Overview of which Norwegian laws, standards and industry conventions Macct is built on. Written for auditors, bookkeepers, the Norwegian Tax Administration — or anyone who wants to verify what the system does. The statuses implemented, partial and missing show how far each rule is covered.
| Rule | Requirement | In Macct |
|---|
| § 4 nr. 1 |
Debit = credit on every voucher |
Implemented. Every voucher must balance: total debit = total credit. Unbalanced vouchers are not accepted. Cf. the Bookkeeping Act § 4 no. 1. |
| § 5 |
Voucher requirements: date, description, amount (and counterparty on sub-ledger lines) |
Implemented. A voucher must have a date, description and amount before it can be saved; a counterparty is required on customer and supplier lines (1500/2400). Cf. the Bookkeeping Act § 5. |
| § 5/7 |
Voucher date must be a real date — future dates are blocked |
Implemented. A voucher is recorded on the date the transaction actually took place; future dates are not accepted. Year-end closing and opening entries are exceptions. Cf. the Bookkeeping Act § 7. |
| § 5 |
Documentation (attachment) for input VAT deduction |
Implemented. Deducting input VAT requires documentation (receipt/invoice). A voucher that records input VAT without an attachment is not accepted. Cf. the Bookkeeping Act § 5, the Bookkeeping Regulation § 5-5 and NBS 5. |
| § 9 |
Chart of accounts |
Implemented. A standardised chart of accounts following NS 4102 is included. Cf. the Bookkeeping Act § 9. |
| § 10 |
Traceability — recorded data must be traceable both from documentation to reporting and the other way |
Implemented. Recorded figures can be traced both ways — from voucher to report and back. Each voucher has a fixed number and is recorded with who posted it and when. Cf. the Bookkeeping Act § 10. |
| § 10 |
Tracking changes to master data (customers, suppliers, payroll, user permissions) |
Implemented. Changes to customers, suppliers, payroll and user permissions are logged with who changed what, and when. Cf. the Bookkeeping Act § 10. |
| § 11 |
Specifications: general ledger, customer sub-ledger, supplier sub-ledger |
Implemented. The general ledger, customer sub-ledger and supplier sub-ledger are available as reports. Cf. the Bookkeeping Act § 11. |
| § 13 |
Retention 5 years |
Implemented. Recorded vouchers cannot be changed or deleted, and accounting records are kept for at least 5 years. Corrections are made through reversal entries. Cf. the Bookkeeping Act § 13. |
| § 14 |
Correction via reversal, not deletion |
Implemented. Errors are corrected by reversing the original voucher with a counter-voucher — the original is left untouched. Invoice errors are corrected with a credit note the same way. Cf. the Bookkeeping Act § 14. |
| Rule | Requirement | In Macct |
|---|
| § 1-5 |
Small entity (after 1 Nov 2024): turnover ≤ NOK 168M, total assets ≤ NOK 84M, ≤ 50 FTEs. At most one threshold may be exceeded for two years in a row. |
Checked. Macct is built for small entities, and all three thresholds are checked. Cf. the Accounting Act § 1-6. |
| § 4-1 |
Fundamental principles: accrual, matching, prudence (lowest value), consistency |
Built in. Revenue is recognised when earned (on invoicing, not payment), costs are matched against revenue, and values are assessed prudently. Cf. the Accounting Act § 4-1. |
| § 4-3 |
Congruence principle — results must flow through the income statement, not directly against equity |
Implemented. Results flow through the income-statement accounts, not directly against equity. Direct postings to equity are blocked, except for opening entries, year-end closing and reversals. Cf. the Accounting Act § 4-3. |
| § 4-9 |
Translation of foreign-currency items at the balance-sheet-date rate |
Implemented. Open receivables and payables in foreign currency are translated at the balance-sheet-date rate at year-end, and the unrealised gain/loss is posted. Cf. the Accounting Act § 4-9. |
| § 5-2 |
Fixed assets are capitalised and depreciated |
Implemented. Fixed assets are carried on the balance sheet and depreciated over their useful life. You get a warning if a larger purchase looks like it should be capitalised rather than expensed. Cf. the Accounting Act § 5-3 and the Tax Act § 14-41 (declining-balance depreciation). |
| Simplification/requirement | How in Macct |
|---|
| Simplified note requirements (8 mandatory notes) |
Implemented. The annual accounts set up the mandatory notes for small entities as ready-made drafts — you fill in the figures. Cf. NRS 8 and the Accounting Act § 7-35 ff. |
| No cash-flow statement required |
Omitted. Small entities are not required to prepare a cash-flow statement, so it is not generated. Cf. the Accounting Act § 3-2 and NRS 8. |
| Entertainment — deduction limit NOK 592 per person (2026) |
