Your accountant calls and asks for numbers. Panic sets in. You're scrambling through stacks of receipts, trying to remember what you spent on ingredients last month.
Why accountants ask for numbers
Your accountant needs your numbers to:
- File your VAT return correctly
- Prepare your annual accounts
- Check if your profit matches your expenses
- Find tax benefits that save you money
Without accurate numbers, your accountant can't do their job properly. And that costs you money in the long run.
⚠️ Note:
Many entrepreneurs estimate their numbers or provide incomplete information. This leads to errors in your return and possible issues with the tax authority.
The 5 numbers you always need to be able to provide
Prepare these numbers before your accountant calls:
- Total revenue per month: What did you sell?
- Ingredient purchase costs: What did you spend on food and beverages?
- Personnel costs: Wages, social contributions, temporary staff
- Fixed costs: Rent, gas, water, electricity, insurance
- Other costs: Repairs, marketing, cleaning
💡 Example:
Numbers for March 2024:
- Revenue: €45,000
- Ingredient purchases: €13,500 (30% food cost)
- Personnel: €18,000
- Fixed costs: €8,500
- Other: €2,200
Profit before tax: €2,800
How to keep track of these numbers without stress
The secret is: 30 minutes weekly instead of 4 hours of panic monthly.
Make a weekly overview of:
- How much you sold (check your POS system)
- What you purchased (collect receipts)
- Large expenses (rent, repairs, new equipment)
Put everything in one folder—physical or digital. Then you'll always have an overview ready.
💡 Example digital folder:
Create folders on your phone:
- 2024-01 January
- 2024-02 February
- 2024-03 March
Photograph every receipt immediately and put it in the right folder.
What your accountant does NOT need to know
Your accountant needs lots of information, but not everything:
- Exact recipes: They want total purchase costs, not what's in your carbonara
- Daily revenue: Monthly totals are usually enough
- Personal expenses: Only what you've spent for business purposes
Digital vs. paper: what really works?
Many entrepreneurs start with Excel or paper administration. That works initially, but becomes chaotic as your business grows.
💡 Example time savings:
Manual:
- Finding receipts: 45 minutes
- Calculating numbers: 30 minutes
- Writing everything neatly: 15 minutes
With a system like KitchenNmbrs: 10 minutes to generate a report.
The cost of bad numbers
After managing kitchen operations for nearly a decade, I've seen what happens if your numbers don't add up:
- Extra accountant costs: Your accountant has to spend more hours cleaning up your mess
- Missed deductions: Without receipts you can't deduct costs
- Tax authority problems: During an audit you need to prove everything
- Bad decisions: Without numbers you don't know which dishes are profitable
⚠️ Note:
An accountant charges an average of €75-125 per hour. If they have to spend 2 extra hours because your administration is messy, that costs you €150-250 per month.
How food cost tracking helps with accountant numbers
Modern food cost systems automatically track:
- Your food cost per dish and per month
- Total ingredient purchase costs
- Profit margin per dish
- Overviews you can send directly
Your accountant gets neat reports instead of loose receipts and estimates.
How do you prepare for the conversation with your accountant?
Collect all receipts and invoices
Put all purchase receipts, supplier invoices and expenses from the past month in one folder. Sort them by date so you can quickly find what your accountant asks for.
Calculate your total revenue and purchase costs
Check your POS system for total revenue. Add up all ingredient purchase costs. Calculate your food cost percentage: (purchase costs / revenue excl. VAT) × 100.
Make an overview of fixed and variable costs
Write down: rent, energy, personnel, insurance (fixed) and repairs, marketing, new equipment (variable). This gives your accountant immediate insight into your cost structure.
✨ Pro tip
Set a weekly 15-minute timer every Sunday to photograph your POS totals and sort receipts into monthly envelopes. This simple routine prevents the dreaded 3-hour scramble before accountant meetings.
Calculate this yourself?
In the KitchenNmbrs app you can do this in just a few clicks. 7 days free, no credit card.
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Frequently asked questions
How often do I need to submit numbers to my accountant?
Usually monthly for the VAT return and quarterly or annual overviews. Discuss with your accountant exactly what they need and when.
Can I estimate my food cost or do I need to track everything exactly?
For your accountant you can provide total purchase costs, but for yourself exact food cost per dish is crucial to make profitable decisions.
What if I've lost receipts?
Try to reconstruct as much as possible through bank statements and supplier invoices. For the future: photograph every receipt immediately with your phone.
How much does it cost if my numbers don't add up?
Your accountant charges €75-125 per hour. Cleaning up a mess costs 2-4 extra hours per month. That's €150-500 in extra costs you can prevent.
Should I track cash purchases differently than card payments?
Yes, cash purchases need extra attention since there's no automatic bank record. Keep a separate envelope for cash receipts and note the payment method on each receipt.
What happens if my POS system crashes and I lose sales data?
Always have a backup method like daily sales summaries written down. Most POS systems also store data in the cloud, so check with your provider about data recovery options.
Can I deduct meals I eat at my own restaurant?
Generally no, meals consumed by the owner aren't deductible business expenses. However, meals for staff during working hours usually are deductible—check with your accountant for specific rules.
📚 Sources consulted
- EU Verordening 852/2004 — Levensmiddelenhygiëne (2004) — Official source
- EU Verordening 853/2004 — Hygiënevoorschriften voor levensmiddelen van dierlijke oorsprong (2004) — Official source
- EU Verordening 1169/2011 — Voedselinformatie aan consumenten (2011) — Official source
- NVWA — Hygiënecode voor de horeca (2024) — Official source
- NVWA — Allergenen in voedsel (2024) — Official source
- Codex Alimentarius — International Food Standards (2024) — Official source
- FSA — Safer food, better business (HACCP) (2024) — Official source
- BVL — Lebensmittelhygiene (HACCP) (2024) — Official source
- Warenwetbesluit Bereiding en behandeling van levensmiddelen (2024) — Official source
- WHO — Foodborne diseases estimates (2024) — Official source
Food Standards Agency (FSA) — https://www.food.gov.uk
The HACCP standards shown in this application are for informational purposes only. KitchenNmbrs does not guarantee that displayed values are current or complete. Always consult the FSA or your local authority for the latest regulations.
Written by
Jeffrey Smit
Founder & CEO of KitchenNmbrs
Jeffrey Smit built KitchenNmbrs from 8 years of hands-on experience as kitchen manager at 1NUL8 Group in Rotterdam. His mission: give every restaurant owner control over food cost.
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