NBB filing: which format, which deadline, which fees?

In brief

It all starts after approval. Your company approves its accounts, then sends them to the Central Balance Sheet Office of the National Bank. This NBB filing makes your figures public. It protects third parties: suppliers, banks, customers and investors.

Who needs an NBB filing?

Most legal entities publish their annual accounts.

• Capital companies and cooperatives: SRL, SA and SC.
• Non-profit associations, international associations and foundations, depending on size.
• Economic interest groupings.

Some entities escape this obligation.

• Sole proprietorships, meaning self-employed individuals.
• SNCs and SComms whose partners with unlimited liability are all natural persons.
• Some small non-profit associations.

Micro, abbreviated or full format?

The format depends on the size of the company. The Code of Companies and Associations uses three criteria: turnover, balance sheet total and average headcount. Exceeding more than one criterion moves the company into another category.

• The micro format applies to micro-companies. The headcount criterion there stands at 10 workers.
• The abbreviated format applies to small companies, with a headcount criterion of 50 workers.
• The full format applies to large companies, with detailed notes and a management report.

Turnover and balance sheet thresholds change from time to time. Check them for each financial year with your accountant. For a company within a group, the test uses consolidated figures. The format also drives the cost of your NBB filing.

The NBB filing calendar

Two deadlines follow each other. The general meeting approves the accounts within six months of the year end. Your NBB filing then follows within 30 days of that approval. At the latest, the figures therefore reach the National Bank seven months after the year end.

Example for a 31 December year end

• Year end: 31 December.
• General meeting: 30 June at the latest.
• Submission after a meeting on 30 June: 30 July at the latest.
• Absolute limit: 31 July.

An earlier meeting also brings the deadline forward. If the shareholders approve the accounts on 15 May, the file goes out by 14 June.

Submitting in practice

Everything goes through the online application of the Central Balance Sheet Office.

The file includes the following items.

• The balance sheet and the income statement.
• The notes.
• The social balance sheet, if the company has staff.
• The auditor's report, where applicable.
• The management report, for companies that must prepare one.

Before every NBB filing, reread the key amounts. A published mistake stays visible to everyone.

Fees and corrections

The price of an NBB filing depends on the format and the submission method. A micro format costs less than a full format. The National Bank publishes its rates on its website every year. A corrected version triggers new fees, so it pays to check beforehand.

Late submission: the consequences

A late NBB filing first costs money. The National Bank applies a flat-rate surcharge, which rises with the length of the delay.

The risks go further.

• The enterprise court can dissolve a company that no longer publishes its accounts.
• Directors can incur personal liability towards third parties who suffer harm.
• Your partners notice the missing accounts and draw their own conclusions.

A supplier who checks your record before granting payment terms quickly spots a delay. So does a bank.

Consulting other companies' accounts

Published accounts remain freely available on the National Bank website. You can thus analyse a customer, a competitor or an acquisition target. Compare at least two financial years to spot a trend. Those figures also feed a realistic financial plan.

NBB filing checklist

• The accounts match the minutes of the general meeting.
• The chosen format matches the real size of the company.
• The social balance sheet sits in the file if the company has staff.
• Prior-year amounts match the accounts published last year.
• Your internal schedule keeps a one-week margin before the deadline.

In short

The NBB filing closes each financial year of your company. Approve the accounts within six months, submit the file within 30 days and pick the right format. Current rates and templates appear on the National Bank website. For the wider framework, read about your bookkeeping obligations. To delegate, see how to find a Belgian accountant.