4 SAGE Alternatives In The UAE

 

Handling accounts after the birth of VAT has been a difficult task for businesses in the UAE.

 

What is the solution then? An accounting software.

 

Accounting software manages all of your needs in one place over a remote or cloud environment. They are easy to operate, always available, and generally procurable. This is why having software that is specifically designed to meet your demands is crucial.

 

SAGE has been known to have wonderful software used by various businesses in the UAE. Certain features of it though leave the customers disappointed. We’ll study all these factors effectively, explore SAGE alternatives in UAE, and try to understand what factors go into choosing software.

 

I have brought you this article which covers all the alternatives to SAGE specifically and features of accounting software generally.

 

Why Is Accounting Software A Necessity?

 

• Accounting software along with giving valuable insights also helps in the day-to-day tasks of your business. Here are a few significant benefits listed for you to examine:

 

• Saves your Money: Employing many accountants may not always be necessary for firms. These responsibilities can be successfully handled by accounting software, earning your trust.

 

• Helps your business grow: For smaller and medium-sized firms with few resources, accounting can be rather intimidating. You free up additional resources to support the expansion of your organization by using software to perform these duties.

 

• Insights into the numbers: Accounting software provides in-depth studies and reports on your company, including topics like payroll, inventory control, and unpaid invoices.

 

• Interstate Transaction Management: Most businesses in the UAE are required to have monetary transactions across borders. Most accounting software in the UAE offers support for such facility and hence the conversion from the UAE Dirham to other currencies becomes easy.

 

• Helps in Taxes: The introduction of VAT in the UAE in 2018 has been challenging for businesses to keep up with. Accounting statements need to be balanced perfectly. This might turn out to be difficult, especially for small and new businesses in the UAE.

 

• Data Privacy and Security: By using accounting software, you also put money into strong data security procedures. It guarantees that your financial data is protected from prying eyes and any breaches, providing you peace of mind and preserving the integrity of your company.

 

In essence, adopting accounting software can result in more productive operations, open the door for company growth, and offer priceless assistance in managing your money, and taxes, and protecting your sensitive data.

 

WHAT ARE THE ACCOUNTING REQUIREMENTS IN UAE?

 

In this article exploring Sage alternatives in the UAE, it is critical that we first understand the laws of the state of the UAE. Let us do that in this section before we move further listing Sage alternatives.

 

In the UAE, all companies have specific obligations:

 

• Accounting: Firms must maintain annual financial records following IFRS standards, including balance sheets, income statements, wage and asset records, and inventory statements.

 

• Annual Audit: An annual audit of accounts is mandatory to ensure accuracy, with the auditor’s report due within three months after the fiscal year-end.

 

• General Assembly: Every UAE company must hold an annual general meeting within four months of fiscal year-end, where financial reports and auditor’s findings are presented.

 

• Corporate Tax: Starting in 2023, a 9% tax applies to profits exceeding AED 375,000 for both Mainland and certain Free Zone companies with Mainland activity.

 

• VAT Registration: Mandatory VAT registration based on turnover.

 

• UBO Registry: Since 2021, companies must maintain a Register of Ultimate Beneficiaries internally (Mainland) or at the Registry (Free Zone).

 

• ESR Compliance: Economic Substance Regulation requires notifications and annual reports to the Registry.

 

 

The Value Added Tax, or VAT, has been in place with rates set at 0% and 5% since January 1, 2018. Second, in 2024, corporate tax—also referred to as profit tax—will be implemented, with rates of 0% and 9% being applied on yearly profits surpassing AED 375,000. Notably, neither domestically nor internationally in the UAE, there is no withholding tax on distributed profits. Additionally, social security fees are not levied in the UAE. However, there are no pension contributions or entitlements, and all inhabitants must now obtain local health insurance, which costs AED 1000 annually. Finally, there is a general rate for customs duties on imported items.

 

This then Makes it very evident that accounting software becomes necessary to manage your accounts in the UAE. Let us then understand the flaws in Sage and look for Sage alternatives.

 

WHERE DOES SAGE LACK?

