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Importing an audit file: which package does what
An audit file is your whole financial year in one file. Whether another package reads that file in differs per package and per version.
In short
An audit file (XAF) is an XML file with the complete journal of one financial year. Not every accounting package reads in such a file from another package: according to its own knowledge base SnelStart does not do so itself, Moneybird does not import existing books in one go, e-Boekhouden.nl recommends an opening balance, AFAS SB and Twinfield's conversion tool read it in for a list of source packages, and Nmbrs Accounting (formerly Yuki) for almost any package. In booxx you import the audit file from your previous software when you create an administration, and map the old accounts and VAT codes to the new ones. From 1 January 2027 the Dutch tax office (Belastingdienst) accepts only XAF 4.0 for submission.
The essentials
- What it is
- An XML file with the extension .xaf: company details, customers and suppliers, chart of accounts, VAT codes, periods, opening balance and all entries of one financial year.
- Versions
- XAF 3.2 dates from 2014; XAF 4.0 is its successor. From 1 January 2027 the Belastingdienst accepts only XAF 4.0 for submission.
- What it leaves out
- No fixed asset register: for assets only the ledger entries come along, not the depreciation schedule.
What an audit file contains, and what it does not
The financial audit file is an open standard, published by the Dutch tax office (Belastingdienst), for exchanging a set of books in one file. The file covers one administration and one financial year: for three years you have three files. It holds your company details, your customers and suppliers, your chart of accounts, your VAT codes, the periods, the opening balance and all entries of that year.
What it leaves out you only notice when importing. The format has no fixed asset register: for assets only the ledger entries come along, not the depreciation schedule. In its own manual AFAS also names the VAT sub-ledger and the matching of open items as data missing from an audit file. So expect to enter the fixed assets again after importing and to check the open items.
Which package reads in an audit file from another package?
That a package can create an audit file says nothing about reading one in. Exact writes that most accounting packages in the Netherlands support the audit file; it does not say that they also import one from another package. The packages are open about that in their own manuals.
The table puts side by side what eight packages write about it themselves. For SnelStart, Moneybird and e-Boekhouden.nl the manuals point to an opening balance, an Excel import or an external service. Software for annual accounts, such as Caseware Cloud and the trial balance (kolommenbalans) in Exact Online, does read the audit file in; Caseware names XAF 3.1 or 3.2 for that.
What eight packages do with an audit file from another package
| Reads it in? | What its own help page says | |
|---|---|---|
| SnelStart | Not natively | Does not read in another package's export (or an .xaf audit file) and names an external service that can. Entries can be imported from an Excel file. |
| Moneybird | Not mentioned | Importing existing books in one go is not possible. You start with an opening balance or enter old data retroactively. |
| e-Boekhouden.nl | Not mentioned | Advises against transferring the whole set of books and recommends starting with an opening balance. There are import functions for invoices, entries and ledger accounts. |
| Exact Online | In the annual accounts | In the trial balance (kolommenbalans) of the annual accounts you import an XAF or zip file. An RGS bridge statement or Excel works there too. |
| Twinfield | With the conversion tool | The conversion tool reads in XAF audit files from a list of source packages, each with its own versions. If the package or version is not listed, the tool cannot be used; the lists name versions up to 3.2. |
| AFAS SB | Yes, XAF 3.2 or 4.0 | When a new administration is started, from Profit, Twinfield, Exact Online, Multivers and SnelStart; according to AFAS other packages will follow later. Comparative figures from any package that exports XAF 3.2. |
| Nmbrs Accounting (formerly Yuki) | Yes, from XAF 3.0 | Historical data from before the start date, from the audit file of almost any accounting package. |
| Caseware Cloud | Yes, XAF 3.1 or 3.2 | Accounts with a zero balance are not imported automatically. |
Exporting an audit file: where is it in your current package?
To switch, you first need the file from your current package. The Dutch Belastingdienst writes that most accounting packages in the Netherlands support the audit file and that their makers usually include creating it as a menu option. Where that menu option sits differs per package.
For eleven packages, the table gives the path from their own help page. Create the file per financial year, and do it before you cancel the old subscription. If you then want to import it into booxx, use XAF 3.2 or 4.0: those are the versions it reads.
