Accounting software for printing and packaging companies in UAE with job costing

Printing businesses buy in bulk and sell in jobs, so the chart carries raw stock as inventory and costs each job. HelloBooks starts with a layout for print and converting work.

• Raw materials: paper, board, ink, plates, laminate film, adhesives
• Work in progress for jobs on the press
• Job revenue by type: commercial print, packaging, labels, signage
• Press maintenance, die-making and pre-press outsourcing
• Freight out and export documentation costs

Local print and packaging sales are standard-rated at 5%. Goods exported outside the GCC implementing states are zero-rated, provided you keep the export evidence the FTA requires, such as customs exit documents. HelloBooks stores the documents against the invoice so the zero rate is supported if the FTA asks.

Board and ink imported from overseas suppliers are usually subject to reverse charge VAT on import. The agent marks those bills and places them in your VAT 201 draft for your accountant to check.

When the board supplier’s invoice arrives in USD, the agent converts it at the transaction rate, posts it to raw materials and increases stock. Tell it “job 4417 used 1,200 sheets of 350gsm board” and it moves the cost to that job. When you invoice the job, it shows cost against price.

Ask “which jobs last month made less than 20% margin?” and the agent lists them with the main cost drivers. You still review stock adjustments and confirm the export treatment on cross-border invoices.

Owners watch job margin, raw material stock value, debtor ageing for large brand clients and FX gains or losses on USD purchases. A packaging run billed at AED 46,000 with AED 31,000 of board and ink and AED 6,000 of press costs leaves about AED 9,000; seeing that per job helps the next quote.

You can ask for a job-card layout, a costing rule that adds a wastage percentage, or an approval step for large board orders. Contact hello@hellobooks.ai or book through /book-a-demo.