Implemented. You get a warning when entertainment exceeds the deduction limit of NOK 592 per person (2026), with a pointer to the right account for the non-deductible part. Cf. the Tax Administration's rates for entertainment. |
| Prudence for receivables — lowest value |
Partial. Receivables are revalued at year-end, but assessing bad-debt risk per customer must be done manually. Cf. the Accounting Act § 4-1 (prudence) and NRS 8. |
| Audit obligation — can be opted out if turnover < NOK 7M + assets < NOK 27M + < 10 FTEs (Companies Act § 7-6) |
Checked. Macct shows whether the conditions for opting out of audit are met; the opt-out itself is registered with the Register of Business Enterprises. Cf. the Companies Act § 7-6. |
| Rule | Requirement | How in Macct |
|---|
| § 14-40 |
Capitalisation threshold NOK 30,000 excl. VAT for fixed assets |
Implemented. You get a warning for purchases above NOK 30,000 excl. VAT of fixed assets, because such acquisitions should normally be capitalised on the balance sheet and depreciated — not expensed directly. Cf. the Tax Act § 14-40. |
| § 14-41 |
Declining-balance depreciation, groups A-J with fixed rates (10–30 %) |
Implemented. Tax declining-balance depreciation is calculated per group (A–J) with fixed rates (10–30 %) and posted at year-end. A low balance (≤ NOK 15,000) may be expensed in full. Cf. the Tax Act § 14-41 and § 14-47. |
| § 6-1 |
Deductions in business activity |
Implemented. Costs incurred to generate income are deducted on the correct expense account. Cf. the Tax Act § 6-1. |
| § 6-51 |
Cash-payment rule — expenses ≥ NOK 10,000 must be paid via bank for deductibility |
Implemented. A purchase of NOK 10,000 or more paid in cash does not qualify for deduction — neither for the cost nor for the VAT. Such cash vouchers are not accepted. Cf. the Tax Act § 6-51. |
|
Corporate tax 22 % (AS, 2026) |
Implemented. Corporate tax for an AS is calculated at 22 % and posted in year-end closing. Cf. the Storting's annual tax resolution. |
| Rule | Requirement | How in Macct |
|---|
| § 2-1 |
Registration obligation — turnover > NOK 50,000 in the past 12 months |
Implemented. The obligation to register in the VAT Register arises when taxable turnover passes NOK 50,000 over 12 months. Macct warns as you approach and pass the threshold. Cf. the VAT Act § 2-1. |
|
VAT rates: 25 % (high), 15 % (food), 12 % (low, transport/culture), 0 % (export/exempt) |
Implemented. All rates are supported — 25 %, 15 %, 12 % and 0 % — and VAT is calculated automatically per line. Cf. the Storting's annual VAT resolution. |
|
Bi-monthly return (6 terms/year) or annual return (turnover < NOK 1 million) |
Implemented. The VAT return is filed bi-monthly (6 terms per year), or annually for businesses with turnover below NOK 1 million. You choose the frequency, and Macct warns if turnover passes the threshold. Cf. the Tax Administration Regulation § 8-3-1. |
|
Term lock after the VAT return is filed |
Implemented. Once the VAT return for a term is filed, the term is locked, so a submitted return is not changed afterwards by accident. Cf. the Bookkeeping Act § 13. |
|
SAF-T v1.30 (mandatory from Jan 2025) |
Implemented. The accounts can be exported in SAF-T Financial v1.30 — the standard format the Tax Administration may require during an audit. Cf. the Bookkeeping Regulation § 7-8. |
|
Account / VAT-code consistency |
Implemented. VAT codes must match the account type: accounts for input and output VAT are kept separate, and revenue and expense accounts may only use the correct type of code. Cf. the VAT Act and the SAF-T requirements. |
| § 8-1 |
VAT clearing-account vs basis consistency |
Implemented. The VAT posted to the VAT accounts must match the VAT calculated from the basis (the cost and revenue lines). Discrepancies are not accepted. Cf. the VAT Act § 8-1. |
| § 8-1 |
Identifiable supplier required for VAT deduction |
Implemented. Deducting input VAT requires an identifiable supplier. If the supplier or its organisation number is missing, you get a warning. Cf. the VAT Act § 8-1. |
| Component | In Macct |
|---|
| Account classes 1-8 (assets, equity+liabilities, sales revenue, cost of goods, payroll, depreciation, operating, finance+tax) |
Implemented. A full chart of accounts with account classes 1–8 following NS 4102 is built in. Cf. NS 4102. |
| Sub-ledger accounts 1500 (customer) / 2400 (supplier) require per-partner specification |
Implemented. Postings to the customer (1500) and supplier (2400) accounts require a partner, so the sub-ledger can be specified per customer and supplier. Cf. the Bookkeeping Act § 11. |
| VAT clearing accounts 1610-1619 / 27xx |
Implemented. Dedicated accounts for input (1610–1619) and output VAT (27xx) are used automatically when VAT is posted. Cf. NS 4102. |
| Rule/requirement | In Macct |
|---|
| General ledger in NOK |
