Accounting — Payroll & WPS Compliance
Every UAE employer paying salaries through a bank, exchange house or approved provider must file through the Wages Protection System — miss a WPS cycle and MOHRE can suspend your ability to issue new work permits. FMCA runs monthly payroll calculation, WPS file submission and end-of-service gratuity as one connected process, not a spreadsheet exported the night before salaries are due.
Reviewed by FMCA's Senior Accounting Advisory Team — CPAs and former Big Four auditors serving 500+ UAE and KSA SMEs.
Four areas of work, run every pay cycle rather than assembled once at setup and left alone.
Gross-to-net calculation, deductions and payslip generation run to a fixed monthly cycle, not assembled under deadline pressure.
The SIF file prepared and submitted through an approved WPS agent every cycle, matched exactly to what MOHRE expects.
Gratuity calculated correctly against actual tenure and contract type — a frequent source of disputes when left to a generic spreadsheet formula.
WPS submission tracked for rejections or delays each cycle, with direct liaison if a filing is flagged before it becomes a penalty.
WPS non-compliance triggers real, mechanical consequences — this isn't a "catch it eventually" filing.
Late or rejected WPS submissions can trigger fines and, for repeated non-compliance, a suspension of new work permits until the record is cleared.
Salaries paid even a few days late through the WPS window are automatically flagged, regardless of the reason behind the delay.
End-of-service gratuity errors are one of the most common sources of labour disputes at offboarding, and the most avoidable.
Payroll figures feed directly into your bookkeeping records each cycle, so wage costs are never a month-end surprise.
The right answer usually turns on headcount and how often your workforce composition changes.
Our Approach
Most payroll providers set up a WPS process once and assume it stays correct. FMCA reviews the file before every submission — the same team that reconciles your books catches a payroll error before it becomes a MOHRE flag, not after.
How We Work
Illustrative scenarios based on the kind of work we do — not descriptions of specific named clients.
A rejected WPS file traced to an incorrect IBAN was corrected and resubmitted within the cycle, avoiding a late-payment flag.
Payroll for a 40-person team transitioned from an internal spreadsheet process to monthly outsourced processing, closing a recurring WPS timing gap.
An end-of-service gratuity recalculated correctly against the employee's actual contract terms, avoiding a dispute the original spreadsheet formula would have caused.
Explore Further
Dedicated pages covering the full scope of related work — explore each in depth.
Related Insights
FAQ
Yes, for companies registered onshore and in most free zones — salaries must be paid through an approved WPS channel, tracked and reported to MOHRE each cycle.
Late or missing submissions are flagged automatically. Repeated non-compliance can lead to fines and a suspension on issuing new work permits until the record is cleared.
Gratuity is based on basic salary, length of service and contract type, with specific rules for partial years of service — we calculate this against the employee's actual record, not a simplified rule of thumb.
Yes — we prepare and review the payroll and WPS file each cycle, but final approval to release payment stays with you.
No — payroll processing is the calculation and compliance layer. It works alongside whatever HR or attendance system you use, rather than replacing it.
Tell us where things stand and a senior consultant will get back to you directly — not a call centre.