 

There are a few points where Sage lacks. Once we understand these points, we’ll also understand which SAGE alternatives would suit what business.

 

DIFFICULT TO USE

Sage does not provide enough training for its software especially compared to its alternatives in the UAE like ProfitBooks. Hence, Sage is on the difficult side to navigate through and get to the required with minimal operations.

 

DEPLETING CUSTOMER SERVICE

Sage answers queries and complaints only through emails which gets you a response in a day. That is a bit delayed compared to the standard practice in the industry. Many other software, for the sake of efficiency and gratitude to the clients, answer queries and complaints over phone calls, effectively providing immediate responses.

 

LIMITED FACILITIES PROVIDED

SAGE faces some limitations in its services. The most significant one is in the area of payroll. The cheapest does not provide payroll support even for limited employees. Beyond that, SAGE charges a fee for each additional employee. You have also to pay for an extra user in the pricier plan.

 

 

The starter plan, often preferred by small businesses and startups, has limitations when it comes to the number of invoices and bills you can manage. Additionally, there have been recent reports of software bugs cropping up, which can be a concern.

 

What Are The Pros And Cons To Using Sage?

 

Pros

• Fair Cost
• A Mobile application available
• Supports multiple currencies

Cons

• Unsatisfactory Integrations
• The basic plan does not offer enough services
• Reports could be better

 

WHAT ARE THE SAGE ALTERNATIVES?

 

Let’s look at the choices that we have got for replacing Sage. We’ll look at their features and pricing, giving a general idea of what it will be like to use them.

1.QuickBooks

In the UAE bookkeeping community, QuickBooks is an acknowledged name that has been around for a while. It has the feature of being cloud-based, allowing you to work with it from almost anywhere. Numerous features are available, including managing payroll, and numerous user accounts (although this varies depending on the plan). Since they don’t offer much training, some people may find QuickBooks to be a little too comprehensive and a bit difficult to navigate.

 

On the plus side, adopting QuickBooks has a few genuine benefits. It generates some reliable, comprehensive reports and gets along well with banks and other apps.

Additionally, you have phone support for assistance needed. However, I’ve known a few user reports of bugs, which can be somewhat alarming. Overall, though, it appears that QuickBooks meets the needs of the majority of users and can be on the better half of the list of SAGE alternatives.

PRICING:

QuickBooks offers three plans, ‘Simple Start’, ‘Essentials’, and the ‘Plus’ plan valued at $9/month, $13.50/month, and $19/month respectively. These are on the higher spectrum. The services vary significantly with a change in plan, making QuickBooks suitable for large businesses.

 

2.ProfitBooks

 

ProfitBooks creates a pretty welcoming environment for businesses to thrive. What’s good about them is they’ve made it super user-friendly, so you don’t even need to hire an accountant. I mean, even if you’re clueless about accounting, you can handle it with ease.

 

They’re not big on direct integrations with other platforms, but they’ve got a workaround using Excel to move data around if you ever need it.

 

One more thing that sets ProfitBooks apart is its simplicity. They don’t overwhelm you with super complicated reports. Instead, they keep it focused on what matters. It helps you concentrate on the essentials, which later leads to a more solid and non-negotiable analysis of crucial points, resulting in steady but significant growth.

 

They’re one of the very few accounting software providers worldwide that offer a lifetime FREE plan. It’s not some stripped-down version either; it’s quite valuable, especially for startups and small businesses. I’ve found it to be quite handy myself. It is probably the best in the list of Sage alternatives in the UAE.

 

PRICING:

They offer two plans; the full-time free plan labeled the ‘Startup’ plan and another plan called the ‘SMB’ plan worth $15/month. This is quite cheap compared to the counterparts with little to no compromise on services offered.

3.Xero

 

 

Xero has very good functionalities and it is confirmed by every decent source that I researched. It has a huge set of reports and analyses. Xero mingles well with other APIs and software. Large and medium-sized businesses could look forward to Xero as their accounting software.

Xero proves to be an upgrade on SAGE as an alternative but is still very pricey. Other SAGE alternatives mentioned in the article are not very expensive and offer enough services. Xero also seems to be an accountant’s software provided its complexity. It may lead to the necessity of an accountant.

