{"id":20272,"date":"2025-12-26T12:15:49","date_gmt":"2025-12-26T11:15:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.accountable.eu\/help-center\/guide-how-to-use-accountable-as-a-retail-professional\/"},"modified":"2026-05-07T10:19:23","modified_gmt":"2026-05-07T08:19:23","slug":"guide-how-to-use-accountable-as-a-retail-professional","status":"publish","type":"help_center","link":"https:\/\/www.accountable.eu\/en-be\/help-center\/guide-how-to-use-accountable-as-a-retail-professional\/","title":{"rendered":"Guide: How to use Accountable as a retail professional"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"no-margin\">Whether you run a physical shop, a digital storefront, or both, this guide will help you keep your accounting in order, stay compliant, and save time with Accountable. <\/p>\n<p class=\"no-margin\">\n<p class=\"no-margin\">Here\u2019s what we will cover in this guide:<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>\n<p class=\"no-margin\"><a href=\"#h_55971cff13\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"intercom-content-link\">The essentials first<\/a><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"no-margin\"><a href=\"#h_25977f60eb\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"intercom-content-link\">How to keep track of your revenue: cash books, invoices &amp; sales rules<\/a><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"no-margin\"><a href=\"#h_829f5032ff\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"intercom-content-link\">Managing and deducting business expenses<\/a><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"no-margin\"><a href=\"#h_ee70f09378\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"intercom-content-link\">What you need to know about inventory, payroll, taxes &amp; online payments<\/a><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<h1 id=\"h_55971cff13\"><b>Let\u2019s tackle the essentials first<\/b><\/h1>\n<p class=\"no-margin\"><b>\ud83d\udc49  Cash-only retail shop<\/b><\/p>\n<p class=\"no-margin\">\u2022 <b>Requirement<\/b>: A cash book is mandatory.<\/p>\n<p class=\"no-margin\">\u2022 <b>Action<\/b>: Daily receipts must be encoded as income in the cash book.<br \/>This practice is crucial for maintaining accurate financial records.<br \/>\u200b<\/p>\n<p class=\"no-margin\"><b>\ud83d\udc49Digital-only retail shop<\/b><\/p>\n<p class=\"no-margin\">\u2022 <b>Requirement<\/b>: A cash book is not necessary.<\/p>\n<p class=\"no-margin\">\u2022 <b>Action<\/b>: Daily receipts should still be encoded.<br \/>While the cash book is not required, capturing daily transactions is essential for financial oversight.<br \/>\u200b<\/p>\n<p class=\"no-margin\"><b>\ud83d\udc49 E-Shop<\/b><\/p>\n<p class=\"no-margin\">\u2022 <b>Requirement<\/b>: A cash book is not needed.<\/p>\n<p class=\"no-margin\">\u2022 <b>Action<\/b>: Monthly payouts should be encoded, and attention must be paid to OSS (One Stop Shop) thresholds. <br \/>This ensures compliance with digital sales regulations and proper income reporting.\u200b<\/p>\n<div class=\"intercom-interblocks-table-container\">\n<table role=\"presentation\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"background-color: #d7efdc80;\">\n<p class=\"intercom-align-center no-margin\"><b>\ud83d\udea8For subject to VAT, the \u20ac10,000 threshold for sales to private individuals within the EU (excluding Belgium) must be monitored manually, as it is not currently tracked automatically. More info <a href=\"https:\/\/help.accountable.eu\/en\/articles\/6306908-navigating-e-commerce-taxes-in-belgium\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"intercom-content-link\">here<\/a>.<\/b><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"intercom-interblocks-table-container\">\n<table role=\"presentation\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"background-color: #d7efdc80;\">\n<p class=\"intercom-align-center no-margin\"><b>\ud83d\udea8 Franchisee VAT regime are still entitled to the \u20ac10,000 threshold for sales to private individuals within the EU (excluding Belgium). This threshold must also be monitored manually.<br \/>Upon request, they may be granted a new EU-wide threshold of \u20ac100,000.<br \/>More info<\/b> <b><a href=\"https:\/\/help.accountable.eu\/en\/articles\/8891274-everything-you-need-to-know-about-the-vat-franchisee-status\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"intercom-content-link\">here<\/a>. <\/b><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"no-margin\">\u200b<\/p>\n<h1 id=\"h_25977f60eb\">How to keep track of your revenue: Cash books, invoices &amp; sales rules<\/h1>\n<h3 id=\"h_74277e0188\">What&#8217;s the difference between a cash book and a daily receipt book \u2014 and do I need both?