Do your bookkeeping yourself or hire an accountant? How to choose (2026)

7 July 2026 · 2 min read · by BoekBrug

Should you do your own bookkeeping? Or hand it to an accountant? Many freelancers (ZZP'ers) in the Netherlands struggle with this. There is no right or wrong — it depends on your situation.

Here it is, simply.

Doing it yourself

Pros:

It is cheaper. You don't pay an accountant.
You know exactly how your business is doing.
You are flexible and not dependent on someone else.

Cons:

It takes time. Time you could spend on clients.
You need to know the rules (VAT, deductions, deadlines).
One small mistake can lead to a fine.

Doing it yourself works well if your business is simple: not too many invoices, no staff, no complex situations.

Outsourcing to an accountant

Pros:

You save time and worry.
An expert prevents mistakes and spots deductions.
Useful for a growing or complex business.

Cons:

It costs money (often a monthly or yearly fee).
You must hand in your records neatly, or it gets expensive.

The best choice is often: both

Many freelancers are smart about it. They keep their own admin tidy, and let an accountant do the filing and the checks. That way you pay less and make fewer mistakes.

The secret is in how you hand things over. An accountant who gets a shoebox full of receipts spends a lot of time — and that costs money. An accountant who gets neat, shared records is faster and cheaper.

How BoekBrug makes this easy

BoekBrug is called "the bridge between you and your bookkeeper" for a reason. You keep your invoices, costs and documents in one place. And you share them straight with your accountant — no more emailing folders full of PDFs.

What you do yourself goes faster:

Scan invoices with your camera. The AI reads the supplier, amount and VAT.
Upload your bank statement. BoekBrug matches payments to your invoices.
At year-end a neat package is ready for your accountant.

And your data stays yours: you can export or delete everything at any time (GDPR-proof).

Want a taste? Try the scanning below, or create a free account and invite your accountant.