About the firm
6 years. 167 clients. Two founders who still review files.
ClearBooks exists because two Big-4 senior managers believed SMBs deserved the same quality of advice that multinationals get, at a price their P&L could bear. We founded the firm in February 2020 with three referred clients and a shared desk at The Cribb in JLT.
Six years later we look after 167 SMB clients across hospitality, professional services, logistics, retail, and real estate. We've filed 72 corporate-tax returns under the new UAE regime — more than most firms our size — and we've never had a return reassessed by the FTA.
How we got here
2020
Zara Ahmed FCA and Adeel Hussain CPA found ClearBooks at The Cribb, JLT. First three clients: a dental practice, a logistics firm, a trading company.
2021
Mariam Saeed joins as first senior manager. Firm crosses 30 clients. Moves to first dedicated office in Business Bay.
2022
Firm crosses 75 clients. Appointed auditor to first DIFC-registered client. Lara Haddad joins to lead payroll.
2023
UAE corporate tax announced. ClearBooks builds its CT readiness framework Jan–May 2023. Omar Riaz joins as CT director in June. Firm takes on 40 new clients that year.
2023 (Sep)
Firm moves to current office — Boulevard Plaza Tower 1, 19th floor, 2,400 sq ft.
2024 (May)
Files its first UAE corporate-tax return (client with June 2023 year-end). Adeel Hussain is invited to the FTA's SMB advisory group for the 2025 clarifications.
2025
Firm crosses 150 clients. Hina Qureshi joins as the first dedicated compliance lead. AI-assisted invoice-processing pilot begins with Saffron Hospitality in Q4.
2026
Invoice-processing AI rolled out to 12 pilot clients. Firm now at 167 clients, 18 staff.
In the press
Gulf News
How one Dubai accounting firm filed the first CT return under the new regime
May 2024
Khaleej Times
SMB Advisory Panel: who's shaping the UAE's CT clarifications
February 2025
The National
Why mid-market accountants are building their own AI
March 2026
Regulatory
DED trade licence
CN-2840517
Dubai Chamber
178423
VAT TRN
100348562900003
FTA CT agent
CT-2024-0471
Leadership quotes
"SMBs don't need a junior associate rotating through their books every six months. They need the same senior reading the same ledger every quarter. That's the whole model."— Zara Ahmed FCA, Co-founder · Managing Partner
"Corporate tax didn't break SMBs — ambiguity did. The firms that got hurt are the ones whose accountants said 'wait and see.' We moved early."— Adeel Hussain CPA, MBA, Co-founder · Tax Partner
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