Opening balance sheet template: formation in cash and contribution of a business
Two completed opening balance sheets of a fictitious BV: one after payment in cash and one after contribution of a sole proprietorship, with the description the law requires on contribution.
The short answer
An opening balance sheet shows the assets, the liabilities and the equity on the first day of a business. You need it on the formation of a BV, on contribution of an existing business and at the start of a new set of records. Two completed models follow below. You do not file the opening balance sheet.
Updated 30 October 2026
Key facts
| Payment on shares | In cash, unless another contribution has been agreed (art. 2:191a(1) DCC) |
| Contribution other than in cash | Description with the value attributed and the valuation methods, signed by all founders (art. 2:204a(1) DCC) |
| Reference date of the description | Not earlier than six months before the formation |
| Size class in the first two financial years | Determined at the balance sheet date of the first financial year (art. 2:398(1) DCC) |
The example: Koffiebranderij Oever B.V.
Koffiebranderij Oever B.V. exists only on this page, in two variants: in model A the BV is formed with cash, in model B the owner contributes his sole proprietorship at the value of that moment.
The two balance sheets are written out; there is no fill-in file with them.
Model A: formation with payment in cash
| Opening balance sheet at 2 March 2026 | Amount (€) |
|---|---|
| Cash and cash equivalents | 26.000 |
| Total assets | 26.000 |
| Issued and paid-up capital: 1,000 shares of € 1 | 1.000 |
| Loan from the shareholder | 25.000 |
| Total equity and liabilities | 26.000 |
You book the notarial costs of the formation as expenses in the first financial year. If you capitalise them, you keep a legal reserve of the same amount (art. 2:365(2) DCC) and you depreciate them over at most five years (art. 2:386(3) DCC).
Model B: contribution of a sole proprietorship
First what is contributed, then the balance sheet of the BV. The difference between net value and nominal capital becomes share premium or a debt to the contributor.
| Contributed at 1 January 2026 | Value (€) |
|---|---|
| Goodwill | 30.000 |
| Roasters and machines | 48.000 |
| Equipment | 9.500 |
| Coffee inventory | 14.200 |
| Accounts receivable | 11.300 |
| Bank | 6.000 |
| Assets | 119.000 |
| Accounts payable | -8.400 |
| Bank loan | -35.000 |
| VAT payable | -2.600 |
| Net value of the contribution | 73.000 |
| Opening balance sheet of the BV | Amount (€) |
|---|---|
| Goodwill | 30.000 |
| Tangible fixed assets | 57.500 |
| Inventories | 14.200 |
| Receivables | 11.300 |
| Cash and cash equivalents | 6.000 |
| Total assets | 119.000 |
| Issued capital: 10,000 shares of € 1 | 10.000 |
| Share premium | 48.000 |
| Bank loan | 35.000 |
| Shareholder current account liability | 15.000 |
| Accounts payable | 8.400 |
| VAT payable | 2.600 |
| Total equity and liabilities | 119.000 |
Line by line on contribution
- The description. The founders record what is contributed, at what value and by which method. On a contribution after formation the company does this and the directors sign (art. 2:204b(1) DCC).
- The deed. The agreement on the contribution is set out in full in the deed of incorporation or in an attached document (art. 2:204(1) DCC).
Which value: the three routes according to the KVK and the Dutch Tax Administration
Model B assumes market value. Whether that applies to you depends on the route. Because you stop the sole proprietorship, there may be a cessation profit; have the choice calculated.
| Route | Value on the opening balance sheet | Retroactive effect to 1 January |
|---|---|---|
| Asset-liability transaction | Market value: the BV starts with new book values | Not mentioned by the KVK |
| Taxed contribution | Market value: the BV starts with new book values | Declaration of intent before 1 April; the BV formed before 1 October |
| Tax-neutral contribution | The book values of the sole proprietorship: the BV starts with its closing balance sheet | Declaration of intent before 1 October; the BV formed before 1 April of the following year |
For the tax-neutral route you contribute the whole business, do not sell the shares received for three years and submit a request to the Dutch Tax Administration.
The opening balance sheet in a spreadsheet
- Formulas: net value is assets minus liabilities; share premium is net value minus nominal capital minus the amount you remain owing to the contributor.
- Check 1: total assets minus total equity and liabilities is zero.
- Check 2: capital plus share premium plus the debt to the contributor minus the net value is zero. Here: 10,000 plus 48,000 plus 15,000 minus 73,000.
- Check 3: every line of the opening balance sheet is the opening balance of the same account in your bookkeeping.
What comes next: the first annual accounts
In the first annual accounts the column with comparative figures stays empty. A small or larger BV states in the notes how the shares were paid up and what the contribution involved (art. 2:378(3) DCC); this does not apply to a micro BV. Otherwise the opening balance sheet does not differ per size class. The follow-up is in the step-by-step plan for the first annual accounts of a new BV.
Mistakes with the opening balance sheet
- Contributing without a description, or with a description dating from more than six months before the formation.
- Not booking the difference between the contribution value and the nominal capital anywhere, so that the balance sheet does not balance.
- Forgetting the debts of the sole proprietorship, such as the VAT for the last quarter.
- Dating the balance sheet on the day of the deed while the contribution was agreed with retroactive effect to 1 January; the result since that date then belongs to the BV.
The first financial year in Jaarrekening.io
For a first financial year you choose in Jaarrekening.io the variant without comparative figures. If the opening balance sheet is a column in your trial balance (Excel or CSV), the import recognises it; importing an XAF audit file also works. The software sends nothing to the KVK or the Dutch Tax Administration. You can take part with your own account.
Sources
Frequently asked questions
Do I have to file the opening balance sheet with the KVK?
No. Art. 2:394 DCC requires publication of the annual accounts. The opening balance sheet is an internal document: the starting position of your bookkeeping.
Can I contribute my labour or knowledge for shares?
No. A contribution must be capable of valuation by economic standards, and a right to perform work or services cannot be contributed (art. 2:191b(1) DCC).
On what date do I draw up the opening balance sheet?
On the day the BV starts: on formation in cash the date of the deed, on contribution with retroactive effect the agreed date, for example 1 January. The results since that date are then for the account of the BV.
When does the first financial year end?
The financial year is the calendar year, unless the articles of association designate another financial year (art. 2:10a DCC). The deed of incorporation therefore also determines when the first financial year ends.
Read more
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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