<\/h3>\n<p class=\"no-margin\">As a shop manager (or e-shop owner) in Belgium, it&#8217;s important to maintain accurate financial records, including a daily receipt book (dagontvangstenboek) and a cash book (kasboek). The daily receipt book is required by law, so you are obligated to use it.<br \/>\u200b<\/p>\n<p class=\"no-margin\"><b>What is a daily receipt book? \ud83e\udd14<\/b> A daily receipts book is a book in which you record daily all your sales, for which you do not draw up an invoice, regardless of the payment method used by the customer.<br \/>\u200b<\/p>\n<p class=\"no-margin\"><b>What is a cash book?<\/b> <b>\ud83e\udd14<\/b> A cash book is a financial journal in which you record all cash receipts and expenses. Both simplified and double-entry bookkeeping require you to keep a cash book. This can be done either on paper, or digitally via specialised software.<\/p>\n<div class=\"intercom-interblocks-callout\" style=\"background-color: #fed9db80; border-color: #fd3a5733;\">\n<p class=\"intercom-align-center no-margin\">\u2757\ufe0fThe daily receipt book \u2260 a cash book. The cash book records all purchases and sales <b>received<\/b> or <b>paid in cash.<\/b><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"no-margin\">\n<p class=\"no-margin\"><b>Here&#8217;s what you need to know about keeping physical copies:<\/b><\/p>\n<p class=\"no-margin\">Daily receipt book:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>\n<p class=\"no-margin\">It\u2019s mandatory for businesses that don\u2019t issue invoices for every transaction.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"no-margin\">The book must be an official, physical book with consecutively numbered and bound pages. Loose sheets are not allowed. (You can find one <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ava.be\/nl\/ontvangsten-nl-a4-50-bladen-doorschrijfpapier-dupli-ref-23504x-00652114?colour=81427&amp;gad_source=1&amp;gclid=CjwKCAjwwLO_BhB2EiwAx2e-3z2eiCx5sbq1nJSAd9qvR2UhKr8hEHTm2zp5Bo7na4nPXA_i7kfTFBoCxkUQAvD_BwE\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"intercom-content-link\">here<\/a>)<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"no-margin\">In case of an audit, you must be able to present this physical book along with supporting documents.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\"no-margin\"><b>How to use the daily receipt book <\/b>\ud83e\udd13<\/p>\n<div class=\"intercom-interblocks-table-container\">\n<table role=\"presentation\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<p class=\"no-margin\">Physical copy<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td>\n<p class=\"no-margin\">\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<p class=\"no-margin\">Enter the information below on a daily basis: <\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>\n<p class=\"no-margin\">Date of receipts<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"no-margin\">Total of daily sales including VAT <\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"no-margin\">Total sales at 0% VAT<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"no-margin\">Total of sales including VAT broken down by VAT rate<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<td>\n<div class=\"intercom-container\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/downloads.intercomcdn.com\/i\/o\/c9wnmh12\/1470512128\/a8f8d25c7e7d67b3d2350217e092\/DailyReceiptBook.jpeg?expires=1778241600&amp;signature=b008fe4c524c437decb9cd5b81d0503fcc81a7496c30a4fc11bfcc5b017b3c01&amp;req=dSQgFsx%2Fn4BdUfMW3nq%2BgQCW7I%2F%2B6I4Fv6WjBLPuen2KVRy5cXvkT4x2vd5%2B%0AxBQXAatvWhnlukQy3rCgjlU4miI%3D%0A\" width=\"530\" height=\"784\" style=\"height: auto;\"><\/div>\n<p class=\"no-margin\">\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"no-margin\"><b>How to encode this in the app<\/b> \ud83d\udcf1<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>\n<p class=\"no-margin\">Go to the <b>\u2018Revenues\u2019<\/b> section in the Accountable app.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"no-margin\">Select <b>\u2018Add another revenue\u2019<\/b> to create a new entry.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"no-margin\">Enter the <b>date<\/b> on which the sales were recorded.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"no-margin\">Input the <b>total daily revenue<\/b>, ensuring that only transactions <b>under \u20ac250<\/b> without an invoice are included in the receipts book.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"no-margin\">Select the applicable <b>VAT rate<\/b> for the revenue. Create a separate item in Accountable for each VAT rate.