoho's prevailing pricing and may change if Zoho revises its rates.

Accounting, Corporate Tax & VAT Compliance Support

Who is this for

Growing businesses that need corporate tax and VAT compliance handled together.

AED 750 20% Off

AED 600

+ 5% VAT · Per month, billed monthly

What's included

Corporate tax compliance Support 4 services included

CT advisory
Ongoing advisory on corporate tax matters
Annual CT computation
CT return preparation & filing support

VAT Compliance Advisory 4 services included

VAT advisory
Regular advisory on VAT matters
Quarterly VAT computation
Quarterly VAT Return Preparation & Compliance Support

Accounting & bookkeeping 14 services included

Monthly accounting and bookkeeping
Setup of chart of accounts
Setup of invoicing templates
Backlog accounting
Sales invoice creation & posting
Purchase bill posting
Expense bill posting
Bank account reconciliation & posting
Credit card reconciliation & posting
Other journal entries posting
Month-end & year-end closing entries
Complete document management as per FTA guidelines
Annual audit-ready documentation
Audit file preparation

Monthly reporting 4 reports included

Monthly balance sheet
Monthly profit & loss statement
Monthly accounts receivable report
Monthly accounts payable report

Support 4 benefits included

A dedicated team will be assigned to you
Support via email, virtual calls & in-person meetings
A dedicated WhatsApp group for quick communication
Monthly review meetings

E-Invoicing Now in Grow New

Now part of Grow E-invoicing support comes built into the Grow plan, alongside your regular compliance.
Up to 100 e-invoices in Zoho Books Already on Zoho? Issue e-invoices straight from the software, with no separate plan to buy.
Setup and ASP appointment We set up e-invoicing for your business and help you appoint an Accredited Service Provider (ASP), so you're never working it out alone.

Retrospective

Catching up on the past

One-time clean-up for periods already behind you, books that were never closed, filings that were never made.

Backlog accounting

Backlog Accounting

Who is this for

Businesses with unfiled backlog books or missed FY2025 tax deadlines.

AED 3,000 Save AED 500

AED 2,500

+ 5% VAT · One-time, for FY 2025

What's included

Full-year backlog bookkeeping for 2025
Bank & credit card reconciliation
Corporate tax computation for 2025
Corporate Tax Return Preparation & Filing Assistance

One-time engagement. No monthly commitment, ideal for catching up before FTA deadlines.

Covers FY 2025 backlog only, with corporate tax computation and filing included.

Once your books are current, you can move onto Essential or Grow for ongoing compliance.

Accounting & Book-keeping

Monthly Accounting and Bookkeeping

Setup of Chart of Accounts

Setup of Invoicing Templates

Backlog Accounting

Sales Invoice Creation & Posting

Purchase Bill Posting

Expense Bill Posting

Bank Account Reconciliation & Posting

Credit Card Reconciliation & Posting

What each service actually covers

Fixing the past vs. staying compliant going forward.

Retrospective

Backlog Accounting

One-time · fixes a closed past year

Prospective

Essential and Grow Plans

Ongoing · keeps you compliant all year

✓ Corporate-tax computation & filing support

Live FTA updates & rule changes Unlocks on Monthly →

✓ Live FTA updates & rule changes

VAT-applicability support as you grow Unlocks on Monthly →

✓ VAT-applicability support as you grow

Open Advisory and Query with your accountant Unlocks on Monthly →

✓ Open Advisory and Query with your accountant

✓ One-time clean-up of a past year

✓ Covers all twelve months, advisory included

Only fixing the past? Four things stay locked until you move to Essential and Grow Plans.

Switch to Essential and Grow

Standalone Professional Services

Not looking for a full package? Choose an individual service below, tailored to your exact need.

VAT Return Filing Support

Corporate Tax (SBR)

Transfer Pricing

Audit

VAT Return Filing Support

Stay compliant with accurate, timely VAT return preparation and filing support.

AED 750

+ 5% VAT Per Quarter

Who is this for

One job, done right, your VAT sorted every quarter!

What's Included

Quarterly VAT Computation
VAT Return Preparation & Filing Support
VAT Advisory & Compliance Guidance
Documentation Prepared as per UAE Tax Requirements.

Corporate Tax (SBR)

Professional preparation and filing support for eligible SBR.

AED 500

+ 5% VAT One-time / Annual Filing Supports

Who is this for

Your books, our filing supports, teamwork that just works!

What's Included

Small Business Relief eligibility support
Corporate tax return preparation
Filing support through the applicable UAE tax system
Advisory on SBR conditions and compliance

Transfer Pricing

Benchmarking and documentation for related-party transactions

AED 4,999

+ 5% VAT One-time

Who is this for

Skip the full package, get expert TP documentation done right!

What's Included

Benchmarking Analysis for Related Parties
Arm’s Length Principle Advisory
Alignment with OECD Guidelines
Disclosure Support in CT Return

Audit

Audit-ready financials, backed by a team that knows what auditors expect

Custom Quote

Scoped to your business & audit requirements

Who is this for

Every business is different, so is every audit. Let's scope it together.

What's Included

Audit readiness assessment
Liaison with external auditors
Audit findings remediation
Financial statement preparation for audit

All standalone services can be combined with any package. Contact us at info@bcl.ae for custom requirements.

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Common Questions

Frequently Asked Questions

Are online courses zero-rated for VAT in the UAE?

Not automatically. Zero rating for education in the UAE applies to specific qualifying education services, such as those provided by recognised nurseries, schools and higher education institutions. Most commercial online courses, subscriptions, tutoring and professional training are standard-rated at 5%. We review your offering and apply the correct treatment.

Do I charge UAE VAT to learners outside the UAE?

Services supplied to customers who are not resident in the UAE and are outside the UAE when the service is performed may qualify for zero rating as an export of services, provided the conditions in the VAT legislation are met. You need evidence of each customer’s location, which we help you capture from your platform and payment data.

How should I account for annual subscriptions paid upfront?

Upfront payments for subscriptions, cohorts or course bundles are generally recognised as revenue over the period in which you deliver access or teaching, with the unearned portion held as deferred revenue. We set up and maintain deferred revenue schedules so your monthly figures reflect what you have actually earned.

Does my online education business need to register for Corporate Tax?

Yes. UAE companies, including free zone companies, must register for Corporate Tax. Taxable income above AED 375,000 is taxed at 9%, and eligible businesses with revenue of AED 3 million or less may elect for Small Business Relief for tax periods ending on or before 31 December 2026.

We process thousands of small payments a month. Will that increase our fees?

No. BCL Globiz packages include unlimited transactions, so high volumes of enrolments, renewals, refunds and payouts do not push you into a higher fee bracket.

Can you set up a company for our edtech business?

Yes. We handle mainland and free zone company formation and help you choose the activities and jurisdiction that fit your model. Some education and training activities require approval from regulators such as KHDA in Dubai, and we factor this into the setup plan.

Which platforms can you work with?

We work from the data your business already produces, including payment gateway reports, app store payouts, learning platform exports and bank statements, and reconcile them into your books each month.

Spend your time on learners, not ledgers.

Tell us how your education business sells and we will show you exactly what we would handle, with unlimited transactions included.

Enrol Your Business

+971 55 942 9740

info@bcl.ae