'True and fair' in the Netherlands: inzicht or getrouw beeld ?

Abstract

In the Netherlands, the standard form of the opinion paragraph of the auditor's report refers to the financial statements giving a getrouw beeld, a phrase which in its literal meaning and material content closely resembles the British ‘true and fair view’. However, in Dutch reporting law, the central overriding criterion is worded differently. According to the law, the financial statements are to give an ‘insight’ into financial position and results. The co-existence of these two phrases, which pre-dates the Fourth Directive, is an interesting departure from practice in other European countries. In this paper, we present an historical analysis of this phenomenon. We argue that it is related to a number of central concerns of the Dutch audit profession, in particular its desire to stay abreast of international developments and its attempts to define a proper balance between auditor responsibility and legal requirements.