Do you need to learn accounting first?
No. When you start a sole proprietorship in Belgium you have to keep your figures properly, but nothing says you must master the technique behind them. You will never be asked to explain the difference between a debit and a credit.
What holds beginners back is rarely a lack of ability. It is the fear of forgetting something they did not know existed. That fear disappears once the deadlines are watched for you and the filing happens on its own.
Novadesko is built for exactly that. The software translates your daily actions into accounting language, and your accountant steps in where their advice genuinely pays off. You stay a business owner.
This page is about handing the work over, to the software and to your accountant. If you would rather understand and keep the books yourself, our guide on doing your own bookkeeping is the better read.
What the software does for you
Every action that requires accounting knowledge happens in the background. You see an invoice and a receipt, the software sees a sales entry and a deductible expense.
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Your invoices carry the mandatory legal wording and the correct VAT rate on each line.
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Numbering runs without gaps, one of the first things checked during an audit.
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Receipts and purchase invoices are read automatically: supplier, amount, VAT and expense category are recognised and proposed.
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Your bank transactions are matched to the right invoice, so you can see who has not paid yet.
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Sales, purchase and financial journals build up continuously, without you having to create them.
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Your VAT balance stays visible on the dashboard, with the deadline next to it.
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Peppol is built in for the mandatory electronic invoicing between Belgian businesses.
The software proposes, you confirm. A proposal that misses the mark takes one click to fix, and nothing reaches your figures without your approval.
Who does what in your file
Bookkeeping without accounting knowledge works because the load is spread across three sets of shoulders. Here is what stays with you, and it is less than you fear.
Who does what
| What has to happen |
Who handles it |
| Create and send an invoice |
You, in two minutes, with the legal wording prefilled |
| Keep a supporting document |
You photograph it, the software reads and files it |
| Set the VAT per line and per rate |
The software, based on your product or service |
| Keep the journals |
The software, continuously |
| Track the VAT balance |
The software, permanently visible on the dashboard |
| File the VAT return |
Your accountant, or you via Intervat |
| The annual return and tax advice |
Your accountant |
| Check that everything is correct |
Your accountant, directly in your file |
What stays with you requires no accounting decision at all. It only requires photographing the receipt on the day you get it.
Your accountant stays, the bill gets smaller
Software does not replace your accountant, and that is a good thing. What it does remove is the work you pay the most for: typing in your own invoices and your own receipts.
Your accountant gets their own secure access to your file. They see your invoices, expenses, bank transactions and supporting documents in real time, without you sending anything over. That access is free for the firm.
If they prefer to work in their own package, your entries export to the common Belgian programs: Winbooks, Bob, Sage, Horus, Exact Online, Wings and WinAuditor.
No accountant yet? You can start now and pick one later. Your file will already be complete, which makes the handover quick and cheap.
Your first weeks, step by step
When you are hesitating, what you really want to know is what happens after you sign up. Here is the sequence, with no surprises.
From signing up to your first return
| When |
What happens |
| Day 1 |
You create your account and fill in your company details, your company number is enough |
| Day 1 |
You send your first invoice, the mandatory wording is already on it |
| First week |
You connect your business account and photograph receipts as soon as you get them |
| First month |
You invite your accountant into your file and they review the first entries |
| Every quarter |
Your VAT figures are ready, you or your accountant file the return |
You can try everything first, with your own invoices and your own figures, without commitment.
When software alone is not enough
Some honesty is in order. There are situations where no program replaces a qualified accountant.
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You are setting up a company, or thinking about switching to one.
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You are hiring staff, with everything payroll involves.
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You sell abroad and run into VAT rules that differ from country to country.
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You make a large investment and want to know how to depreciate it.
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You receive an audit or a request for information from the tax authorities.
Even then, everything moves faster with a file that is already up to date. Your accountant does not start from scratch, they start from your figures.
Getting started without risk
There is nothing to learn before you begin. Create your first invoice, photograph your first receipt and watch your file fill up.
If it turns out not to be for you, you will have spent half an hour. If it works, you will have one less worry for the years ahead.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need accounting skills to use Novadesko?
No. The software works in invoices, receipts and payments, not in debits and credits. Anything that requires accounting knowledge happens in the background or at your accountant.
Does Novadesko replace my accountant?
No, and it is not meant to. The software takes over the data entry, your accountant keeps the review, the filings and the advice. In practice you pay them for judgement instead of typing.
What if a receipt is read incorrectly?
You see the proposal before it is final and correct it in one click. Nothing lands in your figures without your confirmation.
I do not have an accountant yet. Can I still start?
Yes. Many freelancers begin with the software alone and choose a firm later. Because your file is already organised, the handover takes very little time.
Does access for my accountant cost extra?
No. The portal for accountants and accounting firms is free for the firm. Only you need a subscription.
What if I would rather understand it all myself?
That works perfectly well, and the two are not in conflict. Our guide on doing your own bookkeeping explains what the law asks of a sole proprietorship and how to follow your journals.
Read next
This guide is for information only. Thresholds and amounts are indexed every year, so check them with the FPS Finance or with your accountant before you act on them.
