The word accountant is legally protected in the Netherlands and the words boekhouder and administratiekantoor are not, which is the single most useful thing to know before you hire anyone.
Plenty of the firms trading in Amsterdam are bookkeepers rather than registered accountants, and for most freelancers that is exactly the right choice, as long as you know which one you are buying.
The dates that actually bind you
The income tax return for the previous year is due by 1 May, and an extension can be requested from the Belastingdienst before that date rather than after it.
Most small businesses file BTW quarterly, one month after each quarter closes, which in practice means the last day of January, April, July and October.
The standard BTW rate is 21 per cent with a reduced 9 per cent band covering food, books, medicines and a handful of services.
The thresholds worth knowing
If your turnover stays under 20,000 euros a year you can opt into the kleineondernemersregeling and stop charging BTW altogether, which also means you stop reclaiming it.
The self-employed deductions hang on the urencriterium, a test of at least 1,225 hours a year spent on the business, and it is the record-keeping around that test rather than the test itself that catches people out.
Anyone trading needs a KVK registration first, and the number it issues is what every client, bank and accountant will ask for.
Firms with something specific about them
MOOS on the Haparandadam is the only firm here that is not on office hours, listing seven in the morning to ten at night, seven days a week, and covering chartered accountancy as well as tax advice.
AA Accountancy Amsterdam works from the Barbara Strozzilaan on the Zuidas, opens on Saturday from noon to three as well as the usual weekdays, and offers a free first consultation.
IBEO at Vijzelstraat 68 specialises in hospitality and in payroll administration for small and medium businesses, running eight to six on weekdays.
EasyMKB on the Kabelweg is one of the few to state how it charges, quoting a fixed monthly fee rather than an hourly rate.
Employes on the Danzigerkade puts payroll and HR consulting next to the bookkeeping, which matters once you have your first employee rather than before.
Biuro Rachunkowe “Profit” on the Willem de Zwijgerlaan is a Polish-language bookkeeping office and opens Monday to Thursday only.
Wetaxus on Tussen de Bogen in the Haarlemmerbuurt starts at eight and runs to half past five, the longest standard weekday of the group.
Administration Landzaat on the Aalsmeerweg keeps the shortest, nine to four, and handles tax consultancy alongside the books.
Where the rest of them sit
The Amsterdam firms are spread wide rather than clustered: VB Administratie on the Tijnmuiden in Nieuw-West, TaxDoctor on the Weesperzijde in Oost, Calcuwise on the Disketteweg in Noord and BG Start on the Radarweg in the west harbour.
Nearly all of them keep straight weekday hours, so proximity matters less than whether the firm works in your language and at your scale.
The rest of the paperwork
A BV incorporation, a share transfer or a property purchase has to go through a civil-law notary, and the city’s notaries are a separate profession from your accountant.
Contracts and disputes belong with the city’s lawyers and attorneys, a mortgage application with its mortgage brokers, and liability and income cover with its insurance agencies.
If you are setting up as a freelancer and need a registered work address as well, the city’s coworking spaces often sell a virtual office alongside a desk.
Finding an accountant
The full list of Amsterdam accountants carries the address, phone number and opening hours for each firm.
Related guides
- How to Choose a Recruiter in Amsterdam
- How to Choose a Management Consultant in Amsterdam
- How to Choose a Lawyer in Amsterdam
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