General journal (memoriaal)
The memoriaal (general journal) is the journal for entries that do not run through, for example, the bank, cash, purchase or sales journal.
What does memoriaal mean?
The memoriaal (general journal) is the journal for entries that do not run through, for example, the bank, cash, purchase or sales journal.
It is often used for depreciation, corrections and year-end entries. A memoriaal entry needs clear substantiation and a verifiable counter account.
How does it work?
In bookkeeping with journals, each entry belongs in the journal of its source: the bank journal for bank movements, the cash journal for cash, the purchase and sales journals for invoices. What has no bank, cash or invoice document goes through the memoriaal. These are mainly entries at period-end and year-end closing: depreciation, accruals, inventory corrections, additions to provisions, the payroll journal entry, the tax charge and error corrections.
Precisely because there is no external document underneath, the substantiation must come from within: a calculation, a contract, a decision or a specification, kept with the entry. The records must be kept so that rights and obligations can be known at any time (art. 2:10(1) DCC); a memoriaal entry without explanation does not meet that.
Example
Year-end closing 2026 of a hair salon (BV), four entries. Depreciation of equipment: debit Depreciation expense € 6.000, credit Accumulated depreciation € 6.000. The insurance premium for 2027 paid in December: debit Prepaid costs € 2.400, credit Insurance € 2.400. The energy bill not yet received: debit Energy costs € 900, credit Accrued costs € 900. Corporate income tax: debit Tax charge € 5.700, credit Corporate income tax payable € 5.700. Together they reduce profit by 6.000 − 2.400 + 900 + 5.700 = € 10.200, without any of these entries touching the bank balance.
In the annual accounts
Bookkeeping source; effect in the balance sheet and P&L.
Difference from the bank journal
An entry in the bank journal follows a statement: the money has actually been credited or debited and the balance can be checked. A memoriaal entry follows a calculation or decision and never changes the bank balance. If a payment is in the memoriaal, it was booked in the wrong journal and the bank no longer reconciles.
Common mistakes
- Booking a correction without explanation
- Treating the memoriaal as a cash payment
What to watch for
- Number the entries and keep, per entry, the calculation or document it rests on.
- Work with a fixed list of recurring closing entries, so that depreciation or the holiday pay accrual is not forgotten for a year; see the year-end closing checklist.
- The closing entries are the same in every size class, except one: a micro entity may omit accruals for other operating costs (art. 2:395a(3) DCC).
Legal basis and source
art. 2:10 DCC
Frequently asked questions
Which entries belong in the memoriaal?
Everything that does not follow from a bank statement, the cash box or a purchase or sales invoice: depreciation, accruals, provisions, the payroll journal entry, inventory movements, the tax charge and corrections.
May I book a private withdrawal via the memoriaal?
Only if no money is involved, such as private use of a business asset. A withdrawal by bank belongs in the bank journal, with the current account with the director-major shareholder (DGA) as the counter account.
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Preparing Dutch annual accounts?
Your first set of annual accounts is free, for every size class. Create an account and prepare the annual accounts of your Dutch company under Title 9 of Book 2 of the Dutch Civil Code.
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