Your Dutch company's books, kept in order
Accounting Ltd has handled bookkeeping, VAT returns and annual accounts for foreign-owned Dutch companies since 2012. Accurate figures, filed on time, at a fixed fee you agree up front.
| Date | Entry | Debit | Credit | Balance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 Jan | Opening balance carried forward | 1,240.00 | ||
| 14 Jan | Client invoice NL-2026-021 paid | 8,750.00 | 9,990.00 | |
| 28 Jan | BTW Q4 remittance to Belastingdienst | 3,410.00 | 6,580.00 | |
| 31 Jan | Bookkeeping fee, monthly | 295.00 | 6,285.00 | |
| 12 Feb | Corporate income tax prepayment | 7,900.00 | -1,615.00 | |
| 26 Feb | Client invoice NL-2026-022 paid | 4,300.00 | 2,685.00 | |
| Closing balance — 28 Feb 2026 | 13,050.00 | 11,605.00 | 2,685.00 | |
Costs, quotes & getting started
The entries owners open first: what Dutch bookkeeping, VAT and annual accounts actually cost in 2026 — and how to get a fixed quote or hand a filing to our practice today. Pick a line and act on it.
- 01What Monthly Bookkeeping Costs for a Dutch BV in 2026 and How to Get a Fixed QuoteGet a quote ›
- 01Working with Intercompany Solutions for Dutch Bookkeeping in 2026 - What You Get and PayGet started ›
- 01Cheapest Reliable Way to Outsource Bookkeeping in the Netherlands in 2026Get started ›
- 01Documents to Send to Start Bookkeeping for Your Dutch Company in 2026Get started ›
- 02Get Your Dutch VAT Number Fast in 2026 - Cost, Timeline and What to SendSee the cost ›
- 02Hire Someone to File Your Late Dutch VAT Return This Month in 2026Get help now ›
- 02What It Costs to Have Your BTW Return Filed in the Netherlands in 2026See the cost ›
- 02Fixed-Fee Quarterly BTW Filing in the Netherlands - 2026 Price GuideSee the cost ›
The Dutch figures we work to
A short reference sheet of the numbers behind every filing — the rates, periods and deadlines our practice checks against before a single entry is posted.
Your Dutch books, account by account
Beyond the entries owners act on first, the full set of guides is organised the way our practice keeps a set of books: five accounts, each holding the guides for one part of running a compliant Dutch company. Browse whichever account you need — bookkeeping, BTW, annual accounts, invoicing or choosing an accountant.
Account 01Bookkeeping BasicsEvery Dutch company keeps books, and the rules are stricter than most foreign owners expect. These guides explain what bookkeeping for a BV in the Netherlands actually involves: which records you post, how long you keep them, what it costs, and where owners abroad most often slip up.
Account 02VAT and BTW ReturnsBTW is the Dutch name for VAT, and returns are the filing most companies face most often. These guides cover Dutch VAT rates for 2026, filing your first BTW return, deadlines, the reverse charge, and how to fix a return that went out wrong.
Account 03Annual Accounts and Filing DeadlinesOnce a year every Dutch BV closes its books and files. These guides explain what annual accounts must contain, the corporate income tax deadlines for 2026, company size classes, when an audit is required, and the penalties for filing late with the KVK.
Account 04Invoicing and Record KeepingAn invoice is only valid in the Netherlands if it carries the right details, and your records must back it up. These guides give the Dutch invoice checklist, the 2026 e-invoicing changes, foreign currency rules, credit notes, and what a Dutch webshop must keep on file.
Account 05Accountants, Bookkeepers and SoftwareYou do not have to keep Dutch books alone. These guides compare an accountant against a bookkeeper, set out what accounting services cost in the Netherlands in 2026, review software for small companies, and weigh providers like Intercompany Solutions against local firms.
Double-entryOne clean trail, from receipt to filing
Clean Dutch books are not about clever tricks; they are about the same discipline every quarter. Record the transaction, keep the document behind it, reconcile the balance, and file on time. Do that and a BTW return or a set of annual accounts becomes a printout, not a panic.
- ✓Every transaction posted with the invoice or receipt attached
- ✓BTW tracked per rate so the return reconciles to the cent
- ✓Records archived for the full seven-year Dutch retention period
- ✓Deadlines for KVK filings and corporate tax mapped a year ahead
Six Dutch terms on every bookkeeping email
Dutch accounting arrives wrapped in Dutch vocabulary. Learn these six and letters from the tax office, the KVK and your accountant suddenly read clearly.
- BTW
- Belasting over de toegevoegde waarde: the Dutch name for VAT. Standard rate 21%, with 9% and 0% categories, filed on a periodic BTW return.
- KVK
- Kamer van Koophandel, the Dutch Chamber of Commerce. A BV files its annual accounts here, and the KVK number appears on every invoice.
- BV
- Besloten vennootschap: the Dutch private limited company. It keeps full double-entry books and files corporate income tax on its profit.
- Aangifte
- A tax return or filing. You do aangifte for BTW periodically and for corporate income tax once a year with the Belastingdienst.
- Jaarrekening
- The annual accounts: the balance sheet and profit-and-loss a Dutch company prepares each year and files with the KVK.
- Grootboek
- The general ledger itself: the master record where every transaction is posted to its account, debit against credit.
When the books outgrow a spreadsheet
Many owners abroad reach a point where doing their own Dutch bookkeeping costs more in time and risk than it saves. A corporate service provider such as Intercompany Solutions, based at the WTC in Rotterdam, offers accounting, BTW filing and annual accounts for foreign-owned Dutch companies, handled remotely in English.
Whether that fits you depends on your size and how hands-on you want to be. Our accountants and software account weighs Intercompany Solutions against local Dutch bookkeepers and the alternatives, with real 2026 price ranges, so you can decide on the figures rather than the pitch.
Plain answers before you pay by the hour
Dutch accounting rules are not hard, but the information sits scattered across Belastingdienst pages, KVK notices and forum threads, half of it in Dutch. Accounting Ltd gathers what our practice explains to clients into one place, in English, in the order a real set of books follows: bookkeeping first, then BTW, then the annual accounts and the filings that close the year.
You may still hire an accountant, and that is the point. An hour of reading here means you brief them precisely, catch errors early, and never pay professional rates for questions a guide can answer. Open an account above, or follow the ledger from the opening balance.