Payroll runs in a spreadsheet with no review
Single-person, unreviewed payroll is both an error risk and the classic fraud vector.
PAYROLL & FINANCE OPERATIONS
Payroll and payments that run without you watching.
WPS-compliant payroll processing, end-of-service accrual, expense control, supplier payment runs and finance operations for UAE businesses — accurate, on time, and properly controlled.
From AED 1,200 / month · Fixed fee agreed in writing before work starts
AT A GLANCE
Indicative scope. Final deliverables confirmed after the diagnostic.
PayrollWPS-compliant
GratuityAccrued monthly
Payment runsScheduled
ApprovalStays with you
THE PROBLEM
Payroll is the one finance process where a mistake is immediately visible to everyone in the company. It is also the process most often run by a single person in a spreadsheet, with no review, no documented calculation, and no accrual for a gratuity liability that grows silently every month until someone resigns.
In the UAE the mechanics carry specific obligations: the Wage Protection System requires salaries to be transferred through approved channels within defined timeframes, end-of-service gratuity accrues under the Labour Law and must be provided for rather than paid from operating cash on the day, and leave, air ticket entitlements and end-of-service settlements all need to be calculated consistently rather than negotiated individually.
We run payroll and the wider finance operations layer as a controlled, evidenced monthly process.
IS THIS YOU?
The common failures.
If two or more of these are true, the diagnostic is the cheapest place to start. It is a fixed fee and it ends in a written findings note you own.
Gratuity has never been accrued
An unprovided end-of-service liability is a real obligation sitting off your management reporting. It appears as a shock when someone leaves.
Expenses are reimbursed without a policy
No policy means every claim is a negotiation and nothing is consistently enforceable.
Supplier payments happen ad hoc
Unscheduled payment runs damage supplier terms, create duplicate payment risk and make cash forecasting impossible.
The same person creates and pays suppliers
This is the single most important segregation of duties in a small finance team, and the most commonly missing.
WPS files are prepared manually each month
Manual file preparation is where format and timing errors originate.
PAYROLL
Calculated, reviewed, evidenced.
Monthly processing
Salary calculation including allowances, overtime, deductions, unpaid leave and variable pay; WPS-format file preparation and submission coordination with your bank; payslip generation and distribution; and the payroll journal posted to the ledger with a reconciliation to the bank transfer.
End-of-service and leave provisions
Gratuity accrued monthly per employee under the applicable Labour Law basis, leave liability tracked, and air ticket or other contractual entitlements provided for. So that the liability is visible in your accounts continuously rather than emerging at resignation.
Joiners, leavers and settlements
Onboarding into payroll, final settlement calculation on exit including gratuity, accrued leave, notice and any deductions, documented so the calculation is transparent to both sides. Where a matter requires legal interpretation of the Labour Law or a dispute arises, we work with your legal adviser rather than opining ourselves.
Confidentiality
Payroll data is handled on restricted access. Directors' and senior remuneration is segregated so that general finance staff do not have visibility they do not need.
FINANCE OPERATIONS
The transactional layer, controlled.
Accounts payable and payment runs
Supplier invoices captured, matched to purchase orders or delivery notes where applicable, routed for approval, and settled on a scheduled payment run rather than on demand. Approval authority stays entirely with you — we prepare, you release.
Expense management
A written expense policy, digital claim capture, approval workflow and VAT-compliant documentation, so that reimbursements are consistent and input tax is actually recoverable.
Receivables administration
Invoicing, statement issuance, ageing reports and structured collection follow-up as an administrative function, escalating to you where a commercial decision is required.
Controls
Segregation between supplier creation, invoice approval and payment release; documented bank mandate; dual authorisation above agreed thresholds; and a monthly review of new suppliers and changed bank details — the specific control that prevents the most common invoice-redirection fraud in the region.
WHAT YOU RECEIVE
Deliverables, listed — so scope is never a debate.
Everything below is included as standard at the scope agreed in your engagement letter. If something falls outside it, we tell you before we do it, not after.
Included as standard
- Monthly payroll processing and payslips
- WPS file preparation and submission coordination
- End-of-service gratuity accrual per employee
- Leave and entitlement liability tracking
- Final settlement calculations
- Payroll journal posting and reconciliation
- Accounts payable processing and approval routing
- Scheduled supplier payment runs
- Expense policy and claim processing
- Supplier master data and bank detail change controls
HOW WE START
Four stages. The first one is small on purpose.
Set up
Map employees, contracts, entitlements and current process. Establish the payroll calendar.
Control
Implement approval matrix, segregation of duties and payment schedule.
Run
Monthly processing with review, reconciliation and evidence.
Review
Quarterly control review and provision validation.
QUESTIONS
Before you engage.
Clear scope is a feature. Where work requires a separately licensed professional — a registered tax agent, a licensed auditor, a lawyer — the engagement says so in writing.
What is WPS and does it apply to us?
The Wage Protection System is the UAE mechanism requiring employers to pay wages through approved financial institutions within defined timeframes, with salary data submitted in a prescribed format. It applies to most private-sector employers with registered employees, and non-compliance can affect your ability to process new visas and labour transactions.
How is end-of-service gratuity calculated in the UAE?
Gratuity is based on basic salary and length of continuous service under the applicable UAE Labour Law provisions, with the accrual rate differing between the first five years of service and years beyond that. Specific circumstances — resignation versus termination, limited versus unlimited contracts under the current framework, and free zone or DIFC/ADGM employment rules — change the outcome. We calculate and accrue it monthly; where a specific case is contentious, it is a legal question and should go to a UAE employment lawyer.
Can you process payroll for free zone and DIFC entities?
Yes. DIFC and ADGM operate under their own employment regimes with different end-of-service arrangements, including the DIFC Employee Workplace Savings scheme. We apply the correct framework for each entity rather than a single default.
Do you get access to our bank account?
No. We prepare payment files and payment runs; release and authorisation stay entirely with your authorised signatories. We do not ask for banking credentials, and any provider who does should be declined.
How much does outsourced payroll cost in the UAE?
Typically from AED 1,200 per month for a small headcount, scaling with employee count, entity count and complexity of allowances and variable pay. It is often bundled with accounting at a lower combined fee.
Can you handle payroll only, without the accounting?
Yes, though the accrual and reconciliation quality is better when both sit together. If you keep accounting in-house, we deliver the payroll journal in a format your team can post directly.
NEXT STEP
Start with the actual problem, not a proposal.
Tell us the current setup — entities, systems, transaction volume, what is going wrong. We aim to reply within one business day with a scoped next step and an indicative fee range.