Restaurant Accounting

Restaurant industry

Restaurant Accounting Services in the UAE

Every order tells you what you sold. We show you what you actually earned.

Your POS shows sales. It does not show card fees, delivery commissions, wastage or the VAT you owe. As your accountants, BCL Globiz reconciles every channel, files your VAT and Corporate Tax, and shows you what each plate really earns.

Your order from your accountants

Everything your restaurant needs from its accountants, on one bill.

Awards

1000+

1000+ Active Clients

30+

Industries Served

94%

Client Renewal Rate

35+

Years of Experience

300+

Experts Globally

From order to books

Where Every Order Goes After Service

Your till shows what you sold. By the time that money reaches your bank, fees, commissions and VAT have all taken their share. We follow every order to the end.

What your till shows

01

Customer orders

Dine-in, takeaway or delivery

02

POS

Records what you sold

03

Card and delivery platforms

Deduct fees and commissions

04

Bank

Receives what is left, days later

05

Accounting

Every payment matched to every sale

06

VAT and reporting

Returns filed, true profit shown

What you sold

≠

What you earned

Closing that gap is our job.

Problems we solve

The Restaurant Accounting Problems We Solve

A restaurant runs hundreds of small transactions a day across several channels. These are the problems our restaurant clients bring to us, and how we fix each one.

Too many payment channels

Cash, cards, wallets and delivery apps all settle on different days and net off different fees. Matching them to your POS takes discipline.

How we fix it

We reconcile every channel to your POS and bank, and flag gaps while they are still easy to trace.

Food costs that move weekly

Supplier prices, portion drift and wastage quietly erode margins. Without costing reports, a best seller can be your least profitable dish.

How we fix it

We reconcile every channel to your POS and bank, and flag gaps while they are still easy to trace.

VAT on every bill

Menu prices must include VAT, service charges need the right treatment, and input VAT on supplies is easy to lose without proper invoices.

How we fix it We set up the correct VAT treatment in your records and file accurate returns every period.

Large, shift-based teams

Rotating staff, overtime and end of service gratuity all need accurate payroll records that line up with WPS salary transfers.

How we fix it

Payroll, overtime and gratuity accruals recorded properly and reconciled to WPS.

More than one outlet

Branches, kiosks and cloud kitchens need their own view of performance, plus consolidated figures for owners, lenders and tax filings.

How we fix it

Outlet level profit and loss plus one consolidated view for the whole group.

Corporate Tax and e-invoicing

Corporate Tax returns and the upcoming e-invoicing system both depend on clean records kept consistently throughout the year.

How we fix it

Year round bookkeeping, on-time Corporate Tax filing and an e-invoicing readiness check.

What's included

Our Restaurant Accounting Services

Everything a UAE restaurant needs from its accountants, served as a full package or à la carte. Grouped by when you need it in your restaurant’s calendar.

Opening a new restaurant

Before the first service

Company formation

Mainland or free zone

Help choosing the right structure and licence activity for your concept, with setup handled end to end.

Tax registrations

VAT and Corporate Tax

Registration with the Federal Tax Authority at the right time, so you start compliant rather than catching up.

Chart of accounts setup

Built for F&B

Separate lines for food, beverage, delivery commissions, wastage and outlet level reporting from day one.

Daily and weekly service

Keeping the numbers fresh

POS and sales reconciliation

Every outlet

Your POS reports matched against cash, card and wallet settlements, with variances flagged early.

Delivery platform settlements

Fees separated

Aggregator payouts broken into gross sales, commissions, promotions and refunds so revenue and VAT are recorded correctly.

Supplier invoices and payables

Input VAT captured

Purchases recorded with valid tax invoices so recoverable VAT is not left on the table.

Monthly and quarterly

Knowing what each plate earns

Bookkeeping and management accounts

Monthly

Profit and loss by outlet, with food cost, beverage cost and labour cost shown as a share of sales.

Food cost and menu reports

Dish level

Recipe costing and sales mix analysis to show which dishes to promote, reprice or retire.

VAT return filing

Per tax period

Returns prepared, reviewed and filed on EmaraTax, including correct treatment of service charges and discounts.

Payroll support

WPS aligned

Salary, overtime and gratuity accruals recorded accurately and reconciled to your WPS transfers.

Year end

Closing the kitchen on the year

Financial statements and audit support

IFRS based

Year end accounts prepared and supporting schedules ready for your auditor, free zone authority or bank.

Corporate Tax return

Annual

Taxable income calculated, reliefs assessed and the return filed on time.

Transfer Pricing for groups

Multi-entity

Support for franchise fees, management charges and related party dealings between restaurant entities.

Unlimited transactions

5 Orders or 5,000 Orders

Your accounting fee should not punish your growth. Restaurants naturally run high transaction volumes, so BCL Globiz includes unlimited transactions. A busy month never means a bigger accounting bill.

A quiet Tuesday

5 orders

Same accounting fee

=

A Friday night rush

5,000

Orders

Same accounting fee

No per-transaction charges. No surprise invoices after Ramadan, Eid or the festive season.

