Money and compliance after the registration
Bookkeeping for Start-ups in the Netherlands
From the week you register at the KVK
Records, invoices and quarterly VAT returns in order from your first sale, the first year end planned to its legal dates. You sign and stay responsible.
- Records from day one, no threshold
- VAT return one month after each quarter
- A BV's accounts drawn up within five months of the year end
- Sole traders, freelancers, VOF partners, first BVs
The books start with the first receipt.
Bookkeeping requirements in the Netherlands start on the first day
The record duty (administratieplicht) starts on the first day, with no size threshold. Civil law sets it in art. 2:10 BW for a BV's board and in art. 3:15i BW for anyone who runs a business; tax law in art. 52 AWR. Your books must show rights, obligations and tax data at any time.
We keep the books of sole traders and freelancers, VOF partners, first BVs, and founders abroad with a Dutch registration. The records come first; the KVK advises, without requiring, a separate business account: see the bank account of a Dutch start-up. Importing goods from outside the EU? See fiscal representation in the Netherlands.
- Art. 2:10 BW
- A BV's board
- Art. 3:15i BW
- Anyone who runs a business or independently practises a profession
- Art. 52 AWR
- Companies, and natural persons who run a business
- Rights and obligations readable at any time (art. 2:10 lid 1 BW; art. 52 lid 1 AWR)
- Balance sheet and statement of income and expenditure on paper within six months of the year end (art. 2:10 lid 2 BW)
- Records kept seven years (art. 2:10 lid 3 BW; art. 52 lid 4 AWR)
- No size threshold
What's included
Records opened in your first week
Set up to the KVK's minimum record list and the Belastingdienst's basic records, plus the hour log a sole trader keeps for the hour-based deductions.
Books kept to your record duty
Sales and purchase invoices, bank statements and contracts recorded so your rights and obligations can be read at any time. You stay responsible for the records.
Invoices checked against the law
Your template checked for the particulars of art. 35a Wet OB 1968, your KVK number and VAT ID; each invoice out by the 15th of the next month.
A BV's annual accounts
Prepared for the general meeting to adopt and the board to file with the KVK. Drawing up stays the board's duty; we do the preparation.
The sole trader's year-end figures
The balance sheet and statement of income and expenditure, on paper, within six months of the year end: the Civil Code asks this of a sole trader too.
Not included: an audit or compilation statement (a micro or small BV needs none), and the income tax and corporate income tax returns, which our tax service prepares.
A client who takes bookkeeping, annual accounts or VAT-return work from us does not take our registered office or virtual office address, and the other way round. The enquiry form asks which one you want.
How your first year runs
Who acts, and the timing the law sets. Every step also works without us.
Open the records before the first invoice
(you, or us). The duty runs from day one; no official set-up time is published.
Every sale: the invoice
(you, or us). The statutory particulars; no VAT shown under the small-business scheme (kleineondernemersregeling, KOR). Out by the 15th day of the next month.
Every quarter: the VAT return
(you, or us under your authorisation). Due with payment one month after the quarter, nil return included; no payment request comes (business.gov.nl, checked on 29 September 2026).
The first employee
(you). Payroll records join the basic records. Running payroll is the work of a payroll company in the Netherlands, a separate service of ours.
Six months after the year end: the paper figures
(a sole trader, a BV's board; us). Balance sheet and statement of income and expenditure on paper; for a calendar year, by 30 June.
Sole trader: the income tax return
(you; our tax service, by DigiD authorisation). 1 March to usually 1 May, 1 July if you live abroad. The hour log backs the deductions in freelancer taxes in the Netherlands; our expat tax advisor in the Netherlands prepares it.
Not sure which records your legal form needs?
Tell us your legal form and when you registered. We map the records and dates that apply, without choosing the form for you.
What to have ready
In the order the work uses them, from the KVK's record list (checked on 4 October 2026).
- Access to your business bank statements, as an export or a feed
- Every purchase invoice and receipt, and a copy of every sales invoice
- Contracts with clients and suppliers, and any Wet DBA model agreement you use
- The hour log, for a sole trader or a VOF partner
- The Belastingdienst letters: VAT ID, VAT tax number, return periods and deadlines
- Your KVK number and VAT ID, for the invoice template
- An authorisation: DigiD for a sole trader, eHerkenning and chain authorisation for a BV
- For a BV: the articles (the financial year) and the shareholders' decisions
- Payroll records, once the first employee starts
Dutch requirements by legal form, and the first-year calendar
Dates assume a calendar financial year; your Belastingdienst letter and a BV's articles control where they differ.
