What do the annual accounts of a Dutch association (vereniging) look like? An example with figures
The annual accounts of a Dutch association (vereniging) consist of a balance sheet and a statement of income and expenses with notes, presented to the general meeting of members within six months after the financial year (art. 2:48 DCC). In the example below: 240 members, income € 136.000, expenses € 127.000, balance € 9.000, balance sheet total € 73.000.
The short answer
The annual accounts of a Dutch association (vereniging) consist of a balance sheet and a statement of income and expenses with notes, presented to the general meeting of members within six months after the financial year (art. 2:48 DCC). In the example below: 240 members, income € 136.000, expenses € 127.000, balance € 9.000, balance sheet total € 73.000.
Updated 30 October 2026
Which documents belong to it
The board of an association issues a management report within six months after the financial year and presents the balance sheet and the statement of income and expenses with notes to the general meeting (art. 2:48(1) DCC). The documents are signed by the directors and supervisory directors; if a signature is missing, the reason is stated. As long as the association does not fall under Title 9, there is no statutory model. A general meeting of members mainly wants to see what the membership fees yield, what the facilities cost and how much reserve there is.
If the association maintains a registered enterprise, it states the net turnover of that enterprise with the statement of income and expenses (art. 2:48(3) DCC). Above the threshold of € 7,5 million it becomes a Title 9 set of annual accounts.
The association in the example
Volleybalvereniging Smash '81 (fictitious) has 240 members who each pay € 350 membership fee per year. It rents a sports hall, has a small canteen and pays trainers. Financial year: calendar year 2025.
Statement of income and expenses for 2025
| Line item | 2025 |
|---|---|
| Membership fees (240 members × € 350) | € 84.000 |
| Canteen revenue | € 31.000 |
| Sponsorship | € 9.500 |
| Municipal grant | € 6.000 |
| Tournament entry fees | € 5.500 |
| Total income | € 136.000 |
| Canteen purchases | € 14.500 |
| Sports hall rent | € 36.000 |
| Payments to the sports federation | € 18.000 |
| Trainers and referees | € 34.000 |
| Equipment and clothing | € 9.000 |
| Insurance and other | € 6.500 |
| Depreciation of equipment | € 5.000 |
| Tournament costs | € 4.000 |
| Total expenses | € 127.000 |
| Balance | € 9.000 |
Balance sheet at 31 December 2025
| Assets | 31-12-2025 | Equity and liabilities | 31-12-2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Canteen equipment and materials | € 12.000 | General reserve | € 48.000 |
| Membership fees receivable | € 3.200 | Equipment replacement reserve | € 10.000 |
| Hall rent paid in advance | € 4.800 | Membership fees 2026 received in advance | € 6.300 |
| Bank and cash | € 53.000 | Accounts payable | € 4.700 |
| Trainers' fees payable | € 4.000 | ||
| Total assets | € 73.000 | Total equity and liabilities | € 73.000 |
Check: 12.000 + 3.200 + 4.800 + 53.000 = 73.000. Equity 48.000 + 10.000 = 58.000; liabilities 6.300 + 4.700 + 4.000 = 15.000; together 73.000. The general reserve was € 39.000 at the start of 2025 and rose by the balance of € 9.000 to € 48.000.
The four items associations stumble over
Membership fees still to be received. Nine members have not yet paid their invoice in full; together € 3.200 is outstanding. It is income of 2025 and a receivable on the balance sheet, even though the money is not in the bank.
Membership fees for 2026 already received. Members who paid in December 2025 for the next season do not belong to the income of 2025. They are shown as a liability (€ 6.300) until the new year begins.
Hall rent paid in advance. The January rent of € 4.800, transferred in December, is an expense of 2026. On the balance sheet it is shown as a prepaid amount.
Naming reserves. The reserve for replacing equipment is a choice of the board. Add a short explanation, so that the general meeting knows why € 10.000 has been set aside and the general reserve is not higher.
What the general meeting sees in these figures
The committee that checks the documents (the audit committee) can use this overview to quickly check two things: the bank balance of € 53.000 (cash and bank together) against the statements, and the membership fees against the member register: 240 members × € 350 is € 84.000. If an amount does not fit, that is the conversation for the meeting. A management report on the course of affairs and a budget for the new year complete the whole.
How it works at Jaarrekening.io
Jaarrekening.io only prepares the annual accounts of an association if it falls under article 2:360(3) DCC. For an association below that limit the app offers no annual accounts route; it does offer the bookkeeping with VAT return. The first annual accounts in your account are free, for every size class.
Sources
- Art. 2:48 DCC: documents of the association, text in force from 1 July 2026 (wetten.overheid.nl)
- Art. 2:10 DCC: accounting records and annual balance sheet and statement of income and expenses, text in force from 1 July 2026 (wetten.overheid.nl)
- Art. 2:360 DCC: scope of Title 9, text in force from 1 July 2026 (wetten.overheid.nl)
- KVK: Am I obliged to file my annual accounts?
Frequently asked questions
What must an association include in its annual accounts?
A balance sheet and a statement of income and expenses with notes, plus a management report on the course of affairs, presented to the general meeting within six months after the financial year (art. 2:48(1) DCC). The law does not prescribe a model.
Are membership fees received in advance income or liabilities?
Liabilities, until the year for which the fee was paid has begun. Only fees relating to the financial year itself are income of that financial year.
Does my association need an accountant for the annual accounts?
No. The law does not require an accountant from an association outside Title 9. Without a supervisory board and without an auditor's report, the general meeting of members does appoint an audit committee (kascommissie) of at least two members (art. 2:48(2) DCC).
What is the difference between a general reserve and a designated reserve?
The general reserve is the association's free capital. A designated reserve is a part that the board or the meeting has set aside for a specific purpose, such as replacing equipment. It remains equity; the designation is stated in the notes.
Does an association have to file its annual accounts?
Only if it has a registered enterprise with net turnover of at least € 7,5 million in two consecutive financial years (art. 2:360(3) DCC). A sports association with a canteen normally stays far below that.
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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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