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"no-margin\">Upload a <b>scan of the page<\/b>, such as a copy of the physical receipts book or a digital summary.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p class=\"no-margin\">Confirm the entry and ensure it is correctly recorded in your bookkeeping.<\/p>\n<div class=\"intercom-container\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/downloads.intercomcdn.com\/i\/o\/c9wnmh12\/1470514724\/2782de12b9686576450af2652d82\/ScreenRecording2025-04-10at17_03_33-ezgif_com-video-to-gif-converter.gif?expires=1778241600&amp;signature=ea5058c1dbc2743b350d8402b9f9b0e2cab73a449031e578201cb5d9021105a3&amp;req=dSQgFsx%2FmYZdXfMW3nq%2BgYmMTdM%2F2ag%2FY5O%2FPa9HYDjurv1HIvXgWewRm6zZ%0AsulIQrB%2FiLviIhC6rOAJuxgE79k%3D%0A\" width=\"800\" height=\"443\" style=\"height: auto;\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"intercom-container\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/downloads.intercomcdn.com\/i\/o\/c9wnmh12\/1470514877\/b8765ba21f14c223f47b437f6584\/dailreceiptbookWEB.png?expires=1778241600&amp;signature=450abdbe0f76658b8e8cb2895f1e1577b25fbb6856ae4a456d149ce4590d977c&amp;req=dSQgFsx%2FmYlYXvMW3nq%2BgXttOIiNSWuVv2mkPRX6e%2BPgc3vUtlzwV6EjIorn%0AJ%2B%2B7H2SJ7ADFMpIVfjrG3FDOtqQ%3D%0A\" width=\"1470\" height=\"951\" style=\"height: auto;\"><\/div>\n<p class=\"no-margin\">\n<div class=\"intercom-interblocks-table-container\">\n<table role=\"presentation\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"background-color: #fed9db80;\">\n<p class=\"intercom-align-center no-margin\"><b>If a sale exceeds \u20ac250 (VAT included) and is made to a private individual, you are legally required to issue an invoice.<br \/>\ud83d\udc49 Once an invoice is created, do not record this sale in your receipt book \u2014 it should only appear in your invoices.<\/b><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"intercom-interblocks-table-container\">\n<table role=\"presentation\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"background-color: #d7efdc80;\">\n<p class=\"intercom-align-center no-margin\">\ud83d\udca1 For sales to businesses <b>(B2B)<\/b>: You must always issue an invoice, regardless of the amount. <\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"intercom-interblocks-table-container\">\n<table role=\"presentation\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"background-color: #e3e7fa80;\">\n<p class=\"no-margin\">Scenario<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td style=\"background-color: #e3e7fa80; width: 210px;\">\n<p class=\"no-margin\">Invoice needed?<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td style=\"background-color: #e3e7fa80;\">\n<p class=\"no-margin\">Record in Receipt Book?<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"background-color: #e8e8e880;\">\n<p class=\"no-margin\">Sale under \u20ac250 to individual<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td style=\"background-color: #fed9db80; width: 210px;\">\n<p class=\"no-margin\">No<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td style=\"background-color: #d7efdc80;\">\n<p class=\"no-margin\">Yes<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"background-color: #e8e8e880;\">\n<p class=\"no-margin\">Sale over \u20ac250 to individual<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td style=\"background-color: #d7efdc80; width: 210px;\">\n<p class=\"no-margin\">Yes<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td style=\"background-color: #fed9db80;\">\n<p class=\"no-margin\">No<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"background-color: #e8e8e880;\">\n<p class=\"no-margin\">Sale to business<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td style=\"background-color: #d7efdc80; width: 210px;\">\n<p class=\"no-margin\">Yes<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td style=\"background-color: #fed9db80;\">\n<p class=\"no-margin\">No<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"no-margin\">\n<p class=\"no-margin\">Cash book (when you frequently handle cash transactions): <\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>\n<p class=\"no-margin\">It&#8217;s used to record all cash inflows and outflows.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"no-margin\">Like the daily receipt book, it should be a bound book with numbered pages. (You can find one <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ava.be\/nl\/kasboek-nl-a4-50-bladen-zelfkopierend-papier-dupli-ref-43550x-00652383?colour=81427&amp;gad_source=1&amp;gclid=CjwKCAjwwLO_BhB2EiwAx2e-32jH44fH3-j-K-15PPjsLEIeCgdn1rx012QFRpm7cFS_vnnarTnCWBoCboIQAvD_BwE\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"intercom-content-link\">here<\/a>) <\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\"no-margin\"><b>For e-shops <\/b>\ud83d\udc69\u200d\ud83d\udcbb <br \/>For your local online sales to Belgian private individuals, you can find <b>a monthly sales statement<\/b> on the platform you use.