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Creating a client

⏱ 3 min readUpdated on

Before the first file, you need a client: the company for which you are drawing up the plan. Its record needs only a name and a legal form; the rest can be filled in when you have it.

What it is for

The client groups its files (plans, versions), its shareholders, its delivered documents and your notes. Its legal form is read by every file: it decides, for example, whether the company has capital — a public limited company (SA / NV) — or a contribution outside capital (apport hors capital / inbreng buiten kapitaal) — a private limited company (SRL / BV) or a cooperative company (SC / CV).

Steps

  1. Open Clients and click New Client.
  2. Enter the Client Name: it is the only required field.
  3. Choose the Legal Form: SRL (BV), SC (CV), SA (NV), Non-profit (ASBL) or Self-employed.
  4. If you have them, fill in the VAT Number, the Address, the City, the Email and the Contact (the phone number).
  5. Click Create: the record joins the list of clients.
The “New Client” window filled in for Boulangerie Dupont SRL.
The “New Client” window filled in for Boulangerie Dupont SRL.

You can also create the client while you create the file: in the Client field, type its name, then choose Create “…”; the company number (numéro d'entreprise / ondernemingsnummer) is optional there, and will be added after incorporation.

Worked example · Boulangerie Dupont SRL

FieldWhat you enterWhy
Client NameBoulangerie Dupont SRLthe name that will appear in the reports
Legal FormSRL (BV)a private limited company: a contribution, no capital
VAT Number(empty)the company is not yet incorporated
Address, Citythe address of the future shopoptional

No amount here: the client record carries none of the plan's figures.

Pitfalls

Choose the legal form with care. The file reads it from the client's record. As soon as the client's files contain data, Fiplan refuses to change it: “The legal form can no longer be changed: files of this client already contain data.”
One client, several files. Do not create a second client for a second plan of the same company: open its record and create a New Dossier.

What it changes

① Income statementNo effect€0.00A client record writes nothing to the journal.
② CashNo effect€0.00The figures come into being in the file, when you enter data.
③ Balance sheetNo effect€0.00The opening balance sheet is built when the file is created.

Source

Companies and Associations Code (CSA / WVV): the SRL (book 5), the SC (book 6) and the SA (book 7). The SA has capital (art. 7:2); the SRL has none (art. 5:3).