In-house accountant vs outsourcing: cost comparison
An in-house accountant in the UAE costs their salary plus visa, insurance, gratuity, software and training, and most SMEs still pay for external tax and year-end support. Outsourcing replaces all of that with one monthly fee and usually costs less until transaction volumes need someone in the office every day.
Reviewed by Countify's ACCA/FCCA chartered certified accountants · Updated
Use the quote you have received.
- In-house cost per year
- AED 180,000.00
- Outsourced cost per year
- AED 54,000.00
- Annual saving by outsourcing
- AED 126,000.00
Outsourcing also covers holidays, sickness and staff turnover, and brings tax specialists. Hire in-house when transaction volumes need someone on site every day.
Results are estimates for general information, not tailored advice.
In-house accountant vs outsourcing
Default extra costs; outsourced fee of AED 4,500 a month.
| Accountant salary | In-house cost per year | Annual saving by outsourcing |
|---|---|---|
| AED 8,000 | AED 132,000.00 | AED 78,000.00 |
| AED 12,000 | AED 180,000.00 | AED 126,000.00 |
| AED 20,000 | AED 276,000.00 | AED 222,000.00 |
Compare like with like: an in-house junior usually still needs external tax and year-end support.
When each option makes sense
Outsource while you have fewer than a few hundred transactions a month, no complex inventory and a founder who approves payments. Hire once you need daily processing, on-site document handling or in-house credit control, and keep an external firm for tax and audit. Read our guide on choosing an accountant in the UAE.
Frequently asked questions
How much does an accountant cost in Dubai?
Salaries vary widely by experience; add roughly 15–25% for visa, insurance, gratuity and other costs. Compare that with fixed-fee outsourced quotes.
Bookkeeping and management accounts
Monthly bookkeeping in Xero, Zoho Books or QuickBooks with management accounts you can run the business on, for a fixed fee.