Management and accounting

Responsibilities

The board manages the association, subject to powers reserved to the general meeting. It has at least three directors; two suffice while the association has fewer than three members. The articles may provide for delegation of day-to-day management.

Legal personality does not eliminate directors’ liability for management faults. Approval of the accounts and the vote granting discharge are separate decisions.

Accounting regime

For financial years beginning on or after 1 January 2024, the following thresholds apply. No more than one criterion in the relevant category may be exceeded.

Simplified accounting has separate criteria: 5 FTE, €391,000 recurring receipts excluding VAT, €1,562,000 assets and €1,562,000 debts. Exceeding no more than one of these four criteria for two consecutive financial years generally permits this regime. Small or micro status alone is insufficient.

For double-entry accounting, the micro, abbreviated or full model depends on size. Classification also depends on calculation rules, successive financial years and good-faith estimates for new associations. Consult the National Bank’s detailed criteria before changing regime.

Approval and filing

Submit the annual accounts and following year’s budget to the general meeting within six months of year-end. Simplified accounts are filed with the enterprise court registry. Associations required to file with the National Bank must do so within thirty days of approval and no later than seven months after year-end. Large associations also have management-report and statutory-audit obligations.

Tax returns are separate from filing annual accounts. Consult FPS Finance for the tax regime applicable to your activities.

Content updated on 15 October 2026.

Sources and resources

• BNB / NBB — critères de taille / size criteria / groottecriteria
• SPF Justice — comptabilité / accounting / boekhouding
• SPF Finances / FPS Finance / FOD Financiën

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