The NBB heading codes explained

How to read a code

The minimum standard chart of accounts numbers the accounts, and the annual accounts models of the Central Balance Sheet Office use the same numbering. A simple code (21) designates a heading; a code with a slash (10/15) designates the sum of the headings between the two numbers.

• Codes 10 to 49 are liabilities and equity: what finances the company.
• Codes 20 to 58 are assets: what it owns.
• Codes 60 to 79 form the income statement: 6 for charges, 7 for income.
• Four-digit codes starting with 9 are totals and intermediate results (9900, 9901, 9904), or additional information from the notes (9087, 9145, 9146, 9150).
• Codes starting with 8 refer to the notes (8199 for the acquisition value of tangible fixed assets, 8079, 8279, 8475 for depreciation and write-down charges in the abridged and micro formats).

A code does not change from one company to another or from one year to the next. One notable exception in the NBB definitions: heading 635/8 was called 635/7 until 2015, and 9125 (capital grants recognised in the income statement) no longer exists since 2016.

Liabilities and equity: where the money comes from

Code	Heading	What it is used for
10/15	Equity	Numerator of NBB solvency and of return on equity
10	Contribution (BV/SRL) or capital (NV/SA)	Reference for the alarm bell procedure in the NV/SA
13	Reserves	Profits kept by decision of the shareholders
14	Profit (loss) carried forward	Accumulated losses when negative
16	Provisions and deferred taxes	Probable charges not yet due
17/49	Amounts payable	The total owed to third parties
17	Amounts payable after more than one year	Bank loans, leasing, long-term shareholder loans
42/48	Amounts payable within one year	Suppliers, taxes, social security, loan instalments due this year
44	Trade debts	Numerator of supplier credit days (NBB)
45	Taxes, remuneration and social security	A sharp rise can signal arrears
492/3	Accrued charges and deferred income	Included in the denominator of broad liquidity
10/49	Total liabilities and equity	Denominator of NBB solvency

Assets: what the company owns

Code	Heading	What it is used for
20	Formation expenses	Deducted from net assets in the alarm bell procedure
21	Intangible fixed assets	Software, patents, goodwill; deducted in "prudent" solvency
22/27	Tangible fixed assets	Land, buildings, machinery, vehicles
28	Financial fixed assets	Participations, deposits
20/28	Fixed assets	Compared with permanent capital in working capital
3	Stocks and contracts in progress	In broad liquidity, not in strict liquidity
30/31, 34	Raw materials, goods	Denominator of stock turnover (full format)
40/41	Amounts receivable within one year	Trade receivables (40) and other receivables (41)
50/53	Current investments	With 54/58, cash
54/58	Cash at bank and in hand	Bank accounts and petty cash
490/1	Deferred charges and accrued income	Included in broad liquidity
29/58	Current assets	The total of the bottom of the assets
20/58	Total assets	Equal to total liabilities and equity; denominator of return on assets

Cash is read as 50/53 + 54/58; the accounts model often groups it under code 50/58.

The income statement

Code	Heading	Format
70	Turnover	Mandatory in full, optional in abridged and micro
71	Change in stocks of finished goods and work in progress	Full
72	Own work capitalised	Full
74	Other operating income	Full
740	Operating subsidies	Full
9900	Gross operating margin	Abridged and micro
60	Raw materials and goods	Full
61	Services and other goods	Full
60/61	Raw materials, goods, services and other goods	Abridged and micro
62	Remuneration, social security costs and pensions	All
630	Depreciation and write-downs on formation expenses and fixed assets	Full
631/4	Write-downs on stocks, contracts in progress and receivables	All
635/8	Provisions for liabilities and charges	All
76A, 66A	Non-recurring operating income and charges	All
9901	Operating profit (loss)	All
65	Financial charges	All
650, 653	Debt charges, discount on receivables	Full
67/77	Income taxes	All
9904	Profit (loss) for the year	All

The notes and the social balance sheet

Code	Data
9087	Average headcount in full-time equivalents (full and abridged)
1003	Average headcount in full-time equivalents (micro)
9145	Deductible VAT charged to the company (supplier days)
9146	VAT charged by the company (customer days)
9150	Bills of exchange in circulation endorsed by the company
8199	Acquisition value of tangible fixed assets at year end

How the NBB combines the codes

The official ratios of the Central Balance Sheet Office are nothing but combinations of these codes. A few examples taken from the document "Definition of ratios for companies":

NBB ratio	Formula (full format)
Solvency (no. 19)	10/15 ÷ 10/49 × 100
Broad liquidity (no. 13)	(3 + 40/41 + 50/53 + 54/58 + 490/1) ÷ (42/48 + 492/3)
Strict liquidity (no. 14)	(40/41 + 50/53 + 54/58) ÷ 42/48
Net return on equity after tax (no. 9)	9904 ÷ 10/15 × 100
Number of days of customer credit (no. 17)	(40 + 9150) ÷ (70 + 74 − 740 + 9146) × 365
Number of days of supplier credit (no. 18)	44 ÷ (600/8 + 61 + 9145) × 365
Net margin on sales (no. 2)	(9901 − 76A + 66A + 9125) ÷ (70 + 74 − 740) × 100

For the abridged and micro formats, the NBB adapts the formulas to the available headings: the net margin is only computed if 70 > 0, and gross value added is estimated by 9900 − 76A.

Why it is useful

A code does not change from one company to another. To compare two suppliers, put their 10/15, 50/58 and 9904 side by side. This is also why FinScan quotes the code of every amount: you find it immediately in the official filing, and you can recompute any ratio yourself.