RETHINKING SME ACCOUNTING FOR A MORE REGULATED, DIGITAL-FIRST FUTURE

Exclusive interview with Vikas Panchal, General Manager – MENA, Tally Solutions

As a regional leader, how do you balance global product innovation with local market realities?

At Tally, we see innovation as something that must quietly add value to everyday business operations. While global advancements like AI are shaping the future, our focus remains on making them relevant and usable for SMEs. For most businesses, what matters is simplicity, reliability, and ease of adoption, not complexity. That is why we approach innovation with a strong local lens, ensuring that what we build aligns with the way businesses actually work. By combining global capabilities with practical usability, we aim to deliver technology that is not only forward-looking but also immediately meaningful for the SMEs we serve.

In your perspective, how are UAE SMEs moving beyond traditional bookkeeping to AI-driven financial intelligence?

Across the UAE, SMEs are increasingly moving beyond viewing accounting as just record-keeping. There is a growing expectation that financial systems should offer a more complete picture of the business, from receivables and payables to inventory, cash flow, and operational movement. That shift is important because business owners today need more than data; they need clarity. As markets become more dynamic and competitive, financial intelligence is becoming essential to better decision-making, stronger control, and more confident growth. The role of technology is evolving accordingly, from simply capturing transactions to helping businesses understand patterns, act faster, and plan with greater confidence. That is where the real transformation is happening. Compliance has moved from a backend requirement to a strategic priority.

How is Tally helping businesses transition from reactive compliance to proactive financial visibility?

Compliance today is no longer a backend activity, it has become central to how businesses operate and grow. The shift we are seeing is from reacting to regulations to building systems that are always aligned and ready. At Tally, our approach has been to embed compliance into everyday workflows so that businesses don’t have to treat it as a separate task. When compliance is built into the system, it naturally improves financial visibility, bringing greater clarity on transactions, cash flows, and reporting. Alongside this, we continue to work closely with chartered accountants and the professional community to strengthen awareness and preparedness across the ecosystem.

Our intent is simple, to give businesses confidence that compliance is taken care of, while enabling them to focus on running and growing their business with better control and insight. How would you describe Tally Solutions’ growth journey in the Middle East region?

Our journey in the Middle East has been shaped by listening closely to the needs of the market and evolving alongside the businesses we serve. What began as a trusted accounting solution has steadily grown into a broader business management platform for over 75,000 MSMEs across the region.

A big part of this journey has been localisation, understanding that businesses in markets like the UAE and Saudi Arabia need solutions that reflect local regulations, language preferences, and operational realities. Whether it has been adapting to VAT, e-invoicing, or broader compliance shifts, our focus has remained on making that transition simpler for SMEs.

Equally important has been the ecosystem around them. By working closely with partners, accountants, bookkeepers, and advisors, we have been able to support not just software adoption, but stronger business readiness. That trust and relevance are what continue to define our growth in the region.

The latest TallyPrime updates emphasize automation, banking integration, and compliance readiness. Which innovations are delivering the most measurable impact for customers?

What we are seeing from the latest TallyPrime updates is a clear shift from effort to efficiency. The impact is less about any one feature, and more about how everyday tasks become faster, more accurate, and easier to manage.

For instance, improvements in areas like bank reconciliation are significantly reducing the time and manual effort involved in matching transactions. Similarly, capabilities like Smart Find are helping users access information instantly across companies, even with limited inputs, something that directly improves productivity. The introduction of the updated UAE currency symbol also reflects our continued focus on localisation and compliance readiness.

At a broader level, features like the Customised Owner Dashboard are helping business owners move from tracking data to actually understanding their business. The real impact lies in giving users clarity, saving time, and enabling more confident decision-making in their day-to-day operations.

How will UAE tax changes in 2026 redefine SME accounting practices in the long run?

The tax changes expected in the UAE in 2026 will go beyond compliance—they will fundamentally reshape how SMEs approach accounting and financial management. As frameworks like e-invoicing come into effect, businesses will move towards more structured, real-time, and standardised financial processes. This will bring greater discipline, transparency, and consistency into everyday operations.

For SMEs, this means a shift from periodic compliance to continuous readiness, where systems are always aligned with regulatory requirements. At Tally, our focus has been to make this transition simpler by embedding compliance into the product experience. Having supported similar transitions in markets like India and Saudi Arabia, we understand that the right balance of simplicity, localisation, and regulatory alignment is critical. As the UAE moves toward interoperable frameworks, our effort is to ensure businesses are not just compliant, but well-prepared for a more connected and digitally enabled financial ecosystem.