No law in Qatar names an accounting software product. The income tax regulations set conditions instead: the system must stop posted entries being changed, keep the original documents, print statements of entries every three months and let the General Tax Authority see all records in Qatar at any time. Check any package against those first.
What the tax rules ask of a computer system
Books may be kept on a computer. Article 36 of the income tax regulations allows it, and Article 35 of the Commercial Law treats computer records as the merchant’s commercial books. The tax regulations add six conditions, and the auditor has to confirm the system meets them.
- Security
The system gives enough protection to stop anyone tampering with what goes in or what comes out.
- Originals kept
The original of every document behind an entry is kept, alongside the system.
- System papers
The documents on how the system is designed, what it does and how it is used are kept.
- Auditor’s confirmation
The auditor states in its report that posted entries cannot be changed and the dates of printed statements cannot be altered.
- Quarterly statements
Statements of the entries and accounts are taken out of the system every three months.
- Access in Qatar
The system lets the GTA see all documents and records at any time, within Qatar.
Arabic, riyals and the documents the software produces
Most Arabic and riyal rules attach to documents that leave the company, not to the ledger. None of the laws we read sets a language for the books themselves. The invoice to a consumer is a different matter.
| Document | What the rule asks | Rule |
|---|---|---|
| Invoice to a consumer | In Arabic, with the supplier’s name and address, date, goods or service, unit, quantity, condition if used, price in riyals, delivery date, signature or stamp, and serial numbers | Decision No. 68 of 2012, Art. 4 |
| Prices, invoices and adverts to consumers | In Arabic; other languages may sit beside it | Consumer Protection Law, Art. 17 |
| Wages | Paid in Qatari riyals, by transfer to the worker’s account at a financial institution in Qatar | Labour Law, Art. 66 |
| Company contract and amendments | Written in Arabic (a joint venture excepted); a translation may go with it, and the Arabic prevails | Commercial Companies Law, Art. 6 |
So a company selling to the public needs software that prints a bilingual or Arabic invoice with the riyal price and every listed detail. A company that only invoices other businesses has more choice. Arabic screens still earn their place when Arabic-speaking staff enter the data or an Arabic-speaking inspector reads it.
Payroll, stock and the Ministry’s ERP link
Wages for monthly staff fall due on the 1st and must reach each worker’s account through the Wage Protection System (WPS) within seven days, under Ministerial Decision No. 50 of 2026. The payroll module, or the separate payroll system, should produce the salary file in the format your bank asks for and post the same figures to the ledger.
Stock now has an outside reader too. On 19 March 2026 the Ministry of Commerce and Industry (MOCI) announced a circular requiring every factory owner and commercial establishment, whatever its activity, to link electronically with the Ministry’s systems.
What the circular asks
The link works by transferring transaction data from an ERP system or its equivalent. The establishment records its stock quantities, sales and services continuously, and updates the data as soon as anything changes.
Under the circular, not linking, manipulating paper or electronic records, failing to provide documents or giving inaccurate data are violations of Law No. 12 of 1972 on compulsory pricing. It applies from the date of issue.
We found the announcement, not the circular itself or its technical specification. Ask MOCI, and the software provider, how a given system connects before you sign.
E-invoicing: what has been approved
On 6 May 2026 the Cabinet approved a draft law on e-invoicing and its executive regulations, prepared by the Ministry of Finance with the GTA. Its stated aims are a legal framework for issuing e-invoices and notices, more transparency and reliable data for oversight.
A draft approved by the Cabinet is not yet a law in force. The official statements we read give no start date, scope or technical format. When you compare packages, ask each provider how it would add e-invoicing once the GTA publishes the rules, rather than paying now for a feature built to a guess.
A checklist before you choose
Take this list to every demonstration. A package that fails the first three items needs a workaround your auditor agrees to.
Locked entries and an audit trail
Posted entries cannot be edited or back-dated; corrections go through new entries with the user and date recorded.
Records reachable in Qatar
The GTA must be able to see all records at any time within Qatar.
Ten years of data
The records must survive for ten years after the year they relate to, through upgrades, a change of provider or the end of a subscription.
Attachments and quarterly prints
Scanned originals linked to each entry, and a simple way to print or export statements of entries every three months.
Arabic invoices in riyals
An Arabic or bilingual invoice layout with every detail Decision No. 68 of 2012 lists, and QAR as the base currency, with other currencies converted.
Reports the tax return needs
The four statements, a depreciation schedule by asset class, withholding tax, subcontractors, related parties and fixed asset movements.
Payroll and WPS
A salary file in your bank’s format, gratuity and leave balances, and payroll posted to the ledger.
Stock and the MOCI link
For a trading or manufacturing business, live stock records and a way to send the data the Ministry asks for.
A route to e-invoicing
A clear answer on how the package will meet the GTA’s rules once they are issued.
How we help
Noor Digital Technology, part of Noor Group, compares systems against how your company sells and keeps stock, then sets up the one you choose: chart of accounts, opening balances, Arabic invoicing and bank reconciliation. Our accounting team keeps the books in it each month and prepares the year-end file, and your registered auditor confirms the system in its report.
