Doing Business in the Netherlands 2012 - American Chamber of ...

Doing Business in the Netherlands 2012
solvency and liquidity. If so justified by the international structure of
its group, the annual accounts may be prepared in accordance with
generally accepted accounting principles in one of the member states
of the European Communities. If the company makes use of the
aforementioned possibility, it shall make a statement in the
explanatory notes of its annual accounts.
Small-sized companies, as defined in 5.7, are allowed to use the
valuation principles, which are used in their corporate tax filings when
preparing their statutory annual accounts (commerciële jaarrekening).
This is to prevent the preparation of two different sets of annual
accounts.
5.4 Other Information
The annual accounts prepared by the board of managing directors may
include an auditor’s report or information as to the reason for its
absence; proposed allocation of profits including the determination of
amounts available for dividends or the treatment of losses for the
financial year; a summary of profit-sharing certificates or similar
rights; important events after the balance sheet date which have
material financial consequences; and a list of branches and the
countries where those branches are located.
Furthermore, Dutch law contains detailed requirements for the
composition of the balance sheet, as well as the profit and loss
statement, the explanatory notes, the valuation principles, and
determination of the results.
5.5 Language
The annual accounts and the director’s report must be written in
Dutch, unless the general meeting has resolved to use another
language. The annual accounts and director’s report must be
translated into Dutch, French, German, or English prior to the filing
with the Trade Register of the Chamber of Commerce.
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