Your bookkeeping as a student self-employed: do it yourself with Dexxter or Accountable.

Details

• Type: practical advice + comparison (doing bookkeeping as a student self-employed person)
• For whom: student self-employed people and starters with a sole proprietorship
• Benefit via Gentrepreneur: 50% discount on Dexxter — see Inkind benefits and discounts via Gentrepreneur
• Prices checked: August 2026 — pricing changes, always check the current pricing page

Why software is usually enough for a sole proprietorship

• As a small business with annual turnover < € 500,000 (excl. VAT), you may use simplified bookkeeping: a purchase journal, sales journal and financial journal. That’s exactly what these tools do for you.
• Your obligations are built in: creating invoices and quotes, recording expenses and receipts, VAT returns and customer listings, personal income tax, Peppol / e-invoicing (mandatory for B2B since 1/1/2026), and deadline reminders.
• Cost: a subscription typically costs around €0 to €30 per month. An accountant for a sole proprietorship costs many times more.
• You learn your own numbers. That helps you track your threshold amounts yourself: the VAT threshold of €25,000, the thresholds for social security contributions, and the limit to remain fiscally dependent.
• In both tools, you can let an accountant review things for free. Starting yourself doesn’t prevent scaling up later.

Dexxter

• What: Belgian accounting software, only for sole proprietorships (not for companies).
• Price (excl. VAT): €23/month or €220/year if you are not VAT-liable; €30/month or €290/year if you are VAT-liable. Via Gentrepreneur you get 50% off.
• What’s included: invoices and quotes, daily receipts book, expense management, VAT returns and IC listing, personal income tax return, tracking of social contributions, Peppol e-invoicing, bank connection (up to 2 accounts), mobile app.
• Specifically for student self-employed people: Dexxter actively tracks your VAT turnover threshold of €25,000 and the threshold for exemption from social contributions, and includes a free course “doing your own bookkeeping as a student self-employed person”.
• Try it: 30 days free; annual subscriptions come with a 60-day money-back guarantee.
• Link: dexxter.be/student-zelfstandigen

Accountable

• What: app + web platform for self-employed people in Belgium. Supports individuals (main or secondary occupation), student self-employed people, and also BV/CommV and non-profits (vzw’s).
• Price (annual subscription): free entry level Free Invoicing (€0 — unlimited invoicing via the app, max. 5 expenses/month, 1 bank connection) · Invoicing Plus €9.90/month · Accounting €19.90/month · Taxes €20.90/month (not VAT-liable) or €29.90/month (VAT-liable) · Max €59.90/month with a personal tax coach.
• What’s included (from Taxes): invoicing, expense management, journals, VAT returns, personal income tax return, Peppol registration, a free business account, and a tax guarantee (€500 with Taxes, €10,000 with Max).
• Not supported: special VAT regimes (e.g., the margin scheme), foreign VAT / OSS / IOSS, and personal income tax for a company director of a BV.
• Try it: the free invoicing tier stays free; paid plans come with a 30-day money-back guarantee.
• Link: accountable.eu/nl-be

Which one should you choose?

Both get the job done. Choose based on your situation:

• You have a sole proprietorship and want one package that covers everything, with active tracking of your student thresholds → Dexxter is a good fit here, and with the 50% Gentrepreneur discount the price becomes very low.
• You only invoice occasionally and want to start without paying → start with Accountable’s free invoicing tier and scale up once you need VAT returns and personal income tax.
• You may switch to a company later → Accountable remains usable then; Dexxter doesn’t (sole proprietorships only).
• Not sure? Both let you test without obligation. Do that before taking an annual subscription, and immediately enter a real invoice and a real expense.

When do you actually need an accountant?

Once you are no longer operating as a sole proprietor, an accountant becomes the norm rather than the exception:

• Company (BV, CommV, …): you must use double-entry bookkeeping, file annual accounts, and submit corporate income tax. In practice, you don’t do that yourself.
• Switching from a sole proprietorship to a company: have the timing, contributions and tax consequences calculated.
• More complex tax situation: foreign VAT, OSS/IOSS for e-commerce, the margin scheme, employees on payroll, large investments and depreciation, copyright income, an investment round.
• Combination: you keep everything in software and bring in an accountant for year-end closing and the tax return. Both tools let your accountant review for free.

Looking for an accountant? See Finding an accountant: AccountantMatch (Xerius).

Getting started (practical)

1. Choose your tool and set it up before your first invoice, not after.
2. Connect your business bank account and configure your invoice template and Peppol.
3. Record expenses immediately, or at least at one fixed moment each week.
4. Put your VAT and filing deadlines in your calendar—outside your exam periods.
5. Check your thresholds quarterly (VAT, social contributions, fiscal dependency).
6. Unsure about your specific situation? Book coaching via Startium or join the group session First aid for bookkeeping.

Sources

• Dexxter — prices: https://dexxter.be/prijzen/
• Dexxter — student self-employed: https://dexxter.be/student-zelfstandigen/
• Accountable — prices: https://www.accountable.eu/nl-be/prijzen/
• Accountable — who can use Accountable in Belgium: https://www.accountable.eu/nl-be/help-center/wie-kan-accountable-gebruiken-in-belgie/

Related articles

• Finding an accountant: AccountantMatch (Xerius)
• Student self-employed: started up — what now? (VLAIO checklist)
• Starting as a student self-employed: thresholds & administration (Gentrepreneur - Startium Board)
• Mandatory e-invoicing (Peppol)
• Group session: First aid for bookkeeping
• Inkind benefits and discounts via Gentrepreneur