Order, Receive, Then Pay
Purchase order, goods received note, then supplier bill. Stock updates when goods arrive, and every bill carries the supplier’s TRN and VAT.
Supermarkets and grocery stores
Accounting and VAT for Supermarkets and Grocery Stores
You run a few outlets and a central warehouse, buy from dozens of suppliers and sell thousands of lines, nearly all of them at 5% VAT.
Sound familiar?
What Gets in the Way Today
We hear the same problems from supermarket and grocery store owners across the UAE.
- Hundreds of supplier bills a month arrive on paper and by WhatsApp, and some are never entered, so input VAT is lost.
- Expired stock is found on the shelf instead of being flagged in advance.
- Stock moves between the warehouse and outlets without records, so counts never match.
- Supplier rebates, listing fees and free stock are agreed by phone and never booked with the right VAT.
- Supplier price changes, such as on sweetened drinks after the January 2026 excise change, go unnoticed until margins have already fallen.
- You only know each outlet’s profit when the accountant finishes the books weeks later.
How TaxMate solves it
Built Around How You Work
Batch and Expiry Tracking
Perishables are tracked by batch and expiry date, and expiry reports show what to sell or return first.
Warehouse to Outlet Transfers
Every movement between the warehouse and each outlet is recorded, so counts match on both sides.
Paper Bills and E-Invoices Together
Photograph a paper bill and TaxMate creates a draft for you to check, with the image attached. Supplier e-invoices arrive as drafts too.
Profit by Outlet, Any Day
Profit and loss and stock reports run by outlet whenever you need them.
VAT 201 and E-Invoicing
Your VAT return is built from your books and checked against the ledger before you file. Invoices to business customers go out as PINT AE e-invoices through an accredited provider.
What You Get
- Every supplier bill captured, so input VAT is claimed in full
- Expiring stock flagged before it becomes a write-off
- Stock counts that match between warehouse and outlets
- Profit for each outlet without waiting for the accountant
- Ready to send and receive e-invoices before your deadline
Coming soonA grocery POS (till) is coming soon. Until then, record each outlet’s daily sales in TaxMate.
Features used: Purchase orders · Goods received notes · Supplier bills · Batch and expiry tracking · Stock transfers · Bill scanning · P&L by outlet · VAT return check · E-invoicing · Arabic and English tax invoices · Corporate Tax worksheet
FAQ
Common Questions
Is food zero-rated in the UAE?
No. Food and drink, including basics such as bread, rice and milk, are standard rated at 5%. Medical products named in the Cabinet Decision list are zero-rated, and everything else on a supermarket shelf is at 5%.
Does every till receipt need to be a tax invoice?
A sale to a shopper who is not VAT registered can be on a simplified tax invoice, showing the words “Tax Invoice”, your name, address and TRN, the date, what was sold, and the total and the VAT charged, in AED. A VAT-registered business buying more than AED 10,000 needs a full tax invoice, and from your e-invoicing go-live date every invoice to a business is a full e-invoice. See what each invoice must show.
How is VAT charged on buy-one-get-one-free offers?
VAT is due on what the shopper actually pays, so on a buy-one-get-one-free offer you account for VAT on the price paid for both items, not on the free one separately. Stock you give away with no sale can be a deemed supply if you recovered the VAT on it. Samples and gifts of goods worth up to AED 500 per recipient in 12 months are not deemed supplies, and you pay VAT only on the amount by which the VAT on all your deemed supplies goes over AED 2,000 in 12 months.
Do supplier rebates and listing fees carry VAT?
A rebate on goods you bought reduces their price, so the supplier issues a tax credit note and you reduce the input VAT you claimed. A fee you charge a supplier, such as for listing a product or for display space, is a service you supply, so you issue a tax invoice with 5% VAT. Check each agreement with your adviser, as one contract can contain both.
How does the sugar tax affect my drink costs?
Since 1 Jan 2026, excise on sweetened drinks depends on sugar content: AED 1.09 a litre at 8 g or more per 100 ml, AED 0.79 a litre from 5 g to under 8 g (Cabinet Decision No. 197 of 2025), and nothing below 5 g, while energy drinks stay at 100%. The importer or producer pays it, so it reaches you inside your supplier’s price, with VAT charged on that price. Update cost prices and check margins on every drink whose band changed.
Does e-invoicing apply to sales to shoppers?
Not at present. Sales to consumers are outside the mandate, but invoices to business customers, such as offices, cafés and hotels, must be e-invoices from your go-live date, and your suppliers’ bills will arrive as e-invoices. See how e-invoicing works in TaxMate.
When do supermarkets need to start e-invoicing?
It depends on revenue. Under AED 50 million, appoint an accredited provider by 31 Mar 2027 and go live on 1 Jul 2027. With AED 50 million or more, the appointment date was 30 Oct 2026 and go-live is 1 Jan 2027. Check your dates.
Can I reclaim the VAT on supplier bills?
Yes, if you are VAT registered and hold a valid tax invoice showing the supplier’s TRN and the VAT charged. TaxMate flags a scanned bill with no supplier TRN and keeps the image with the bill, so the claim is backed up. How to file your VAT 201.
Can TaxMate track expiry dates?
Yes. Items can be tracked by batch with an expiry date, and the expiry report lists what runs out first in each location.
Do you have a POS for supermarkets?
A grocery POS is coming soon. Today TaxMate handles purchasing, stock, expiry and the accounts, and you record each outlet’s daily sales.
Related Industries
Restaurants and cafésFood cost during the month, no duplicate supplier bills and stock that matches the kitchen.Online sellers and marketplacesSales, fees and payouts by channel, and one stock view across your own and marketplace warehouses.Auto spare parts tradingThousands of part numbers, three locations, landed cost and garages on credit.
See all industriesBe E-Invoicing Ready Before Your Deadline, Not on It
See TaxMate with your own invoices in a 30-minute demo.