Publication is not the full internal administration
The scope of public documents depends on company size. KVK also lists a profit and loss account for medium and large entities. You purchase a copy of published annual accounts, not access to internal bookkeeping. A fuller internal report may therefore contain different figures from the public file.
A fictional balance sheet without turnover
Business A’s fictional balance sheet lists assets, debts and equity at the balance sheet date. It has no turnover line. You cannot derive annual turnover from the bank balance: that balance concerns one date, whereas turnover concerns a reporting period. Record ‘turnover not found in the file consulted’, rather than ‘zero turnover’.
Check the year and scope
Read the legal entity’s name, reporting period and notes. For a group, also check whether figures are individual or consolidated; see holding or operating company. Compare only items actually included in the documents. A missing figure is no reason to insert an estimate as a published fact.
What can you do next?
Before ordering, decide whether a balance sheet can answer your question. Consult the annual accounts guide for year and file variant. If turnover is essential, ask the business for a supported figure and discuss its assessment with an accountant. Certification adds no missing financial items and is not credit advice.
Record what you can and cannot see
- Which legal entity and reporting period appear in the file?
- Does it actually include a profit and loss account?
- What information is missing for your research?
Sources and review
Content checked on . Product availability varies by business.