Rejected accounts

The accounts file does not meet the technical and/or formal conditions

Every accounts file must meet a number of technical and formal conditions before it can be accepted as a valid file. In most cases, these checks are done totally automatically. In a small number of cases, an employee of the Central Balance Sheet Office has to intervene.

1. Automatic validation

All accounts files undergo automatic validation. The method of checking a file which has been submitted via the internet depends on the form of the file containing the accounts and whether it concerns a standard or specific model:

  • in the case of XBRL files, a check is always done at this stage to see whether the uploaded accounts file:
    • meets the structural and technical conditions,
    • fulfils all the legal arithmetic and logicals concerning the content,
    • contains correct identification data (such as legal status) for the legal person whose accounts are being filed,
    • contains correct data of the indicated financial year;
  • in the case of PDF files, a check is always done at this stage to see whether the uploaded accounts file
    • meets the technical conditions,
    • contains the same company number as the number of the legal person selected by the file,
    • fulfils for the standard models all the legal arithmetic and logicals concerning the content,
    • contains correct identification data (such as legal status) for the legal person whose accounts are being filed,
    • contains correct data of the indicated financial year.

In the case of automatic validation, you receive a message almost immediately from the application "Filing" if there is a problem with any of the said checks. The commonest problems are:

  • "Unable to locate the following schema reference: http ://www .nbb.be/be/fr/pfs/ci/xxx-2020-02-01.xsd…." this means that you used obsolete software to make up your accounts file; you must produce a new file with a new version of your accounting package (in which case you must contact your software supplier), or create the file in the current version of Filing.
  • The PDF file contains layers or comments. However, their use is prohibited (see Protocol for the filing of annual accounts and consolidated annual accounts in the form of a PDF file - (French - Dutch).

This can be solved by reprinting the document to PDF (or printing and scanning if required).

2. Visual check

An accounts file is only subjected to a visual check if:

  • during the automatic validation of an XBRL file, the application "Filing" finds certain elements requiring a decision by you or by a Central Balance Sheet Office employee
  • you upload a PDF file or an XBRL file containing certain elements in the form of a PDF file; as well as the automatic validation of the file, an additional check has to be conducted by a Central Balance Sheet Office employee.

In the case of the visual check, the commonest reasons for rejection are:

  • "Poor contrast, small type, readability problems": these are often accounts produced in a very small typeface or printed (and then scanned) using a printer with an almost empty print cartridge.
  • "Annual accounts not in accordance with the appropriate standard form": these are usually accounts in which the financial data are expressed in amounts with decimals whereas they should be expressed in units without decimals, or accounts containing an obsolete model of the social balance sheet.
  • "Absence or inconsistency of dates (start/close/GA)": the commonest omissions or inconsistencies concern failure to enter the date of the general assembly meeting as required, or cases where the general assembly meeting is yet to take place but the date has already been entered, or the general meeting was held before the end of the financial year.
  • "The first page is missing or does not conform to the standard format": Enterprises with a specific model should use a specific cover sheet for a full model or (in limited cases) a specific cover sheet for an abbreviated model, with an adapted code per type of enterprise, such as: Credit institutions, investment firms and management companies of collective investment undertakings (Dutch: VOL-inst, VKT-inst; French: C-étA-ét), insurance companies (Dutch: VOL-ver, VKT-ver; French: C-assA-ass), copyright management companies (Dutch: VOL-AUT, VKT-AUT; French: C-AUTA-AUT) and others (exceptional cases) (Dutch: VOL-A, VKT-A; French: C-AA-A) provided that the cover page mentions the legal or regulatory basis justifying the use of a different model. Associations and foundations filing a deviating scheme should also have it preceded by a specific cover page (Dutch – French).
  • "The accounts are not written in a single language": this reason for rejection is often given in the case of accounts in which the language used for the balance sheet and profit and loss account differs from that used for the documents which have to be filed with the accounts, such as the auditor's report or the management report; however, established foreign language terms such as ‘cash flow’, ‘human resources’ or ‘public relations manager’, are accepted.
  • "The encoded information does not match the PDF": usually, this concerns the begin- and/or enddate of the financial year: the dates on the first page of the accounts file differ from the dates entered in the application "Filing" or because an identical accounts file still waits for payment.
  • "This annual account has already been filed": accounts files are often made up using a file from a previous financial year; sometimes, the previous year’s file is submitted accidentally instead of the updated file.

The filing fees have not been duly paid

If the file passes the automatic validation and a visual check, it is accorded "Ready for payment" status. The filing fees due can then be paid by debit card, bancontact, credit card or bank transfer. Within the "Filing" application, it is possible to opt for payment by third parties, provided that the addressee's e-mail address is specified, who will then receive a payment link by e-mail.

Accounts filed via the internet are rejected automatically if the filing fees have not been received at the latest 6 business days after being accorded "Ready for payment" status. Common reasons for failure to make due payment are:

  • the filing fees are only transferred by the depositor on the 6th business day (whereby the payment service provider CCV, by order of National Bank does not receive the amount until the 7th business day or later), whereas the payment service provider CCV must receive the filing fees on the 6th calendar day at the latest; to avoid any misunderstanding, we would urge you to arrange immediate payment of the fees due;
  • the payment service provider CCV receives an incorrect amount: this happens quite often with bulk deposits if the filing fees are transferred from more than one bank account with the same structured communication.

Finally, the filer is being informed by e-mail of the rejection due to non or partial payment of the filing costs and of the procedure how to present the rejected annual accounts file again. The filer must therefore fill in a correct e-mail address in the section "My profile" of the application FILING.

An incorrect structured communication was used when paying the deposit fee

Only the correct structured communication associated with the deposit after payment initiation is accepted in the case of payment by bank transfer. This requires the mandatory indication of the payment method 'Bank Transfer'. A structured communication is structured as follows +++ 012/3456/78910 +++.

Therefore, NEVER use the L reference of the payment request or payment order created at payment initiation (e.g. L221222120931602CB8D6B58.1) or your CCV reference (e.g. d018ac14-7612-11ed-a7f8-c14b249a6cff).

The accounts are deleted by the filer himself

The filer himself can delete the accounts if they are submitted via the internet. That option is available so long as the fee payment has not been processed. In that case the filer must start the filing procedure again right from the beginning so that the filing date changes (with possible implications for the filing charges applied).