15 minutes of manual research per new client
Fiscaal Digitaal is a modern accounting firm in Utrecht that processes more than 200 new clients per month. From freelancers to mid-sized companies -- every new file begins with collecting company details. And that was precisely where the problem lay.
Onboarding a new client took an average of 15 minutes of manual research. An employee had to look up the KVK number on the Chamber of Commerce website, retype the company details into the client system, find and validate the VAT number, and verify that the details matched what the client had provided.
This process was not only time-consuming, it was also error-prone. Typos in company names, incorrect postal codes, invalid VAT numbers -- it happened regularly. And in the accounting world, incorrect company details have direct financial consequences. A wrong VAT number on a tax return can lead to fines and additional assessments.
With more than 200 new clients per month, this meant the team spent over 50 hours per month manually entering and verifying company details. Time that could have been much better spent on actual accounting work.
Automated intake with the KVKBase Widget
Fiscaal Digitaal integrated the KVKBase Widget into their online intake form. When a new client fills in the onboarding form, they only need to enter their KVK number. The widget then automatically retrieves all company details: company name, business address, legal form, SBI codes, and VAT number.
The VAT number is immediately validated against the VIES database, ensuring the firm knows the number is correct and active. The client sees the filled-in details and can confirm them with a single click. The entire process now takes 30 seconds instead of 15 minutes.
<!-- Online intake form -->
<form id="client-intake">
<label>KVK number</label>
<input type="text" id="kvk-nummer"
placeholder="Enter your KVK number" />
<!-- Automatically filled by KVKBase -->
<label>Company name</label>
<input type="text" id="bedrijfsnaam" readonly />
<label>VAT number</label>
<input type="text" id="btw-nummer" readonly />
<label>Business address</label>
<input type="text" id="adres" readonly />
</form>
<script src="https://widget.kvkbase.nl/embed.js"
data-field-kvk="#kvk-nummer"
data-field-name="#bedrijfsnaam"
data-field-vat="#btw-nummer"
data-field-address="#adres">
</script>The validated details are then automatically passed through to Exact Online and Twinfield, the accounting software packages that Fiscaal Digitaal uses. No manual intervention is needed. The employee receives a complete and validated client file that is immediately ready for use.
Implementing the widget in the existing intake form took less than a day. No complex API integration was required, no backend modifications -- just adding a single script to the HTML form. The widget automatically adapts to the website's theme, seamlessly integrating into the existing design.
The onboarding process transformed
Before
- 15 minutes of manual research per client
- Visit KVK website and retype details
- Manually look up and validate VAT number
- Regular errors in company details
- 50+ hours per month on administrative tasks
- Incorrect VAT numbers led to after-the-fact corrections
Now with KVKBase
- 30 seconds per client onboarding
- Client enters their own KVK number
- VAT number automatically validated via VIES
- Zero errors thanks to direct source data
- Team focuses on accounting, not data entry
- Details automatically passed to Exact Online
From administrative burden to streamlined intake
The impact on Fiscaal Digitaal's daily operations was enormous. The onboarding process that previously took 15 minutes has been reduced to 30 seconds. This is not a marginal improvement -- it is a fundamental change in how the firm operates.
The biggest gain is in data reliability. Since implementing KVKBase, the firm has processed zero incorrect VAT numbers. Every VAT number is immediately validated via the VIES database, making it impossible to get an invalid number into the system. This completely eliminates the risk of additional assessments and fines.
With more than 200 clients processed monthly, the firm now saves dozens of hours per month. That time is spent on what accountants do best: providing financial advice and preparing tax returns, instead of retyping data.
The complete intake process has been reduced from 15 minutes of manual work to 30 seconds. The client enters their KVK number and the rest is handled automatically.
Every VAT number is automatically validated against the VIES database. Invalid or inactive numbers are detected immediately, preventing errors in tax returns.
The firm processes more than 200 new clients per month with the automated intake process. Scalability has improved enormously without additional staff.
"Our staff no longer needs to search manually. The intake form handles everything automatically."
Want to save time on client onboarding?
Automate your intake form with the KVKBase Widget. Implementation in less than a day, results visible immediately.