2026 amounts, calendar financial year. Fines are maxima under art. 67a and 67b AWR and the Besluit bestuurlijke boeten Belastingdienst. Records and accounts: Book 2 of the Civil Code; late filing: WED art. 1 and 6, Sr art. 23.
| Duty | Sole trader or freelancer | VOF partner | First BV | If it is missed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Keep the records: 7 years, 10 for immovable property and One Stop Shop data | Yes (art. 3:15i BW, art. 52 AWR) | Yes, on the reading that the duty binds anyone who runs a business | Yes (art. 2:10 BW, art. 52 AWR) | In a BV's bankruptcy, improper management is presumed; each director can be jointly and severally liable for the shortfall, three years back (art. 2:248 BW) |
| Paper balance sheet and statement of income and expenditure, within six months | Yes (art. 3:15i lid 2 BW) | On the same reading | Yes (art. 2:10 lid 2 BW) | For a BV, the same bankruptcy presumption |
| Invoices to the statutory list, out by the 15th of the next month | Yes | Yes | Yes | The customer loses the VAT deduction |
| VAT return each period, nil return included | Yes, unless the KOR applies | As the sole trader | As the sole trader | Maximum EUR 165 per return; monthly returns can be imposed |
| Income tax return | Yes | Not covered on this page | No: the BV files corporate income tax | Maximum EUR 6,709; standard fine 7 percent of it, after a term and an unanswered reminder |
| Corporate income tax return, every year | No | No | Yes | Maximum EUR 6,709; standard fine 50 percent of it, after a term and an unanswered reminder |
| Annual accounts filed with the KVK | No, nothing is filed | Not covered on this page | Yes, at the latest 12 months after the year end | An economic offence: detention up to six months, community service or a fourth-category fine of EUR 27,500 (from 1 January 2026) |
| Wage tax return, once employing | Yes | Yes | Yes | Maximum EUR 1,675 per return |
| Log in and authorise | DigiD, eHerkenning or a European login | Not covered on this page | eHerkenning, which carries a supplier fee | No sanction; you stay responsible when a provider files |
Started in 2026, calendar financial year; "derived" marks a date counted from the statutory rule. VAT dates: Belastingdienst, checked on 3 October 2026; filing dates: KVK, checked on 29 September 2026.
| When | Sole trader or freelancer | First BV |
|---|---|---|
| The week of the KVK registration | Open the records and the hour log; a separate bank account is advised | Open the records; the board's duty runs from the start |
| Every sale | Invoice by the 15th of the next month: sequential number, VAT ID, KVK number | The same |
| After the Belastingdienst registers the business | The letter with your VAT periods | The same |
| 30 April, 31 July, 31 October 2026; 31 January 2027 | Quarterly VAT return and payment, nil return included | The same |
| 1 March to usually 1 May 2027 | Income tax return for 2026 (1 July if living abroad) | Not applicable |
| 31 May 2027 (derived) | Not applicable | Accounts drawn up (five months), unless the general meeting extends |
| Before 1 June 2027 | Not applicable | Corporate income tax return for 2026 (standard extension five months) |
| 30 June 2027 (derived) | Paper balance sheet and statement of income and expenditure for 2026 | The board's same duty, within six months |
| 8 August 2027 | Not applicable | Final filing date for the accounts; 8 November 2027 where all shareholders are directors; 31 December 2027 with the maximum extension |
What a Dutch invoice must carry
Art. 35a Wet OB 1968 lists the particulars, and art. 34g sets the deadline: the 15th day of the month after the supply.
- The issue date
- A sequential number that identifies the invoice uniquely
- Your VAT ID, never the VAT tax number that contains your BSN
- The customer's VAT ID and btw verlegd (reverse charge) where the customer accounts for VAT
- The full names and addresses of both parties
- Quantity and nature of the goods, or extent and nature of the services
- The supply date, where it differs from the issue date
- The price per VAT rate without VAT, and any discounts
- The VAT rate and the VAT amount
- Your KVK number (art. 27 Handelsregisterwet 2007)
A faulty invoice costs your customer the VAT deduction; up to EUR 100 including VAT, a simplified invoice may do. Under the KOR you show no VAT and deduct none. Accepting e-invoices is optional between businesses, except in work for the Dutch central government.
Problems we solve
What trips up starters, and how we handle it, with no outcome promised.
- The nil return nobody files
No sales still means a return every period. A missed one can be fined up to EUR 165 and can lead to monthly returns. We file the quarter whatever the turnover.
- The payment nobody asks for
The Belastingdienst sends no assessment, payment link or request; paying by the deadline is up to you. With each return we send you the amount and the date.
- The sole trader's forgotten balance sheet
The six-month paper balance sheet binds a sole trader too, through art. 3:15i lid 2 BW, and is easy to miss. We prepare it with your year end.
- The login that cannot be shared
An eHerkenning login is personal; an intermediary is authorised by chain authorisation where the service accepts it, or by DigiD for the income tax return. We request the authorisation in your name.
- A BV's accounts filed late
The filing deadline has no legal extension. Late filing is an economic offence; in a bankruptcy the board is presumed to have performed improperly. Your dates go in the calendar from day one.
First BV year end coming up?
Five months to draw up, then adoption and filing. If every shareholder is a director, signing can count as adoption (art. 2:210 lid 5 BW, on conditions).
Why work with us
Noor Bakker, Tax, bookkeeping and payroll lead, Amsterdam. Dutch and English.
