STABOFI

StaBoFi is an accounting and tax practice on Churchilllaan in Schoten, in the Antwerp area. It describes itself as a company approved by the ITAA, whose manager, Koen Luyten, is also a member of the institute as a tax accountant. Its story began in June 2001: applying for an enterprise number, activating it as a VAT number and having the traineeship file approved by the former Professional Institute of Accredited Accountants and Tax Experts. After the traineeship, the tax accountant title was obtained and the self-employed practice grew into the current firm.

StaBoFi deliberately keeps the scale of a small practice. This lets it treat every client according to their wishes, keep a single point of contact who knows the file inside out and take time for open communication, whether for a small side business or a larger SME. The practice believes that an accountant who only gets in touch once a year struggles to understand how a business is really doing, and it relies on listening in order to advise better. Its clients come from Schoten, Merksem, Brasschaat, Kapellen, Sint-Job-in-'t-Goor, Brecht, Schilde, Malle and Wommelgem.

Bookkeeping is done for a fixed all-in price agreed in advance, adjusted by mutual agreement only if the workload changes significantly. It covers processing all documents, invoices, expense claims, bank statements and payroll, depreciation schedules, VAT returns and listings, personal and corporate income tax returns, interim reviews, year-end closing, statutory reports, preparing and filing the annual accounts with the National Bank and all correspondence with the tax authorities.

Since 2024 the practice has used the Horus accounting software and its Falco app. Clients upload purchase and sales invoices and credit notes, or scan them with their smartphone, and the documents are synchronised with the accounts. Bank transactions come in directly through CODA files. This lets the practice spot errors or irregularities sooner. Clients who prefer paper can still hand in their documents that way.

For VAT, StaBoFi prepares and files monthly or quarterly returns, tells the client which advance payments and balances are due, prepares the annual listing, checks that documents comply with VAT rules and attends inspections. In tax, it files personal income tax, corporate income tax and legal entities tax returns, weighs the available options to optimise each file and assists during tax audits.

For start-ups, the practice offers a free first meeting followed by full support, whether the project becomes a sole trader business, a company or a non-profit: financial plan, contact with the notary for the deed of incorporation, registration with the Crossroads Bank for Enterprises and as self-employed, required permits, VAT number activation and enrolment with a payroll office. It also helps with taking over or transferring a business.