Audit and accounting for QFC and free zone companies in Qatar
Thiqa Consulting provides audit for a free zone company in Qatar and for companies in the Qatar Financial Centre, along with bookkeeping, IFRS accounts and tax support. QFC and free zone companies follow their own registration and reporting rules, so we start by confirming which apply to you. Then we agree the work and a fixed fee in writing.
- Rules confirmed firstWhat applies to your set-up
- Fixed feeAgreed in writing before we start
- Audit-ready booksKept up through the year
- Clear guidanceWhat applies to you, and why
Office towers in the West Bay business district of Doha at dusk, seen from above
What QFC and free zone companies usually deal with
Companies in these zones work under their own frameworks, often as part of a foreign group. These are the issues that come up most.
Different rules from the mainland
QFC and free zone companies have their own authorities and reporting rules, and owners are not always sure which apply.
Accounts others ask for
An authority, a bank, an investor or the group asks for audited accounts, sometimes at short notice.
Unclear tax filings
Owners are unsure which tax filings the company makes, and what it must file when no tax is due.
Group and investor reporting
Many companies belong to a foreign group that wants IFRS accounts and reporting packs on its own timetable.
Payments across borders
Payments to group companies and suppliers abroad need to be recorded correctly and checked for withholding tax.
Books kept far away
The books are kept by the group abroad or by one person, and local requirements are missed.
How we help a QFC or free zone company
Most companies in these zones need the same few services, in roughly this order. Start with whichever is most urgent.
- 1External auditThe yearly audit, when the authority, the group, a bank or investors need it.View service
- 2Accounting and bookkeepingBooks kept up to date every month, so the audit is not held up.View service
- 3IFRS advisory and conversionIFRS accounts and adjustments for the group or for investors.View service
- 4Tax advisory and health checkConfirming which tax filings apply to your company and how to meet them.View service
- 5Company formationSetting up a new QFC or free zone company, from choosing the legal form.View service
We agree each engagement separately. If we keep your books or prepare your accounts, a different firm must audit them. Audit work also depends on the registrations required for your company.
Why the rules depend on where you are registered
A company in the Qatar Financial Centre or a Qatar free zone is set up under that zone’s own framework, not only the rules for mainland companies. Registration, licensing and reporting can differ as a result.
Before we quote, we look at how and where your company is registered, what it does and who reads its accounts. Then we confirm which audit, accounting and tax requirements apply, and agree the work in writing.
- Where the company is registered
- Which reporting rules apply
- Whether an audit is required, and by whom
- Which tax filings the company makes
How we work with a QFC or free zone company
- 1
A short first call
You tell us how the company is set up. We check which rules apply.
- 2
Fixed fee in writing
A written proposal with what we do, what we need from you and the price.
- 3
Work through the year
Books and group reporting kept up month by month, not only at year end.
- 4
Audit and filings on time
The audit and the filings that apply, done before their deadlines.
Get expert advice for your business
Tell us what you need. We reply with a written proposal covering the scope, the documents we need and the timeline.
Questions QFC and free zone companies ask us
Short answers. Open a question to read the answer.
Does a free zone company in Qatar need an audit?
A company set up in the Qatar Free Zones must appoint one or more auditors under Article 47 of the Free Zones Companies Regulations, and the general assembly reappoints them each year. A free zone branch has no audit requirement in those regulations; its parent company prepares its accounts. Tax rules, the group or a bank can still ask for audited accounts.
Who can audit a QFC company?
An auditor approved by the QFC Authority. The QFC Companies Regulations require a QFC limited liability company to appoint one or more auditors, and the auditor must be approved and entered in the register of approved auditors kept by the QFC Companies Registration Office. Check that your auditor is on that register before you appoint them, and ask us if you are unsure which rules apply.
Which tax filings does a QFC or free zone company make?
It depends on how the company is set up and what it does, and the rules can differ from those for mainland companies. We review your registration and activities, confirm which returns and deadlines apply, and then prepare the filings agreed with you, so nothing is missed.
Can you prepare IFRS accounts for our group?
Yes. We keep the company’s books and prepare its accounts under IFRS, and we can prepare the reporting packs your group or investors ask for. Tell us the format and the dates they use, and we agree the work and the fee in writing before we start.
Can our group keep our books abroad?
It can, but someone must make sure the records also meet the rules that apply to your company in Qatar. Problems usually show up at year end: missing documents, local filings overlooked or accounts the auditor cannot use. We can keep the books here, or review the group’s records each month and prepare the local accounts from them. We confirm the record rules once we know how you are registered.
QFC answer checked against the QFC Companies Regulations on 13 October 2026. QFC Companies Regulations
Other industries and companies we work with
Tell us what you need. We reply with a written proposal.
You get the scope, the papers we need and the time it takes.
- 1You send your details by WhatsApp or email.
- 2We read them and ask anything we need to know.
- 3You get a written proposal: scope, papers and timing.