Manufacturing Accounting & Tax Services in the Netherlands

Our Dutch manufacturing accounting services are designed for businesses across the production landscape:

• High-Tech Equipment Manufacturers: Companies in the Brainport Eindhoven region and beyond, developing complex machinery and components.
• Food & Agri-food Producers: Businesses that need to manage batch costing, track perishable inventory, and comply with EU food safety standards.
• Contract Manufacturers: Businesses producing goods for other brands, who need to precisely track costs and margins on a per-client, per-job basis.
• Innovative Manufacturers: Companies investing in new product development or process automation who are prime candidates for the WBSO R&D tax credit.

From the moment you start production, specialized manufacturing accounting is necessary. It becomes absolutely critical when:

• You Begin Production: You must have a system compliant with Dutch GAAP (based on IFRS, specifically IAS 2) to track the cost of inventory through its various stages.
• You Invest in Plant & Machinery: You need to manage complex depreciation schedules to accurately reflect the value of your assets and maximize tax deductions.
• You Need to Price Your Products: To price goods profitably, you must have an accurate Cost of Goods Sold (COGS), which includes direct materials, direct labour, and an allocated portion of factory overheads.
• You File Your Corporate Tax Return: The Belastingdienst has specific rules for inventory valuation. Incorrect valuation is a major audit risk.
• You Innovate or Improve Processes: To claim the WBSO R&D tax credit, you must have detailed, contemporaneous records of your experimental activities and the hours spent on them.

Outsourcing manufacturing accounting provides access to a highly specialized skillset. The costs reflect the complexity of cost accounting, inventory management, and R&D tax work.

• Small Operations: €1,500 - €3,500 per month. This typically includes core cost accounting, inventory tracking, and standard financial reporting.
• Medium-Sized Plants: €3,500 - €7,000+ per month. This service level adds more detailed job costing, variance analysis (standard vs. actual costs), and preparation support for WBSO claims.
• Large or Complex Operations: Custom pricing, often including virtual CFO services for supply chain management, capital investment planning, and strategic financial leadership.

The financial risks in manufacturing are directly tied to the management of costs and inventory. Common pitfalls in the Netherlands include:

• Incorrect Inventory Valuation: Failing to comply with Dutch GAAP for valuing inventory can lead to inaccurate financial statements and is a major red flag for auditors and the Belastingdienst.
• Improper Overhead Allocation: Not correctly allocating factory overheads into the cost of your inventory results in a distorted view of product profitability and non-compliant accounts.
• Failed WBSO Claim: A claim for R&D tax credits rejected by the RVO (Netherlands Enterprise Agency) due to poor record-keeping is a massive financial blow.
• Inaccurate COGS: An incorrect Cost of Goods Sold figure means your gross profit is wrong, leading to flawed business decisions and incorrect corporate tax payments.

Cost accounting is a specific discipline that most general accountants do not specialize in. Hiring an experienced in-house management accountant is a significant expense for a growing manufacturer.

Outsourcing to YourLegal's manufacturing finance partners provides a cost-effective alternative. We bring the expertise to implement a robust cost accounting system, ensuring you can accurately track inventory and calculate a defensible COGS. Crucially, we work with you to identify and document your qualifying R&D activities throughout the year to build a strong, successful WBSO claim. Our reports provide clear visibility into your production costs, empowering you to make smarter decisions about pricing, efficiency, and investment, while maximizing the government incentives available to you.