Devold Consulting provides accounting, payroll, tax and business advice for entrepreneurs and small businesses in Bergen. Whether you are starting your first business in Norway, taking on employees or looking for a new accountant, we help you understand your figures and organise your financial responsibilities.
From our office at Tertnes in Åsane, we work with business owners in Bergen and clients elsewhere in Norway through digital accounting systems.
Starting a business in a new country involves unfamiliar terminology, registrations and reporting requirements. Our aim is to make the accounting side easier to understand, with practical explanations and a clear agreement about who does what.
Contact us to discuss your business and accounting needs.
A local accounting partner for your business
A good accountant should help you see what the numbers mean for your everyday decisions. Can you afford another employee? Why is cash tight when the accounts show a profit? Which tasks can you handle yourself, and where would professional assistance be useful?
At Devold Consulting, we combine ongoing accounting work with advice suited to the size and needs of your business. We work with both sole proprietors and limited companies, including owner-managed businesses with up to 30 employees.
You can meet our team or read more about Devold Consulting. Most of the detailed service pages and articles linked below are in Norwegian; we are happy to discuss the relevant topics with you in English.
Accounting services in Bergen
Bookkeeping and financial reporting
Reliable accounts start with good routines for invoices, receipts, payments and reconciliation. We help organise your bookkeeping and prepare reports that give you an overview of income, costs and the financial position of your business.
The division of work can be adapted to your needs. You may prefer to handle invoicing and upload receipts yourself, while we take care of bookkeeping, reconciliation and reporting.
Explore our accounting services in Bergen and our guide to what an accountant does.
Payroll and employer responsibilities
Hiring your first employee brings new routines and reporting obligations. We assist with payroll processing, payslips, holiday pay calculations and the reporting included in our engagement.
Before hiring, it is useful to understand the full employment cost, including holiday pay, employer contributions, pension and insurance where applicable.
Read about our payroll services, the cost of employing someone and holiday pay calculations and payments.
VAT, tax and year-end accounts
Norwegian VAT is called merverdiavgift, usually abbreviated to MVA. Whether your business must register, how transactions should be treated and which expenses qualify for deductions depend on your activities and circumstances.
We help you identify the questions that matter for your business and organise the relevant accounting and reporting work. Our services include VAT assistance, tax services and year-end accounts.
Invoicing, payments and business advice
Sending invoices promptly and keeping track of payments makes a real difference to cash flow. We can help establish practical routines for invoicing and supplier payments.
Our business advisory services can also support budgeting, pricing, cash flow planning and decisions about growth.
Starting a business in Bergen as an international entrepreneur
If you are moving to Bergen or have recently arrived in Norway, it helps to establish the right foundations before you start trading. The registration process is only one part of the preparation.
Useful questions to clarify include:
- Which business structure suits your activities, financial risk and plans?
- Do you have the right to live and work as self-employed in Norway?
- Do you need a Norwegian national identity number or a D number?
- Which registrations, industry approvals and reporting obligations apply?
- How will you arrange banking, invoicing and access to public digital services?
- How much money should you set aside for tax and other commitments?
Tell us what you plan to do, whether you will work alone or employ others, and whether you already have a Norwegian identification number. We can then agree on the accounting and registration assistance you need.
Our pages on starting a business and choosing a business structure provide an introduction.
Sole proprietorship or limited company?
Two common options are a sole proprietorship, called an enkeltpersonforetak or ENK, and a private limited company, called an aksjeselskap or AS.
With a sole proprietorship, the owner is personally responsible for the business’s obligations. An AS is a separate legal entity, with its own requirements for capital, administration and reporting. The choice should reflect your risk, expected activities, ownership arrangements and plans for the business.
Altinn provides official English guidance on starting a sole proprietorship and starting a private limited company.
Do you need a D number to start a business in Norway?
A D number is a Norwegian identification number for individuals who need one but do not qualify for a Norwegian national identity number. It is different from the organisation number assigned to a registered business.
If you do not already have a Norwegian identification number, the appropriate application route depends on why you need it and the role you will hold. For registrations handled by the Brønnøysund Register Centre, a D-number application must accompany the relevant registration documents; it cannot be submitted to the register centre on its own.
If you will be registered as the owner of a sole proprietorship using a D number, you must complete an identity check at a tax office before the business can be registered. This also applies if you already have a D number.
Use these official English resources for the application and current documentation requirements:
- Brønnøysund Register Centre: application for a D number
- Brønnøysund Register Centre: registering a sole proprietorship
- Norwegian Tax Administration: D numbers
A D number does not itself grant permission to live or work in Norway. Residence and work requirements must be checked separately with the Norwegian Directorate of Immigration, UDI.
Contact us before submitting your business registration if you would like help clarifying the steps and preparing the relevant documentation.
Digital accounting with personal support
Digital systems make it easier to share documents, follow transactions and work with your accountant wherever you are based.
We work with several accounting systems and can discuss which solution fits your business, your existing routines and how much accounting work you want to do yourself. See our overview of accounting systems.
If you already use a system, changing accountants does not necessarily mean starting again. Read our FAQ: Can I keep my accounting system when changing accountants?
Common questions from business owners
How much does an accountant cost?
The fee depends on the work involved: transaction volume, employees, reporting requirements, the quality of the documentation and the tasks you handle yourself. We discuss the scope with you so that you understand what is included.
Read more about the cost of an accounting engagement.
Why does my bank balance differ from my profit?
Profit and cash are different measures. Customers may not have paid yet, loan repayments reduce cash without being operating expenses, and some costs are recognised in a different period from their payment.
Our explanation of why bank balances and accounting profit differ walks through practical examples.
Is a bank statement enough to document an expense?
A bank transaction normally proves that a payment took place. You will generally also need documentation showing what you purchased, such as an invoice or receipt.
Read our guide to bank transactions and documentation of business expenses.
How can I improve cash flow?
Timely invoicing, following up customer payments, managing stock and planning upcoming commitments can all help. Our FAQ offers practical ways to improve business liquidity.
For more detail, read our articles on maintaining healthy cash flow and why profitable businesses can still go bankrupt.
Official information in English
Norway’s public authorities provide useful English guidance for entrepreneurs:
- Altinn: starting and running a business – an overview of business structures, accounting, tax and employer responsibilities.
- Altinn: planning and starting – guidance for preparing and registering your business.
- Brønnøysund Register Centre – business registration and information about registered entities.
- Norwegian Tax Administration – tax, VAT and identification numbers.
- UDI – residence and work requirements.
Talk to an accountant in Bergen
You do not need to have every detail worked out before contacting us. Tell us about your business, what stage you are at and where you would like assistance.
Whether you need ongoing accounting, help with your first employee or support getting a new business organised, we can discuss a practical way forward.