Creative City Fujairah accounting for media firms and freelancers

A Creative City marketing consultant might run social media for four restaurants in Dubai, produce a video for a property developer, and sell an online course. Income arrives by bank transfer and card; expenses are software subscriptions, freelancers and equipment.

HelloBooks drafts invoices from a short note, sends reminders by email or WhatsApp, and matches payments when the bank statement is uploaded. Receipts photographed on the phone are read by the AI and posted with their VAT. The consultant asks "how much did the restaurant clients pay this quarter?" and gets the answer without opening a spreadsheet.

• Income accounts per service: social media, video, courses
• Equipment purchases recorded as assets where the amount warrants it
• Rolling twelve-month taxable supplies for the VAT threshold

Marketing and media services are not on the FTA's list of qualifying activities. The FTA guide makes income from other free zone persons that are the beneficial recipients a source of qualifying income, but a consultant serving mainland restaurants and developers earns mostly non-qualifying revenue. Course fees from individuals are normally excluded activities.

In numbers: revenue of AED 480,000, of which AED 430,000 comes from mainland clients and individuals. The cap is AED 24,000. The company cannot be a qualifying free zone person, so it is taxed at 0% on taxable income up to AED 375,000 and 9% above. With revenue under AED 3 million and no qualifying status, small business relief may be open to it; a tax agent can confirm the election.

Registration becomes mandatory when taxable supplies over the previous twelve months exceed AED 375,000. A consultant earning AED 480,000 has crossed that line and must charge 5% VAT on local supplies. HelloBooks shows the rolling total, applies VAT codes per line and prepares the VAT 201 for you or your accountant to review and file on EmaraTax.

For creative-business invoice templates, categorisation rules for freelancers and subscriptions, or a simple client report, ask the HelloBooks team via /book-a-demo or hello@hellobooks.ai.