The obligation to file accounts

Every company must prepare annual accounts every year. Some companies are also required to submit these accounts for inspection at the Chamber of Commerce within 12 months after year-end, a process known as 'filing'. This means that anyone may consult these annual accounts.

Companies which must file accounts:

• BV’s (whether active or not)
• NV’s (whether active or not)
• Cooperatives
• Mutual insurance societies
• Banks
• The VOF and CV (only if all managing partners are foreign equity partners)
• Foreign legal entities with offices in the Netherlands (if they are required to publish
  their annual accounts in the country of incorporation)
• Companies formally registered abroad
• Associations and societies with business activities and a net annual turnover in excess of six million guilders in two consecutive accounting years.

Exceptions

Some companies are not required to file their annual accounts for inspection:

• Sole proprietor businesses
• VOF, or CV if all general partners are foreign capital partners
  
• Associations and societies which either have no business activities or whose business activities generate less than six million euro net turnover.
• Companies which are not registered in the trade register such as partnerships and governmental bodies.
• Group companies whose parent company files consolidated accounts. Instead of the annual accounts, the subsidiary company must file a statement of agreement and declaration of liability. The parent company must file annual accounts on behalf of the whole group.
• Companies with a so-called 'extended first accounting year'. An extended accounting year may not exceed a 24-month period and is only possible during the first year following incorporation or following amendment to the articles of association.
• Foreign companies (not companies formally registered abroad) which do not have to file accounts in their country of incorporation.

How promptly must accounts be filed?

The annual accounts must be filed within 12 months following the end of the accounting year in question. Thus the annual accounts for the accounting year 1 January 2020 to 31 December 2020 must be filed with the Chamber of Commerce by 1 January 2022 at the latest. The period of 12 months also applies to alternative accounting years, such as 1 April to 31 March.

Source: This document has been prepared based upon the information provided by the Dutch Chamber of Commerce (Kamer van Koophandel en Fabrieken)

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