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Small Business

The first five things to actually do

Most guidance on this subject is written for companies with finance departments. If you are running a small business and doing your own invoicing, here is the version that fits — five things, in order, most of them free.

Set by revenue, not sizeAED 50m thresholdFree zones includedNon-VAT businesses included
30 Oct 2026
Large-business ASP deadline
1 Jan 2027
Large-business go-live
31 Mar 2027
SME ASP deadline
1 Jul 2027
SME go-live
What matters

Four things worth getting right

Four things worth understanding properly before you spend money on anything.

1First, confirm your phase in writing

One number, one answer, and then you know your two dates. Everything else follows from this and it costs nothing.

2Second, export your customer list and count the gaps

How many of your customers do you hold complete tax details for? That number tells you the size of the real work.

3Third, ask your current tool's vendor in writing

If you use any software at all, get their position on the record before you spend money elsewhere.

4Fourth, get one indicative quote so you can budget

You do not have to buy anything. Having a number means the decision stops being abstract.

Practical steps

The groundwork

Do these first and every later decision becomes cheaper and clearer.

Questions we get asked

Frequently asked

Short, practical answers. If yours is not here, ask us directly — we answer even if you never become a client.

What is the very first thing I should do?

Confirm which phase you are in. It costs nothing, it takes minutes, and everything else depends on it.

Do I need to buy anything now?

No. The first three steps are free. Buying comes after you know what you need.

How much time should this take me?

The first steps are an afternoon. The customer data work depends entirely on how many customers you have and how complete their records are.

GoldenKey e-Invoice · in development

We are building our own e-invoicing app — and the ERP and CRM around it

Most businesses will need something sitting between their sales desk and their Accredited Service Provider — a system that creates a proper structured invoice, holds the customer data the standard demands, and keeps a record an auditor will accept. That is what we build, and because we build it ourselves we can shape it around your business rather than asking you to reshape your business around a product.

Numbering that holds upSequential, gap-free numbering per series, per branch and per financial year.
Branch & multi-companyRun several licences or branches from one login with separate numbering and reporting.
Roles & permissionsAccounts, sales and management each see only what they should.
CRM built inLeads, quotations, follow-ups and the invoice that eventually comes out of them, in one thread.
Accounting sideChart of accounts, double-entry ledger, receivables ageing and payment allocation.
Reports that answer questionsOutstanding by customer, VAT summary by period, revenue by branch or salesperson.
API for your existing stackIf you already run an ERP or a shop system, we integrate rather than replace.
Import your historyExisting customers and open invoices moved across from Excel, Tally, Zoho or QuickBooks.
Works on mobileIssue and check invoices from a phone — useful for site, showroom and delivery teams.

GoldenKey is a business setup and compliance consultancy. We are not a Ministry of Finance Accredited Service Provider, and we do not claim to be one. Our software is built to work alongside the ASP you appoint. Scope, timelines and pricing are agreed in writing before any work starts.

Keep reading

Related guides

A note on this pageA note on how to read this: it is general information, not tax or legal advice, and your own circumstances may change the answer. The Ministry of Finance and the Federal Tax Authority publish the authoritative guidance and it continues to develop. If anything here matters to a decision you are making, have it confirmed — we will do that in writing for free. Indicative prices are confirmed in writing before any work starts.
Talk to a human

Book a straight conversation about e-invoicing

Twenty minutes on the phone is usually enough to turn this from a vague worry into a short list of tasks.

  • A named advisor, not a call centre queue
  • We work with your existing accountant if you have one
  • Arabic and English documentation
  • No obligation — plenty of people call us just to check a date

Free e-invoicing readiness check

No cost, no obligation. We tell you which phase you fall into and what you actually need.

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