What is SBR (Standard Business Reporting)?
In short
SBR (Standard Business Reporting) is the Dutch method for exchanging business reports digitally, such as tax returns, annual accounts for the Chamber of Commerce (KVK) and credit reports for banks. The data is prepared in XBRL according to the Dutch Taxonomy, so every recipient reads it in the same way.
How does SBR work?
With SBR, the software of a company or accountant prepares a report in XBRL, an international format for financial data. Which data must be included and what it means is set out in the Dutch Taxonomy, a dictionary the government updates every year. Because everyone uses the same dictionary, a recipient can check and process the data automatically.
Messages to the government go via Digipoort, Logius's secure mailbox. That is how accountancy firms submit tax returns to the Tax Administration and companies file their annual accounts with the KVK. Banks use SBR via SBR Nexus for credit reporting, such as the annual figures a company with a loan must provide.
When do you deal with SBR?
- Filing annual accounts: small and medium-sized legal entities file their annual accounts digitally with the Chamber of Commerce (KVK), in XBRL. This can be done with SBR software or, for smaller companies, via the KVK portals.
- Tax returns via your bookkeeper: a bookkeeper or accountant who files tax returns for clients submits them via SBR with tax software.
- Credit reporting: if you have a business loan, your bank may ask for figures via SBR.
What should you look out for?
As a business owner you notice little of SBR: it is built into your bookkeeper's software or your accounting package. If you work with tax or annual accounts software yourself, check that the supplier supports the new Dutch Taxonomy every year and that the package connects to Digipoort. A chart of accounts based on the Reference Chart of Accounts makes it easier to prepare SBR reports.
Which software helps with this?
Tax and annual accounts software for accountants and accountancy firms submits tax returns and annual accounts via SBR. Business owners who do it themselves usually use the portals of the Tax Administration and the KVK or their bookkeeper's package.