<br \/>This statement should include the total amount sold (VAT incl.) and serve as supporting documentation for your accounting. You can then encode this total as a single invoice, using <b>\u201cBelgian private indivudal\u201d<\/b> as the client.<\/p>\n<div class=\"intercom-interblocks-callout\" style=\"background-color: #d7efdc80; border-color: #1bb15733;\">\n<p class=\"no-margin\">\ud83d\udca1 Tip: Get into the habit of recording your revenue regularly &#8211; daily, weekly or monthly. Most importantly, find a consistent rhythm that works for you. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"intercom-interblocks-callout\" style=\"background-color: #d7efdc80; border-color: #1bb15733;\">\n<p class=\"intercom-align-center no-margin\">If the platform (Etsy, Shopify, &#8230;) take commission from your sales, you can encode it as follows: <\/p>\n<p class=\"intercom-align-center no-margin\">\u27a1\ufe0f Encode the gross revenue in your revenue screen<\/p>\n<p class=\"intercom-align-center no-margin\">\u27a1\ufe0f  Encode the commission as an expense in your expenses screen<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"no-margin\">\n<h3 id=\"h_5171863999\">Should I recognize revenue when the sale is made or when the goods are delivered? <\/h3>\n<p class=\"no-margin\">You have to register income at the time the invoice is issued, not when the service or product is delivered.<br \/>\u200b<\/p>\n<p class=\"no-margin\">Key principles: <\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>\n<p class=\"no-margin\"><b>Invoice date is leading<\/b>: For accounting and VAT purposes, the date of the invoice is used to determine the period in which revenue should be recorded. <\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"no-margin\"><b>VAT declaration<\/b>: VAT should be declared in the quarter in which the invoice was issued. <\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"no-margin\"><b>Tax return<\/b>: For income tax purposes, income should be recorded in the year in which it was actually earned, regardless of the invoice date. <\/p>\n<p class=\"no-margin\">\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3 id=\"h_51ecb88337\">How to successfully encode gift cards<\/h3>\n<p class=\"no-margin\">1) Gift card for a product\/service with a <b>single VAT rate<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>\n<p class=\"no-margin\">If the gift card is for a product or service subject to a single VAT rate, it can be immediately recorded as a sale, applying the appropriate VAT rate.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"no-margin\">When the gift card is redeemed, no further accounting action is required, as the sale has already been recorded. <br \/>\u2192 In this case: just record the sale of the gift card <\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\"no-margin\">\n<p class=\"no-margin\">2) Gift card for products\/services with <b>multiple VAT rates<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>\n<p class=\"no-margin\">If the gift card can be redeemed for products\/services subject to different VAT rates (e.g., books at 6% and CDs at 21%), no accounting entry is made at the time of issuance. <\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"no-margin\">The transaction is recorded only when the gift card is redeemed, as this is when the applicable VAT rate(s) are determined. At that point, a sales invoice or accounting entry must be created. <br \/>\u2192 In this case: just record the sale of the goods or services but not the sale of the gift card.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div class=\"intercom-interblocks-table-container\">\n<table role=\"presentation\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"background-color: #feedaf80;\">\n<p class=\"intercom-align-center no-margin\">\ud83d\udca1 <b>Don\u2019t forget<\/b><br \/>Incorrectly encoding gift cards can lead to <b>inaccurate VAT reporting<\/b>.<br \/>\ud83d\udc49 Always consider <b>when<\/b> VAT becomes due:<\/p>\n<p class=\"intercom-align-center no-margin\">-&gt;  At the moment of sale (if the VAT rate is known),<\/p>\n<p class=\"intercom-align-center no-margin\">-&gt; Or at the moment of redemption (if multiple VAT rates apply).<\/p>\n<p class=\"no-margin\">\n<p class=\"intercom-align-center no-margin\">When in doubt, better to wait and record the transaction <b>when the gift card is used<\/b>.