MRR, deferred revenue and the metrics investors actually check.
SaaS accounting is different: cash arrives before revenue is earned, contracts span years, and the metrics that drive valuation are not on a standard P&L. We keep the books to the standard and produce the metrics on top.
The whole job, not the visible half.
Everything below is in scope on the plan that includes startup & saas accounting. Nothing on this list is an add-on.
- Revenue recognition under IFRS 15 or ASC 606, with deferred revenue schedules by contract
- MRR, ARR, churn, net revenue retention, CAC payback and burn multiple, reconciled to the ledger
- SAFE, convertible note and priced-round accounting, with the cap table maintained
- Share option schemes: EMI in the UK, 409A-compliant options in the US
- R&D tax credit claims and grant income accounting
- Investor reporting pack in the format your investors use
Three situations we see every week.
Pre-seed to Series B companies
The stage where the founders still do the finance and the investors start asking for it monthly.
Subscription businesses of any kind
Anything with recurring billing has deferred revenue, whether or not it is software.
Startups incorporated in one country and operating in another
A Delaware parent with a UK or UAE subsidiary is normal. The intercompany, transfer pricing and R&D location decisions are not obvious.
Four steps, then a rhythm.
Set up for scale
Chart of accounts, revenue recognition rules and the metrics layer are set up before the volume arrives.
Monthly close
Books closed, deferred revenue rolled, metrics reconciled to the ledger and the billing system.
Investor pack
The monthly or quarterly update goes out with numbers that tie to the accounts.
Rounds and events
Each raise, option grant and R&D claim is accounted for and filed as it happens.
The rules differ. So does the work.
The same service, applied to each jurisdiction's law. Figures checked September 2026.
SEIS and EIS advance assurance, EMI option schemes and the R&D credit are the three reliefs that make the UK the cheapest place to start. Each has conditions that are easy to breach without noticing.
Everything about the UK ↗ADGM and DIFC offer common-law company structures familiar to international investors, with corporate tax exposure depending on qualifying-income tests. Startups in mainland free zones such as Hub71 or in5 have specific licence conditions.
Everything about the UAE ↗Delaware C-corp is the investor default. QSBS can exclude up to $10 million of gain for founders who hold five years, if the company qualifies from day one. 409A valuations are required before granting options.
Everything about the USA ↗One senior accountant. One flat fee. Three countries.
Group figures are Shaazford Global LLC's published numbers across all its service lines.
When should revenue be recognised on an annual contract?
Rateably over the service period. A £12,000 annual contract paid up front is £1,000 of revenue a month and £11,000 of deferred revenue on day one.
How do you account for a SAFE?
Generally as a liability or equity depending on its terms and the standard, until it converts. We keep a schedule of every instrument and its conversion terms.
Can you produce the metrics investors ask for?
MRR, ARR, churn, NRR, CAC, LTV, payback and burn, all reconciled to the ledger and the billing system so they survive diligence.
Do you work with Stripe billing?
Yes. Stripe, Chargebee, Paddle and Recurly data is reconciled to the ledger monthly, and the deferred revenue schedule is built from it.
Talk to us about startup & saas accounting.
Thirty minutes, no pitch deck. Tell us the entities and the countries, and we will tell you honestly what applies and what it costs.