Final date for filing financial statements

Within 12 months

The legal structure of your business determines when you must file your annual accounts. In any case, the annual accounts must be on file at KVK 12 months after the end of the financial or book year.

Filing terms for a BV

Most organisations required to file financial statements have the legal structure of BV (private limited company).

The following rules apply to the BV:

• The board of directors draws up the annual account within 5 months after the end of the financial year, and presents it to the shareholders.
• If there are exceptional circumstances, the shareholders can grant the board a 5-month extension. For example, if a financial statement is not yet ready or the auditor's audit takes more time.
• Once the shareholders have been presented the annual accounts, they have 2 months to adopt them. 
• The annual accounts must be filed with KVK no later than 8 days after their adoption. Have the financial statements not been adopted on time? Then you file the provisional financial statements. As soon as the financial statements have been adopted, you file the final version.

If the financial year equals the calendar year, the final filing date is 8 August (5 + 2 months + 8 days). With a maximum extension, the final filing date is 31 December (5 + 5 + 2 months).

Exceptions

The law is based on the premise that if all shareholders are also board members, the annual accounts are adopted as soon as all board members and trustees have signed them. In that case, the 2-month adoption term lapses.

For a BV, this means that you have to file within 10 months and 8 days after the end of the financial year. If the book year equals the calendar year, the final filing date is 8 November (10 months + 8 days).

Your BV's articles of association may contain other agreements on this. Check the articles of association to see whether signing the financial statements by all (managing) directors and supervisory directors means that the financial statements have been adopted.

Need advice?

Are you unsure about the rules that apply to your business or legal entity? Then contact a specialist such as an accountant, administrator, or tax consultant. They can tell you more about the terms and conditions for your situation.