The three criteria
A company counts as medium-sized, and needs an audit, when it meets at least two of these three on two consecutive balance sheet dates:
- Balance sheet total above €7.5 million;
- Net revenue above €15 million;
- 50 or more employees on average.
Under those limits, small and micro companies file simplified, unaudited accounts. For the size classes and what each one has to file, see filing annual accounts.
How the two-year count works
If you pass the limits in one year, the size class stays the same. A company goes up a size class only after two consecutive balance sheet dates. The same rule applies the other way. If the company stays under the limits for two years in a row, the audit duty ends. For a group, the limits apply to the consolidated figures, so a holding company counts its own figures and those of its subsidiaries together.
Planning the first audit
If your company comes close to the limits, plan the first audit early. Choosing an auditor takes months, and the first audit also includes the opening balance sheet. Put the audit on the board agenda two years before you expect to pass the limits. Add it to the compliance calendar.
Below the thresholds, the company prepares, adopts and files its annual accounts at the KVK, and is exempt from the audit requirement. We do this filing for our clients each year, see corporate secretarial services in the Netherlands.
Once the company is set up, you have the same four tasks every year. The full list with the dates is on running a Dutch BV in 2026.
Related articles
See also The 30% Ruling in 2026 and What a Dutch BV Costs Each Year (2026).