The words behind the counter.

The set of statements and registers an accountant asks for at month or quarter end, exported from your books.

Grouping what customers owe (or what you owe suppliers) by how long each invoice has been waiting, such as 0–30, 31–60 and 61–90 days.

A statement of what the business owns, what it owes and the owner's equity on a given date.

A machine-readable code on a product. EAN-13 has 13 digits and is the most common on packaged goods; UPC-A has 12; Code 128 can hold letters and digits and suits labels you print yourself.

A date before which nothing can be posted or changed in the books, set once a period has been closed and filed.

Matching the card sales recorded at the till with the settlements the bank actually pays in, after the acquirer's fees.

Counting the cash drawer at the end of a shift or day and comparing it with what should be there.

The money handed back when a customer pays more in cash than the amount owed.

The list of accounts a business posts to: cash, bank, sales, VAT, stock, expenses and so on.

What the goods you sold cost you to buy. Sales minus cost of sales is gross profit.

A document that reduces an earlier invoice, for example after a return. It references the original invoice, which stays unchanged.

A one-off line sold with a typed name and price, without creating a product in the catalogue.

Recording every transaction as equal debits and credits in at least two accounts, so the books always balance.

The Federal Tax Authority's online portal where UAE businesses register for tax, file VAT returns and pay.

The change put in the cash drawer before the first sale, kept back at close for the next day.

The UAE authority that administers VAT and other federal taxes.

A basket parked at the till so the cashier can serve someone else, then resumed later.

A barcode scanner that sends codes to the computer as typed keystrokes, usually followed by Enter.

How long a supplier takes from receiving your order to delivering it.

A request from a customer for something you couldn't sell them, recorded so it counts when you decide what to stock.

A group of units received together, often sharing an expiry date, tracked so that a recall can be followed up.

Points customers earn on purchases and can spend as part of a later payment.

A sale the customer pays for later; the invoice is added to what they owe.

The difference between the cash counted at cash-up and the cash expected. Over means more than expected; short means less.

Money the business owes suppliers for bills it has received.

A cheque dated in the future, common in UAE trade, which can only be cashed from its date.

Selling at a price other than the catalogue price, usually allowed only for certain roles.

A statement of income and expenses over a period, ending in net profit or loss.

An order you send a supplier, listing products, quantities and agreed prices.

Typing a quantity before a scan or search, such as 3* for three items or 2.5 x for a weight.

A written price offer to a customer, which can become a sale when they accept.

Money customers owe the business for sales on account.

The stock level at which you should order more so new stock arrives before the old runs out.

A product that needs an ID or licence check before it can be sold, such as a regulated chemical.

The payment an acquirer makes into your bank account for card sales, usually a day or two later and minus fees.

A shorter tax invoice allowed when the customer isn't VAT-registered, or when they are and the sale is AED 10,000 or less.

Stock keeping unit: your own code for a product, used alongside or instead of a barcode.

Paying for one sale with more than one method, such as part cash and part card.

Counting what's physically on the shelf and correcting the system to match.

The invoice a VAT-registered business issues for taxable sales, showing the words Tax Invoice, its TRN, the VAT rate and amount, and other required details.

A list of every account's balance, with debits and credits totalled to prove the books balance.

The 15-digit number the FTA issues to a VAT-registered business, shown on its tax invoices.

The UAE VAT return form, filed for each tax period on EmaraTax, usually within 28 days of the period's end.

A price that already contains VAT. At 5%, the VAT inside is the price × 5 ÷ 105.

Two different VAT treatments. Zero-rated supplies are taxable at 0%, and VAT on related costs can usually be recovered; exempt supplies carry no VAT, and VAT on related costs generally can't be. They're reported differently on the return, so check with your accountant.