<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"no-margin\">\n<h1 id=\"h_829f5032ff\">Managing and deducting business expenses<\/h1>\n<p class=\"no-margin\">As a shop manager you can deduct the following expenses for 100%: <\/p>\n<div class=\"intercom-interblocks-table-container\">\n<table role=\"presentation\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<p class=\"no-margin\">Office equipment and supplies<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<p class=\"no-margin\">Inventory and materials<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<p class=\"no-margin\">Professional insurances<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<p class=\"no-margin\">Accounting fees and software (like Accountable)<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<p class=\"no-margin\">Interest on business loans<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<p class=\"no-margin\">Utility bills for your shop (think about your electricity bill for instance!)<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<p class=\"no-margin\">Marketing and advertising costs<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<p class=\"no-margin\">Website hosting and maintenance<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"no-margin\">The following expenses you can deduct only partially:<\/p>\n<div class=\"intercom-interblocks-table-container\">\n<table role=\"presentation\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<p class=\"no-margin\">Home office expenses (if you work from home)<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<p class=\"no-margin\">Mortgage interest or rent (this needs to be proportional to the office space)<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<p class=\"no-margin\">Utilities (proportional to office space)<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<p class=\"no-margin\">Vehicle expenses (based on professional usage)<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<p class=\"no-margin\">Business meals<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<p class=\"no-margin\">Business gifts<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"no-margin\">Other deductible expenses that you might not have thought of: <\/p>\n<div class=\"intercom-interblocks-table-container\">\n<table role=\"presentation\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<p class=\"no-margin\">Social contributions<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<p class=\"no-margin\">Training and education costs related to your business<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<p class=\"no-margin\">Shipping and postage costs<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<p class=\"no-margin\">Bank fees for your business account<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"intercom-interblocks-callout\" style=\"background-color: #fed9db80; border-color: #fd3a5733;\">\n<p class=\"no-margin\">\u2757\ufe0fImportant: <\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>\n<p class=\"no-margin\">Keep all receipts and invoices as proof of your expenses.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"no-margin\">For mixed-use items (like a computer or phone), only deduct the percentage used for business.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"no-margin\">Large investments (like equipment) may need to be amortized over several years.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"no-margin\">If you have an e-shop, don&#8217;t forget to include costs related to your online presence and digital tools.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/div>\n<h1 id=\"h_ee70f09378\">What you need to know about inventory, payroll, taxes &amp; online payments<\/h1>\n<h3 id=\"h_f6ad0153aa\">How should I account for inventory my accounting system?<\/h3>\n<p class=\"no-margin\"><i>\u201cIn Belgium, companies that <b>buy and sell goods are required to keep a record of their stock levels and report them in their accounts.<\/b> The inventory book must include information <b>on the cost of goods sold and the value of unsold stock at the end of each accounting period<\/b>.\u201d<\/i><br \/>\u200b<\/p>\n<p class=\"no-margin\">This <a href=\"https:\/\/help.accountable.eu\/en\/articles\/7263464-how-to-manage-stock-inventory-in-accountable\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"intercom-content-link\">article<\/a> explains the importance of your inventory and how to track it.<\/p>\n<p class=\"no-margin\">\n<h3 id=\"h_7703f5b29b\">How do I calculate employee salaries and social security contributions in Belgium?<\/h3>\n<p class=\"no-margin\">This <a href=\"https:\/\/www.accountable.eu\/nl-be\/blog\/werkgeversbijdragen-in-belgie\/\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"intercom-content-link\">article<\/a> explains the costs of having an employee.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"no-margin\">\n<h3 id=\"h_f64d191955\">What are my (income) tax obligations as a shop or e-shop owner in Belgium?<\/h3>\n<p class=\"no-margin\"><b>Income Tax:<\/b><\/p>\n<p class=\"no-margin\">As a self-employed person, you have to file an annual personal income tax return. Your taxable income is calculated by deducting your professional expenses from your income. The resulting net taxable income is added to any other income (such as a main occupation if you work in a secondary occupation) and taxes are calculated on this.<\/p>\n<p class=\"no-margin\">\n<p class=\"no-margin\"><b>As a (web)shop owner, you need to take into account specific VAT rules:<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>\n<p class=\"no-margin\">Standard rate: 21% VAT on most products (6% for specific products such as food or books) <\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"no-margin\">Small businesses: If your turnover is less than \u20ac25,000 per year, you can apply for a VAT exemption (small business)<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\"no-margin\"><b>Tax obligations:<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>\n<p class=\"no-margin\">If you are subject to VAT: quarterly VAT submission<\/p>\n<p class=\"no-margin\">\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\"no-margin\">\ud83c\uddea\ud83c\uddfa <b>Sales to private customers in the EU (outside Belgium)<\/b><\/p>\n<p class=\"no-margin\">If your total sales to EU-based individuals (outside Belgium) exceed <b>\u20ac10,000 per year<\/b>, you must:<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>\n<p class=\"no-margin\"><b>Charge the VAT rate of your customer\u2019s country<\/b>, not Belgian VAT.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"no-margin\"><b>Declare this foreign VAT<\/b> in each relevant country \u2014 unless you register for the <b>OSS scheme<\/b>.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p class=\"no-margin\">\ud83d\udca1 With the <b>One Stop Shop (OSS)<\/b>, you can report all your EU VAT obligations in <b>one single quarterly return<\/b>, via the Belgian tax portal. This saves time and avoids multiple VAT registrations. <\/p>\n<p class=\"no-margin\">\n<p class=\"no-margin\">\ud83d\udc49 Until you reach the \u20ac10,000 threshold, you can still apply <b>Belgian VAT<\/b> on all EU B2C sales.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>\n<p class=\"no-margin\">This <a href=\"https:\/\/www.accountable.eu\/en-be\/blog\/webshop-side-hustle\/\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"intercom-content-link\">article<\/a> can guide you in what to expect when setting up your e-shop. <\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div class=\"intercom-interblocks-callout\" style=\"background-color: #e3e7fa80; border-color: #334bfa33;\">\n<p class=\"intercom-align-center no-margin\">Please make sure to read the following <a href=\"https:\/\/help.accountable.eu\/en\/articles\/6306908-navigating-e-commerce-taxes-in-belgium\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"intercom-content-link\">article<\/a> regarding e-commerce in Belgium. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<hr>\n<p class=\"intercom-align-center no-margin\">\n<p class=\"no-margin\">Now that you have gone through a list of most asked questions, it might be a lot to take in.  If you have any other questions that have not been answered in this guide, please ask them through the chat function in the app or by emailing <a href=\"mailto:tax-coach@accountable.eu\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"intercom-content-link\">tax-coach@accountable.eu<\/a>. <\/p>\n<p class=\"no-margin\">\n<p class=\"no-margin\">We will happily guide you further on your journey as a self-employed and within Accountable. \ud83d\ude0a<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A practical guide for self-employed people in Belgium that own a retail store\/manage a webshop.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":0,"template":"","class_list":["post-20272","help_center","type-help_center","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.4 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Guide: How to use Accountable as a retail professional - Accountable<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.accountable.eu\/en-be\/help-center\/guide-how-to-use-accountable-as-a-retail-professional\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Guide: How to use Accountable as a retail professional - 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