Implemented. The general ledger is always kept in Norwegian kroner; amounts in foreign currency are converted to NOK when posted. Cf. the Accounting Act § 3-4. |
| Daily rate from Norges Bank |
Implemented. Exchange rates are fetched automatically from Norges Bank for the transaction date. Cf. good accounting practice. |
| Rate source must be documented for manual overrides (Bookkeeping Act § 7) |
Implemented. If you override the automatic rate manually, you must state the source of the rate (e.g. the bank's exchange note). Cf. the Bookkeeping Act § 7. |
| Realised currency difference at payment |
Implemented. If the customer pays at a different rate than the invoice was posted at, the difference is posted automatically as a currency gain or loss. Cf. good accounting practice. |
| Unrealised currency difference at 31 Dec (Accounting Act § 4-9) |
Implemented. Open foreign-currency items are valued at the balance-sheet-date rate at year-end, and the unrealised gain/loss is posted. Cf. the Accounting Act § 4-9. |
| Amounts stored in both currency and NOK |
Implemented. Each posting is stored both in the original currency and converted to NOK, so both are always traceable. Cf. the Bookkeeping Act § 7. |
| Correct unit for the rate (e.g. per 100 JPY) |
Implemented. Some currencies (JPY, HUF, KRW) are quoted per 100 units; the conversion accounts for this. Cf. Norges Bank's rate quotation. |
| Rounding to the øre on conversion to NOK |
Implemented. Converting a currency amount to NOK can produce a rounding difference of one øre; it is handled so that a voucher that balances in currency also balances in NOK. Genuine imbalances are still rejected. Cf. the Bookkeeping Act § 4 no. 1. |
| Layer | Mechanism |
|---|
| User interface |
Guidance and warnings while you post. You get explanatory messages pointing to the correct posting. |
| Business logic |
Fixed checks before a voucher is accepted: balance requirement, a partner on customer and supplier receivables, locked periods, correct direction on VAT codes, the congruence principle, a documented rate source, and a reasonable voucher date. |
| Storage |
The same requirements are also enforced on save: a partner on customer/supplier accounts, one currency per voucher, immutable vouchers in closed periods, and consecutive voucher numbers. |
| Daily reconciliation |
Sub-ledger reconciliation: every night it is checked that the sum of customer receivables and supplier payables matches the balance in the general ledger. Currency reconciliation: every night it is checked that the NOK amounts match the currency conversion. Discrepancies are flagged automatically. |
| Requirement | In Macct |
|---|
| Status flow: DRAFT → READY_FOR_REVIEW → APPROVED → SUBMITTED |
Implemented. The tax return follows a fixed flow — draft → ready for review → approved → submitted — with no steps skipped. |
| Never auto-submit to Altinn |
Implemented. A tax return is never submitted automatically; every step requires explicit human approval. |
| SHA-256 hash of the accounting data |
Implemented. The accounting data is secured with a checksum (SHA-256) that is verified from draft to submission, so nothing changes unnoticed along the way. |
| Audit trail |
Implemented. Every step is logged with who, when and what — a complete audit trail. |
| Component | In Macct |
|---|
| Monthly payroll run (gross → tax withholding → net) |
Implemented. The monthly payroll run computes gross, tax withholding and net. Cf. the Tax Payment Act. |
| Employer's national insurance (AGA) per zone |
Implemented. Employer's national insurance is calculated by zone rate and posted. Cf. the National Insurance Act § 23-2. |
| Holiday pay 12 % (Holidays Act) |
Implemented. Holiday pay is accrued on an ongoing basis, normally at 12 %. Cf. the Holidays Act § 10. |
| A-melding |
Implemented. The A-melding is built for export, but is not submitted automatically. Cf. the A-opplysning Act. |
| Payslip as PDF (Working Environment Act § 14-15 (4)) |
Implemented. Payslips are produced as a PDF per employee, with the national ID number masked for privacy. Cf. the Working Environment Act § 14-15 (4). |
| Electronic tax cards from the Tax Administration |
Implemented. Electronic tax cards are fetched from the Tax Administration and used for the withholding. Table-card withholding follows the Tax Administration's official tables. Cf. the Tax Payment Act § 5-4 and the Tax Payment Regulation § 5-1-1. |
| Tax-free June / half-rate December (Tax Payment Reg. § 5-7-1) |
Implemented. Table cards give a tax-free June and half withholding in December; percentage cards withhold the same rate all year. Cf. the Tax Payment Regulation § 5-7-1. |
For a small entity within the NRS 8 framework, Macct covers the essentials. The following is deliberately not automated or out of scope:
