Aqid ERPEngagements as projects
Each engagement is a project. Tag invoices, bills and expense claims to it, allocate consultant salary cost to it (re-tag the payroll entry or post an allocation journal), and the P&L shows what it really earned.
Professional services
Accounting for consulting firms
Bill milestones and retainers on time, see which engagement earns after salaries and travel, and get paid through a link on the invoice once you connect a payment provider.
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In short
Bill milestones and retainers on time, see which engagement earns after salaries and travel, and get paid through a link on the invoice once you connect a payment provider. Aqid ERP is built for ZATCA Phase 2 e-invoicing, prepares the VAT return from the books and runs payroll with GOSI and a WPS file in the Mudad layout. The Growth plan fits, at SAR 111 a month, with a 60-day free trial. Not built yet: There are no timesheets or hourly billing, so fees are billed as milestones, retainers or fixed amounts.
At a glance
| For | Consulting firms |
|---|---|
| E-invoicing | ZATCA Phase 2: clearance and reporting once your device is connected with a Fatoora OTP; UBL 2.1 XML, QR code |
| VAT | 15% standard rate; the return is prepared from the books |
| Payroll | GOSI, a WPS salary file in the Mudad layout, end of service, payslips in Arabic and English |
| Stock | Not needed by most businesses of this kind |
| Recommended plan | Growth: foreign-currency invoicing and payroll with no employee limit. A small local practice can start on Starter. |
| Price | SAR 111 a month before VAT · 60-day free trial today, no card |
| Not built yet | There are no timesheets or hourly billing, so fees are billed as milestones, retainers or fixed amounts. |
How it runs
Milestones and retainers
Bill each milestone as it is signed off, or set a monthly retainer as a recurring invoice. Fees invoiced in advance are recognised month by month.
Retention
Hold back a retention on an invoice; it sits in its own receivable until the client releases it, so you always know what is still owed.
Clients abroad
On Growth and Premium, invoice in the client's currency. Open balances are revalued at month end, so the gain or loss lands in the right month.
A month at a consulting firm (example)
- Say you win a SAR 200,000 engagement billed in four milestones of SAR 50,000. The client holds back 10% retention.
- Milestone one is signed off. The invoice is SAR 50,000 plus SAR 7,500 VAT, SAR 57,500. Retention of SAR 5,000 moves to its own receivable, so the client pays SAR 52,500 now.
- A consultant claims a flight to the client site: SAR 2,000 plus SAR 300 VAT. The claim is approved and tagged to the engagement.
- Payroll for two consultants, SAR 30,000 in total, is allocated to the project with a re-tag of the payroll entry. The engagement P&L shows SAR 50,000 revenue against SAR 32,000 of salaries and travel this month.
- Output VAT for the month is SAR 7,500 and input VAT on the flight is SAR 300. The VAT return is prepared from the books.
The parts you will use
Sales
Proposals as quotes clients accept online without an account, milestone and recurring invoices, retention, credit notes, payment links once a payment provider is connected, and email reminders.
Projects and cost centres
Engagements as projects and practice areas or offices as cost centres, each with its own P&L.
Expense claims
Consultants submit travel and client expense claims; approved claims are tagged to the engagement and paid.
Multi-currency
Invoices and bills in foreign currency with month-end revaluation (Growth or Premium).
Payroll
Monthly payroll in SAR, GOSI contributions, the Mudad WPS salary file, end-of-service accruals, bilingual payslips and iqama expiry alerts.
Purchasing
Bills from subcontractors and freelancers, with an approval limit so large bills wait for a second approver.
VAT and e-invoicing for consulting firms
Consulting fees to clients in Saudi Arabia carry VAT at 15%. Tax invoices to companies are cleared through ZATCA e-invoicing Phase 2, with UBL 2.1 XML, a XAdES signature and a QR code.
For clients outside Saudi Arabia, VAT treatment depends on the service and the client, so confirm it with your tax adviser before you invoice. The VAT return is prepared from the books.
Plans for Consulting firms
Starter
For small businesses that need compliant invoicing
79 / month
- Compliant invoices + QR
- Customers & quotes
- Payroll and WPS file for up to 5 employees
Growth
For teams that want the full books, not only invoices
111 / month
- Everything in Starter
- Full ledger & reports
- Unlimited payroll, inventory and consolidation
Premium
For companies with branches, devices and volume
219 / month
- Everything in Growth
- Branches & devices
- Consolidation & API
Questions
Does Aqid ERP handle ZATCA e-invoicing Phase 2?
Aqid ERP implements Phase 2 end to end (UBL 2.1 XML, XAdES signature, QR code, clearance for tax invoices and reporting for simplified ones) and is tested against ZATCA's published rules. Its listing in ZATCA's solution-provider directory is in progress. You connect your device with an OTP from the Fatoora portal.
Can I bill from timesheets?
No. There are no timesheets or hourly billing. Bill milestones, monthly retainers or fixed fees.
Can I see profit per engagement?
Yes. Tag invoices, bills and expense claims to the engagement project, allocate payroll cost to it with a re-tag or allocation journal, and run its P&L. The project can also carry a revenue and cost budget to compare with actuals.
How is retention handled?
Retention held back on an invoice sits in its own receivable until it is released and paid.
Does it run payroll with GOSI and Mudad?
Yes, on every plan: payroll in SAR, GOSI contributions, the Mudad WPS salary file, end-of-service accruals and bilingual payslips.
Can I invoice clients in US dollars or euros?
Yes, on Growth and Premium. Foreign-currency balances are revalued at month end.
Other industries
Healthcare
Professional services
Property & construction
Trade, stock & production
Hospitality & lifestyle
Workforce & operations
Groups of companies
Aqid ERP in Saudi Arabia
Set up for Saudi Arabia's rules from the first day.
- Plans from 79 a month
- ZATCA Phase 2
- VAT 15 %
- GOSI & Mudad WPS
Aqid ERP for Saudi ArabiaPrices in Saudi ArabiaVAT registration in Saudi Arabia: the thresholds, the 30-day deadline and the fineGetting a VAT refund from ZATCA: the credit balance, the request and the bank accountCancelling VAT registration in Saudi Arabia: when you must, when you may, and what follows