Basic salary
The core of the pay — and the number that gratuity, leave pay and many end-of-service calculations run on. Set it deliberately, not as an afterthought.
Pay people right, every month
In the UAE, payroll isn't just paying salaries — it's the Wages Protection System, gratuity accruing quietly every month, and end-of-service maths that surprises founders at the worst possible moment. This guide covers the full monthly cycle and the liabilities you're building without noticing.
The system
The Wages Protection System is how the UAE makes sure employees actually get paid: salaries are transferred through approved banks and exchange houses using a Salary Information File (SIF), and the authorities can see who was paid, how much, and when. For most mainland private-sector staff it's mandatory — cash salaries don't count. Some free zones run their own regimes (DIFC and ADGM have separate employment frameworks), so confirm what applies to your licence with your licensing authority rather than assuming.
The core of the pay — and the number that gratuity, leave pay and many end-of-service calculations run on. Set it deliberately, not as an afterthought.
Housing, transport and other allowances sit on top of basic. They're real money to the employee — but most statutory calculations ignore them.
A low basic with high allowances shrinks the gratuity you'll owe later — but an artificially depressed basic can also draw scrutiny and disputes at exit. Structure salaries honestly: a defensible basic, genuine allowances, everything documented.
The silent liability
End-of-service gratuity isn't a surprise you deal with at resignation — it's a liability building every single month of employment. The standard accrual: 21 days' basic pay for each year of the first five years, then 30 days per year after that. It starts from the first day of work, and founders who never provisioned for it meet it as a lump-sum shock when a long-serving employee leaves.
Worked example
Take a 6-person Dubai agency with a combined monthly basic payroll of AED 60,000 and allowances of AED 25,000 — AED 85,000 total monthly payroll (illustrative figures). The month's work:
1. Compute: attendance and leave checked, overtime and deductions applied, net pay per employee confirmed — AED 85,000.
2. Transfer via WPS: the SIF file goes to the bank; every dirham traceable, every employee paid through the system. No cash, no exceptions.
3. Payslips: six payslips issued showing basic, allowances, deductions and net — copies filed for the 7-year archive.
4. Gratuity provision: 60,000 × 12 ÷ 365 × 21 ≈ AED 41,400/year, or about AED 3,450 this month — booked as a liability, not ignored until someone resigns.
5. Post and reconcile: payroll posted to the ledger and reconciled to the bank debit. The books and the bank agree, to the dirham.
Five steps, every month, same order. Skip step 4 and you're hiding a liability; skip step 5 and your books drift from reality. Monthly bookkeeping keeps all five running without you thinking about them.
We prepare workings, schedules and compliance-ready records. For regulated representation before the FTA we work with registered UAE tax partners.
Every month, same order
Don't do this
The exit
Most payroll disputes happen at exit. Run this checklist and they won't happen to you.
Payroll FAQs
The Wages Protection System routes employee salaries through approved banks and exchange houses via a Salary Information File, so payments are traceable. It covers most mainland private-sector employees. Some free zones have their own employment frameworks — confirm what applies to your licence with your licensing authority.
Not for WPS-covered employees — salaries must go through the system. Beyond compliance, cash is untraceable: in any dispute about what was paid, you have no proof. Bank transfer through WPS protects both sides.
The standard accrual is 21 days' basic pay for each year of service during the first five years, rising to 30 days per year afterwards — accruing from the first day of employment. Provision for it monthly so it never arrives as a surprise; confirm current rules in the UAE Labour Law for your specific cases.
Yes — monthly payslips showing basic, allowances, deductions and net pay are basic good practice and your proof of what was agreed and paid. Archive copies with your payroll records for 7 years.
Seven years, alongside the rest of your financial records. That includes WPS transfer proof, payslips, contracts and gratuity workings. Our record-keeping guide has the full retention list.
Yes — WPS payroll support is part of our monthly bookkeeping service: payroll processing, payslips, postings and reconciliations, with gratuity provisions tracked. Monthly packages start at AED 2,000.
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