Business accounts yourself is easy, I thought.

I used to think that really: bookkeeping is easy. You enter an amount on the left, an equal amount on the right and if the amounts at the bottom of the line are the same, everything is okay. This thought remained until I started working with an Business accounts package. Different booking rules had to be created per event. And for some reason, accounting packages are ready to support any multinational, but it is far too complex for an average self-employed person.

Curious as I am, I started researching why accounting is so difficult. The reason was quickly found. Traditional accounting, or the 'double accounting method', dates from the 15th century. Conceived by the Italian monk Luca Pacioli. In those days, bookkeeping was still a quill pen. Then it was useful to work with diaries, journal entries and ledgers. With the double accounting method you can spot errors and check the books afterwards. A nice system for that time.

With the introduction of the computer, the unfortunate choice was made for Business accounts to maintain this old-fashioned 'double bookkeeping method'. This while it no longer has a value for the check, because if you book something wrong on the left, the computer automatically books it wrong on the right. The bottom line is therefore always correct and errors can no longer be traced.

But why has the accounting method not been adjusted? Does it have to be done by the tax authorities or does the Chamber of Commerce prescribe it? The answer was a surprise to me: No. The literal legal text is:

"Persons obliged to keep an administration are bound by their financial position and everything concerning their company, self-employed profession or activity in accordance with the requirements of that company, that self-employed profession or activity in such a way as to keep an administration and the pertaining books, documents and other data carriers in such a way. in a manner to ensure that at all times their rights and obligations as well as the information otherwise important for the levying of tax are clearly apparent from this. "

In understandable Dutch: it doesn't matter much how you keep the administration up, as long as you do it and as long as you pay tax. It should be noted that this applies to companies with fewer than 50 employees or a turnover below 8.8 million per year. This therefore applies to more than 85% of all Dutch companies.

With this knowledge, I, together with 3 other entrepreneurs, started researching whether Business accounts could be easier. Started with a blank screen and then looked step by step how independent entrepreneurs do or would like to do their accounting in practice. What terms do these entrepreneurs use? In what order do they work? How do entrepreneurs think?

With these experiences we have designed a new Business accounts method: It is simpler, faster and above all it provides more insight into the actual situation of your company. And all that in an understandable language. Anyone can do it. Simply because it works the way you expect it to work. Because Jortt does not want to be able to support multinationals. Because Jortt uses today's techniques. Because we believe that bookkeeping should yield something for the entrepreneur, not for the accountant.