Bookkeeping in the Netherlands for English-speaking founders
You can keep the books of a Dutch business in English, with an English-language package and a bookkeeper who writes to you in English. The rules themselves are Dutch. Here is what they ask of you and who usually takes care of each part.
What the law asks of every business
Every business in the Netherlands has to keep records and hold on to them. The Dutch word for this is administratieplicht, and it applies to a sole proprietorship (eenmanszaak) and a private limited company (BV) alike. The records include:
- Your general ledger, which is what your accounting package keeps for you
- Purchase and sales records, so every invoice you sent and every receipt for what you bought
- What customers owe you and what you owe suppliers
- Stock records and payroll records, if you have stock or staff
You keep them for at least 7 years. Records about property, and records for the EU One Stop Shop (OSS), you keep for 10 years. A receipt that arrived as a PDF has to stay available as a file. Printing it and deleting the original does not meet the requirement.
KvK registration and your VAT numbers
Every new business registers in the Handelsregister of the Chamber of Commerce, which everyone calls the KvK. You register an eenmanszaak yourself, with DigiD and a visit to a KvK office. A BV is set up by a notary, who usually takes care of the KvK registration as well.
For an eenmanszaak, KvK passes your details on to the tax authority, the Belastingdienst. It then posts you two numbers. The VAT identification number (btw-id) goes on your invoices. The VAT number (omzetbelastingnummer) is for your dealings with the Belastingdienst. Keep both letters, because your bookkeeper and your package will ask for them.
VAT returns, usually every quarter
VAT is btw in Dutch, and the return is the btw-aangifte. Most businesses file it every quarter. The return and the payment both have to reach the Belastingdienst by the last day of the month after the quarter.
| Quarter | Return and payment received by |
|---|---|
| January to March | 30 April |
| April to June | 31 July |
| July to September | 31 October |
| October to December | 31 January |
You file in Mijn Belastingdienst Zakelijk, the online portal for businesses, with eHerkenning or DigiD. You can also file through accounting software or have someone file for you. What goes in the return, and what to check before you send it, is in our Dutch VAT return checklist.
Annual accounts and tax returns
A BV has to file its annual accounts (jaarrekening) with KvK every year. An eenmanszaak does not, but its profit goes into your personal income tax return. Both need a set of books that is complete for the whole year.
Preparing annual accounts, corporate and income tax returns, payroll and tax advice is work for an accountant or tax adviser. That includes questions about your own situation as an expat, such as the 30% ruling. A bookkeeper makes sure the figures they start from are right.
Packages you can use in English
Your accounting package is where your records live, so pick one you can read. These are the ones we checked:
| Package | In English |
|---|---|
| Xero | Yes. Xero is an English-language package. |
| QuickBooks Online | Yes. QuickBooks Online is an English-language package. |
| Moneybird | Yes. You switch your user account to English in your settings, and the administration itself under Instellingen, Beheer, Administratiegegevens. Moneybird also offers support in English. |
| Exact Online, Twinfield, SnelStart | Ask the supplier which parts are available in English before you sign up. |
Your accountant may already work in one of them, and that is a good reason to choose it. Not sure between the two most common Dutch packages? Read Moneybird or Exact Online. We work in all of them, see packages, or read how we work in Xero and Moneybird.
Bookkeeper, accountant or tax adviser
These three roles overlap, and the words mean slightly different things in Dutch than you may be used to.
| Who | What they do |
|---|---|
| Bookkeeper (boekhouder) | Books your bank transactions, collects the receipts, closes the month and prepares the VAT return |
| Accountant | Prepares the annual accounts and the tax returns that follow from them. RA (registeraccountant) and AA (accountant-administratieconsulent) are titles protected by law, for people in the register of the professional body NBA. |
| Tax adviser (belastingadviseur) | Advises on your tax position, such as your legal form, your own income tax or the 30% ruling |
If you use both, the bookkeeper does the work every month and the accountant does the work once a year. The accountant then starts from twelve months that already add up.
What to hand over and what to keep
You can hand a bookkeeper the routine of your administration:
- Booking every bank transaction in your package, with the receipt attached
- Finding the receipts that go with your payments, and asking you for the ones that are missing
- Closing every month once everything is booked
- Preparing the quarterly VAT return
Some things stay with you:
- Your accounting package, in your name, so you and your accountant always have access
- Making your sales invoices
- Filing and paying the VAT return, or asking your accountant to file it
- Answering when your bookkeeper asks what a payment was for
How we do it
We keep your books in your own package. You forward your receipts to your own address with us, or add them in the portal. When something is missing, you get a link and take a photo. A bookkeeper checks the month before we close it.
The portal and our emails are available in English, Dutch, German and French. On Professional and Complete we prepare your quarterly VAT return. Complete also includes a year-end file for your accountant. We don't do payroll, annual accounts or tax advice. That stays with your accountant, and if you don't have one, we're happy to recommend one.
Prices are €49, €129 or €289 per administration per month, excl. VAT, and you can cancel any month. See prices.
Frequently asked questions
- Do I need an accountant as well as a bookkeeper?
- For annual accounts and tax returns, yes, or someone who does that work. A BV has to file annual accounts with KvK, and an eenmanszaak needs its profit for your income tax return. A bookkeeper keeps the year in order so that work starts from correct figures.
- Can you help with the 30% ruling or my personal tax return?
- No. That is tax advice, and it stays with a tax adviser or accountant. If you don't have one, we're happy to recommend one.
- Do I have to switch to another package to work with you?
- No. We work in Moneybird, Exact Online, SnelStart, Twinfield, Xero and QuickBooks. Your books stay in your own package.
- How long do I keep my receipts?
- At least 7 years, and 10 years for records about property and for the EU One Stop Shop. Keep digital receipts as files. When we book a payment, the receipt is attached to the booking in your package.