Exporting the audit file in eleven packages
| Where is the export? | What to watch for | |
|---|---|---|
| Moneybird | Instellingen > Boekhouding > Boekhouding exporteren | A ledger code is required for the export; the RGS reference code is optional. Download the file before you run the year-end closing, otherwise it is not complete. Exporting in version 4.0 has been possible since November 2025. |
| e-Boekhouden.nl | Beheer > Exporteren > Auditfile | You choose the financial year or period, a weekly or monthly breakdown, and the version; the page mentions version 2.0 and 3.2 as examples. Choose 3.2 if you want to import the file into booxx. |
| Jortt | Boekhoudbot > Maak voor mij een auditfile | Jortt delivers XAF 4.0.3. Only someone with the Beheerder (administrator) role on the books can download the file; an invited bookkeeper cannot. |
| MoneyMonk | Rapportages > Auditfile > Download XML Auditfile | You choose the year. MoneyMonk's list of reports mentions 'XML Auditfile 2.0', another help page version 3.2: check which version your file has before you import it anywhere. |
| SnelStart Polaris | Gear icon top right > Auditfile | You are redirected to SnelStart Web, choose the year and receive an email with the download instructions. The SnelStart Web help page calls this file 'Auditfiles V3.2'. |
| Twinfield | Financiële professionals > Jaarafsluiting > Auditfiles > Nieuw | You create the file per administration and per financial year; for the whole year you enter period 0 through 55. You pick the version yourself (1.0, 2.0, 3.1 or 3.2): choose 3.2 if you want to import the file into booxx, and under 'Actie na aanmaken bestand' the option 'Niet inpakken (XAF)' (do not pack). |
| AFAS SB | Search (Ctrl+Space) > Auditfiles > Nieuw | You choose a financial year or a start and end date. After saving, two files are in your Downloads folder: one based on version 3.2 and one based on version 4.0. |
| AFAS Profit | Financieel > Beheer > Auditbestand > Auditfile XML versie 3 | Profit only creates an audit file for a whole financial year, and the opening balance is not included. The help page says 'version 3' without a sub-version. |
| Rompslomp | Instellingen > Exporteren tab > Exporteren als auditfile | By default you get the current financial year. The arrow next to the button lets you set a start and end date and choose the scheme for the account codes. Which version you get is not stated on the help page. |
| Nmbrs Accounting (formerly Yuki) | Boekhouding > Exporteren > XAF Auditfile 3.2 | You choose the export format, the administration and the financial year. The page lists 'XAF Auditfile 3.2' among the formats for the (external) accountant. Do not pick 'XML (CLAIR 2.0)': according to the same page that is an XML Auditfile Financieel 1.0. In a compact domain or with the Minimal bundle, only a user with the Backoffice role can export. |
| Odoo | Accounting > Reporting > General Ledger > gear icon > XAF | Use the filters first to select the range of entries to export. Odoo's documentation is in English; the menu names here are taken from it. Check which version your file has before you import it anywhere. |
Importing an audit file when you switch
In booxx importing is part of creating an administration: you choose the XAF audit file from your previous software, and for every old ledger account you get a proposal for an account in the new chart. That proposal comes first from the RGS reference code, then from the VAT role and from number plus description. Whatever is still open is passed to the AI assistant; if nothing fits well enough, the line stays empty and you map it yourself. The package imports XAF 3.2 and 4.0.
Every invoice on the receivables or payables account becomes an opening item, and payments are matched against it by the invoice number the previous software put in the description. Anything that cannot be tied to an invoice or a relation becomes one item on sundry debtors or sundry creditors. You enter the fixed assets yourself afterwards, because they are not in the file. An accounting firm does the same when it creates a client.
From audit file to books you can carry on in
- Choose the fileWhen you create the administration you choose the XAF audit file from your previous software.
- Map the accountsA proposal for every old ledger account, showing where it came from.
- Map the VAT codesIf the file contains VAT codes, you map them to the VAT codes of the package.
- ConfirmNothing is booked until you confirm. After that you carry on from where the file ends.
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Creating an audit file, and choosing the version
Creating an audit file is the reverse. Under Reports you choose the financial year for the audit file. Before you download you see a readable summary of what goes into the file: whether the entries balance, the numbers of accounts, customers and suppliers, and vouchers, the totals of the opening balance and a breakdown per journal.
By default you get XAF 4.0. If you send the file to someone whose software only reads the older standard, you choose XAF 3.2. Ask the recipient: according to the table above Caseware Cloud reads 3.1 or 3.2, and AFAS SB 3.2 or 4.0.
Updated October 2, 2026. General explanation of the Dutch rules, not tax advice — for your own situation, decide together with your accountant or the Dutch Tax Administration.
Frequently asked questions
How do I open an XAF file?
An .xaf file is XML. You can open it with a text editor, but it only becomes readable in software that processes audit files. In booxx you see a summary of the contents before you download, so you can check the file without reading the raw XML.
Which version do I choose: XAF 3.2 or 4.0?
For the Dutch tax office (Belastingdienst) XAF 4.0: from 1 January 2027 the Belastingdienst accepts only that version for submission. For an accountant or a package that only reads in the older standard, you choose 3.2. Ask the recipient which version their software reads.
Does my accountant's software read in my audit file?
That differs per package; the table above puts eight packages side by side. If your accountant wants to follow along or post entries through the year, they can also work in your administration: you invite them with the Bookkeeper role, and that costs nothing extra.