Senior finance help, without a full-time hire
Part-time CFO services in the UAE
A part-time CFO gives you senior finance judgement for a few days a month. Many UAE companies reach a point where the books are kept, but nobody looks ahead: cash flow, pricing, bank talks, and a tax calendar that now includes corporate tax, VAT, possibly an audit and, from 2027, e-invoicing.
With UAE Accountant you send one free request describing your business and what you need from a CFO. Up to three licensed accounting firms that offer outsourced CFO services contact you with quotes. We are a matching service. We do not provide CFO services or tax advice ourselves.
What a part-time CFO does
The scope is agreed with you. Common parts of the role:
Monthly management reporting
Turning the books into a short monthly pack: profit, cash, margins and the numbers you track, with a review meeting.
Cash flow and budgets
A rolling cash forecast and an annual budget, so payroll, VAT payments and supplier runs never come as a surprise.
Tax calendar ownership
Making sure corporate tax, VAT returns and other filings are planned, prepared by the right people and not missed.
Audit and lender readiness
Preparing for the audit, and for bank or investor requests, with clean statements and supporting schedules.
Systems and controls
Approval limits, month-end close and a sensible accounting system, including the e-invoicing project.
Decisions and projects
Pricing, new branches or entities, fundraising, or preparing the business for sale.
Who uses a part-time CFO?
A part-time CFO fits businesses that need senior input but not a full-time salary. For example:
- Owner-managed SMEs
Companies where the owner signs everything and wants someone to own the numbers.
- Fast-growing companies
Businesses adding staff, emirates or free-zone entities faster than their finance function grows.
- Companies near key tax thresholds
For example businesses near the AED 3m Small Business Relief limit or the AED 50m audit and e-invoicing line, where planning matters.
- Groups with related-party transactions
Groups that may need transfer pricing disclosures, which apply when related-party transactions total more than AED 40m.
- Businesses raising money or selling
Companies preparing for a bank facility, an investor or a buyer.
The calendar a CFO keeps
CFO work has no single deadline of its own. Its value is making sure the dates around it are met. The confirmed ones:
| What | When |
|---|---|
| VAT return and payment | The 28th day after each tax period ends (next business day if a weekend or holiday) |
| Corporate tax return and payment | 9 months after year-end: 30 September for a 31 December year-end |
| Small Business Relief | Can be elected for tax periods ending on or before 31 Dec 2029 if revenue is AED 3m or less |
| E-invoicing, revenue under AED 50m | Appoint an ASP by 31 Mar 2027, go live 1 Jul 2027 |
| Transfer pricing Master and Local File | Given to the FTA within 30 days of a request, where required |
Tax penalties were revised in April 2026. A tax agent can check what applies to you. See our tax deadlines calendar and how to avoid UAE tax penalties.
What to share with a CFO firm
- Your latest financial statements and management accounts.
- Access to, or exports from, your accounting system.
- Bank statements and any loan or facility agreements.
- Your VAT and corporate tax registration details and recent returns.
- Group structure: licences, emirates, free zones and owners.
- Your budget or plan for the year, if you have one.
- The decisions or problems you want the CFO to focus on first.
If the books are behind, a CFO will usually ask for bookkeeping to be caught up first.
What affects the fee for a part-time CFO
CFO services are usually priced on time. The main factors:
Days per month
A few hours a month for reporting is different from several days on site.
Seniority
The experience of the person assigned, and whether a team supports them.
Business complexity
Several entities, currencies, free zones or a group structure add work.
State of the books
Clean, up-to-date books let the CFO focus on decisions, not clean-up.
Projects on top
Fundraising, a sale, an e-invoicing rollout or a new system are often scoped separately.
What to ask a firm before you choose
Ask each firm:
- Who exactly will be our CFO, and what is their UAE experience in our sector?
- Does your firm hold a trade licence with an accounting activity, and the licence the profession requires?
- Which filings will you prepare yourselves, and which will a registered tax agent or licensed auditor handle?
- How many days a month are included, and how is extra time agreed?
- What will we get every month, and in what form?
Mistakes to avoid: hiring a CFO before the bookkeeping works, leaving the scope unwritten, and assuming the CFO replaces your tax agent or auditor. Appointing a tax agent does not remove your own responsibility for your taxes. We ask each partner firm for its trade licence and, where relevant, its FTA tax agency number.
How to get CFO quotes
- 1
Send one request
Choose CFO services and describe your size, emirate and what you need help with. It is free.
- 2
Firms contact you
Up to three licensed firms ask about your business and propose a scope and the person who would do it.
- 3
Compare and choose
Meet the proposed CFOs, compare scope and time, and choose the one that fits.
Available in these emirates
Part-time CFO: common questions
What is the difference between a bookkeeper and a CFO?
A bookkeeper records transactions. A CFO uses those records to plan cash, budgets, tax and decisions. Many firms offer both.
Is a part-time CFO enough for my business?
For many SMEs, yes. A few days a month often covers reporting, planning and the tax calendar. Firms will tell you if you need more.
Can a CFO file my corporate tax return?
A CFO can own the process, but representing you before the FTA needs an FTA-registered tax agent. Many firms have both. See corporate tax filing.
Does a CFO help with e-invoicing?
Often, yes. The CFO can run the project with your software firm and Accredited Service Provider. See e-invoicing.
Can I start small and add days later?
Usually. Ask each firm how the scope and time can change as you grow.
Related services
Get quotes for a part-time CFO
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