From our practice: in your first week we set up the record list and the hour log, then fix the VAT quarters and year-end dates for your legal form; income and corporate tax returns go to our tax service.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to keep books if I am a freelancer with no employees?
Yes. The record duty (administratieplicht) starts on the first day of the business and has no size threshold or turnover floor. Article 3:15i of the Civil Code binds anyone who runs a business or independently practises a profession, and article 52 of the General State Taxes Act (AWR) binds natural persons who run a business too.
Can a bookkeeper file my returns for me, and who is responsible?
Yes, under an authorisation: a DigiD authorisation for a sole trader's income tax return, or chain authorisation through eHerkenning for a BV where the service accepts it. The login itself is personal and cannot be shared. The business stays responsible for every return, also when a bookkeeper files it, says the Belastingdienst.
What does bookkeeping cost a starter, and what does the state charge?
No state fee for keeping the books appears in the official sources we checked. The KVK says filing a BV's accounts via SBR is free, though the software and certificate are paid, and its portal's email-and-password login is free; eHerkenning carries a supplier fee. Our own fee depends on your legal form and volume, and is on request.
What happens if I miss a deadline?
Maximum fines (art. 67a and 67b AWR): EUR 165 per VAT return, EUR 1,675 per wage tax return, EUR 6,709 per income or corporate income tax return, where the standard fine is a share of that maximum after an unanswered reminder. A BV's accounts unfiled after twelve months are an economic offence: a fine of up to EUR 27,500 (2026).
Does a sole trader have to make a balance sheet?
Yes. Article 3:15i of the Civil Code applies the six-month rule of article 2:10 to anyone who runs a business: a balance sheet and a statement of income and expenditure go on paper within six months of the year end, for a calendar year by 30 June. A sole trader files nothing with the KVK.
How long must I keep my records, and which year can I throw away?
Basic records are kept for seven years, records of immovable property and One Stop Shop records for ten. The period runs from the moment a record loses its current value, so a lease contract is kept for its term and then seven more years. The duty continues after the business stops, says business.gov.nl.
Can I keep everything digitally and shred the paper?
Digital records are fine if the programmes stay usable for the whole retention period, including software you no longer use, says the KVK. A printout of digital files does not meet the duty. The exception is the yearly balance sheet and statement of income and expenditure, which the Civil Code requires on paper.
What must a Dutch invoice contain, and by when must it go out?
Article 35a Wet OB 1968 lists the particulars: the issue date, a sequential number, your VAT ID, both names and addresses, what was supplied and when, the price without VAT per rate, the rate and the VAT amount. Add your KVK number (art. 27 Hrw 2007), and issue the invoice by the 15th day of the month after the supply.
Which VAT number goes on a sole trader's invoice?
The VAT identification number (btw-identificatienummer). The VAT tax number (omzetbelastingnummer) contains the owner's BSN and belongs on no invoice, quotation or website; the KVK says so for sole traders. A business holds both numbers, and they are not the same thing, so the invoice template carries the VAT ID from the first invoice.
Do I need a separate business bank account?
It is not mandatory. The KVK advises a separate business bank account because it keeps business and private spending apart, gives a clear overview and makes the bookkeeping easier. Whichever account the business uses, its statements belong in the records: business bank statements are on the KVK's minimum record list.
How often do I file a VAT return, and do I file one with no sales?
Quarterly as a rule, as set in the Belastingdienst's letter after registration. Return and payment are due one month after the quarter: 30 April, 31 July and 31 October 2026, and 31 January 2027. A nil return is due even without sales. An annual period needs a request and, among other conditions, under EUR 1,883 of VAT a year.
When are a new BV's first annual accounts due, and what does a micro BV publish?
The board draws them up within five months and files them within eight days of adoption, at the latest twelve months after the year end: for a calendar year, 8 August, or 8 November where all shareholders are directors (KVK). A micro BV files a restricted balance sheet only and needs no audit. Filed accounts are public.
When does a sole trader file the income tax return, and why keep an hour log?
The return opens online on 1 March and is usually due on 1 May, or 1 July for a person living abroad. The hour log matters because at least 1,225 hours a year on the business (art. 3.6 Wet IB 2001) decides the self-employed deduction, EUR 1,200 in 2026, and an eligible starter's increase of EUR 2,123.
Is a bookkeeper an accountant, and what is the Dutch equivalent of a CPA?
A search for accounting services in the Netherlands meets a protected title: art. 41 of the Accountancy Profession Act (Wab) reserves RA, AA and the word accountant to people in the accountants' register, so a bookkeeper does not use them. A micro or small BV needs no audit. We claim no equivalence with a foreign title such as CPA.
Which valuation rules can a first BV use in its annual accounts?
A micro BV may value on the tax principles of the corporate income tax act (Wet Vpb 1969), provided it applies all of them and says so in the notes to the accounts (art. 2:395a lid 7 BW). It files a restricted balance sheet only, without a profit and loss account (art. 2:395a lid 8 BW).
Ready to open your books?
Tell us your legal form, your start date and how many invoices you expect. We reply with a first-year bookkeeping plan. Our fee is on request.