Tax essentials

The UAE Tax Rules We Manage for Restaurants

The rules that affect restaurants most, and the ones we handle for our clients.

VAT

Registration and pricing

Registration is mandatory above AED 375,000 in taxable supplies and voluntary from AED 187,500. Restaurant food and drinks are standard rated at 5%, and menu prices must include VAT.

VAT

Service charges and tips

A mandatory service charge is subject to VAT. Genuinely voluntary tips passed to staff are generally treated differently, and mixing the two up is a common restaurant VAT error.

Corporate Tax

Rates and Small Business Relief

0% on taxable income up to AED 375,000 and 9% above it. Small Business Relief may apply to revenue of AED 3 million or less, for tax periods ending by 31 December 2026. Registration and an annual return are required either way.

E-invoicing

What changes for restaurants

Covers B2B and B2G transactions, so supplier invoices and corporate catering are in scope. Revenue of AED 50 million or more: go live 1 January 2027. Everyone else: 1 July 2027.

Free tool

Plate Cost and VAT Calculator

See how much of a dish’s menu price is VAT, what the ingredients cost you, and what is left as gross profit. Enter your own figures below.

Your dish

Menu price The price on your menu, including 5% VAT

AED

Ingredient cost per plate Cost of ingredients, excluding recoverable VAT

AED

Plates sold per month How many of this dish you sell in a typical month

Plates

0% food cost
of net sales

VAT in the priceAED 0.00
Ingredient costAED 0.00
Gross profit per plateAED 0.00

Monthly net salesAED 0.00

Monthly output VATAED 0.00

Monthly gross profitAED 0.00

This calculator assumes a VAT-registered business charging standard rated VAT at 5% with no service charge, discounts or delivery commissions. Gross profit here is before labour, rent and other overheads. It is a guide only and not tax advice.

Who we serve

Kitchens We Work With

From a single café to a multi-brand group, we tailor our accounting to how your restaurant actually serves customers.

Cafés and coffee shops

Fine and casual dining

Cloud kitchens and delivery brands

Quick service restaurants

Bakeries and patisseries

Catering and events

Franchises and multi-outlet groups

Food trucks and kiosks

How it works

How We Take Over Your Restaurant's Books

Four steps from the first conversation to a monthly routine we run in the background while you run service.

Order 1

Review what you have

We look at your POS, bank accounts, supplier records and any past filings to understand where things stand.

Order 2

Clean up and catch up

Missing months, unmatched settlements and VAT gaps are fixed, with any voluntary disclosures handled properly.

Order 3

Set the routine

We agree a simple schedule for sharing reports and invoices, and build a chart of accounts that fits your outlets.

Order 4

Report and file

You receive monthly management accounts while we file VAT and Corporate Tax returns on time.

Common Questions

Frequently Asked Questions

Does my restaurant need to register for VAT?

Yes, if your taxable supplies exceed AED 375,000 over the previous 12 months or are expected to exceed it in the next 30 days. Below that, you can choose to register voluntarily once supplies or expenses exceed AED 187,500. Many restaurants cross the mandatory threshold within their first year of trading.

Do menu prices have to include VAT?

Yes. Prices shown to customers in the UAE must be VAT inclusive, so the price on your menu is the price the guest pays, with the 5% VAT already inside it.

Is VAT charged on service charges and tips?

A mandatory service charge added to the bill is part of the payment for the meal, so VAT applies to it. Genuinely voluntary tips that a guest chooses to leave and that are passed to staff are generally not treated as payment for the meal. How your POS records each one matters, and we review this as part of our setup.

How is Corporate Tax calculated for a restaurant?

Taxable income up to AED 375,000 is taxed at 0% and anything above at 9%. Restaurants with revenue of AED 3 million or less may be able to elect Small Business Relief for tax periods ending on or before 31 December 2026, subject to conditions. Every business still needs to register and file an annual return.

Will e-invoicing affect my restaurant?

E-invoicing applies to business to business and business to government transactions, so your supplier invoices and any B2B sales such as corporate catering fall within it. Businesses with revenue of AED 50 million or more go live on 1 January 2027, and other businesses on 1 July 2027, with an Accredited Service Provider appointed before each date. We can help you check which phase applies and prepare your records.

Can you work with our POS and delivery platforms?

Yes. We work from the sales reports your POS produces and the settlement statements from your delivery partners, then match both to your bank deposits. This separates gross sales from commissions and promotions so both your revenue and VAT are recorded correctly.

How long do we need to keep our records?

VAT records must generally be kept for at least five years, and Corporate Tax records for seven years after the end of the tax period they relate to. We keep your books organised so records are easy to retrieve if the Federal Tax Authority asks for them.

Can you help us open a new restaurant?

Yes. We help with mainland and free zone company formation, VAT and Corporate Tax registration, and setting up your accounts before you open, so your first service starts on a compliant footing.

Know What Your Restaurant Really Earns

Tell us about your restaurant, how many outlets you run and where your books are today. We will show you what your numbers are really saying, and the accounting setup that fits.

info@bcl.ae