Despite this Xero is recommended as a SAGE alternative if you think your business needs a very robust and complexly functional software.

 

PRICING:

Xero currently offers three plans in the UAE. The starter plan at $24/month, the standard plan at $40/month, and the premium plan at $54/month. The starter plan has very less facilities and that is quite troubling for new businesses. Xero therefore is not the most opted among the Sage alternatives in the UAE.

 

4.FreshBooks

 

Over 24 million people use FreshBooks, a popular accounting program, across more than 160 countries. Both small and large businesses, as well as independent contractors, can use it. Invoicing, expense management, and time tracking are important features.

 

The platform provides easily navigable invoice templates that can be customized. However, the $15 to $50 monthly price range can be viewed as somewhat expensive. Although it offers seamless third-party app integration and support for international payments, some users complain that it lacks advanced accounting features.

 

There is no 24/7 hotline, but there is a Help Center, online chat, and phone support available at certain times.

 

Customizable invoices, expense management, project collaboration, custom estimates, accounting reports, mileage tracking, and multi-currency support are just a few of the accounting features available. It integrates with Gusto for payroll needs even though it doesn’t have internal payroll.

 

PRICING:

FreshBooks provides a range of pricing plans to suit various business needs. The “Lite” plan is available at USD 17.00 per month, offering essential features for invoicing. The “Plus” plan, priced at USD 30.00 per month, includes additional capabilities such as automatic expense tracking. For more advanced users, the “Premium” plan is offered at USD 55.00 per month, featuring enhanced customization. Additionally, FreshBooks offers a “Select” plan with personalized pricing.

 

HOW TO CHOOSE THE BEST SUITABLE SOFTWARE FOR YOUR ACCOUNTING NEEDS?

Choosing the right accounting software for your company is a big decision. First things first, you’ve got to pick between desktop-based or cloud-based software. Cloud-based software is quite popular because it can sync your data, back it up automatically, and you can access it from anywhere with an internet connection. But if you’re in a place with shaky internet or need to do stuff in person super quickly, the offline option might be better.

 

Now, let’s talk security. Your data’s safety is a big deal. Make sure the software uses something called HTTPS for secure data transfer. And if they’re partnering with reliable cloud hosting companies like Amazon or Rackspace, that’s a good sign.

 

Next, figure out what you need the software to do. Do you need it for things like making invoices, tracking expenses, managing your inventory, or reconciling your bank statements? That’s important to know.

 

Think about the future, too. You want software that can grow with your business.

 

Also, make sure you can easily take your data with you if you ever decide to switch software. Watch out for any hidden fees, like extra charges for transactions or integration. And be clear on what the free trial version lets you do.

 

Don’t forget about support! It’s super important. Check if they have different ways to get help, respond quickly, have good knowledge, offer resources, and update the software.

 

Do not hesitate to change the software you are using if you find that it is not enough for your business. Look for alternatives like we did with this article accessing SAGE alternatives in UAE.

 

In the end, when you’re picking your accounting software, just remember these things and match them up with what your company needs and wants. One option to consider is ProfitBooks. It’s great for small and medium-sized businesses, with user-friendly features, room to grow, a reasonable price, awesome support, and clear expenses.

 

CONCLUSION

 

So, there you have it, a thorough examination of SAGE alternatives in UAE and what elements to take into account when selecting the best accounting program for your company. It is evident that with the help of these software options, managing finances doesn’t have to be a difficult task.

 

Keep in mind that the right software can change the game by enabling you to cut costs, grow your company, and gain insightful information through thorough analysis. Additionally, it offers improved security for your financial data and guarantees that you are on top of taxes.

 

You can choose the option that best fits your business needs and budget by comparing the alternatives, including QuickBooks, ProfitBooks, Xero, and FreshBooks.

 

Flexibility and adaptability are essential in the constantly changing world of accounting. Don’t be afraid to experiment with new options, and if your current software isn’t cutting it, look for replacements that will enable your company to grow. Happy financial health and prosperous business endeavors!