From figures to compliance: external hiring as an area of opportunity for accountants

Since the Tax and Customs Administration will once again be actively enforcing the rules on bogus self-employment as of January 1, 2025, the use of self-employed professionals is higher than ever on the compliance agenda. Newtone's white paper*Working with Self-Employed Professionals* outlines this, and PWC also recently addressed the issue .

In this playing field, accountants are once again coming into the picture. Because where legal and tax complexity converge with operational practice, there is a need for overview, assessment, and policy—all areas in which accountants can expand their role as advisors. External hiring thus becomes not only a risk, but also an opportunity for a new form of service provision.

For many accountants, the core of their services has traditionally been finance, auditing, and reporting. But practices are changing. Clients increasingly expect their accountants to also consider broader operational and legal risks. It is precisely in this advisory role that accountants can add significant value—by providing an overview, clarifying risks, and assisting clients with practical solutions.For many accountants, the core of their services has traditionally been finance, auditing, and reporting. But practices are changing. Clients increasingly expect their accountants to also contribute ideas about broader operational and legal risks. In this advisory role, accountants can add significant value, especially now, by providing an overview, clarifying risks, and assisting clients with practical solutions.

Flexible work: where finance and regulation converge

One area in which this broader advisory role is particularly relevant at present is the use of flexible labor. Organizations work with self-employed professionals, temporary workers, and seconded employees, but struggle with questions about the right approach. Are we doing it right? Are we running any risks? There is a great deal of uncertainty surrounding legislation and regulations. Consider the following:

• the DBA Act and the expected more intensive enforcement,
• the WAADI, with mandatory registration when providing labor,
• the GDPR, when processing personal data of hired professionals,
• screening requirements (such as certificates of good conduct or WGS audits) in sectors such as healthcare, government, and financial services,
• and risks related to bogus self-employment, chain liability, or non-market-based rates.

This is precisely where an opportunity lies for accountants: by providing insight, identifying risks, and helping clients gain control over their flexible workforce.

External hiring: the opportunity

The use of external talent has become an integral part of modern personnel policy. However, clients often lack overview and expertise. Many organizations are insufficiently aware of their obligations or work with fragmented processes without clear compliance checks. This is increasing the need for reliable support—and that demand is increasingly being directed to accountants.

Develop expertise with the right tools

HR or financial systems are rarely equipped to handle the specific compliance requirements of external hiring. They lack automatic DBA risk assessment, built-in contract flow, or central vendor and screening processes. That's why it's smart to get the right tools in place. Software that is built for this domain—but that can also be linked to existing HR and financial systems.

OLLI: the platform that helps accountants take on a new advisory role

OLLI is an all-in-one solution for Total Talent Management that enables accountants to set up a concrete compliance and advisory service for clients who work with external talent. Examples include:

• 🔍 AI-driven risk assessment (including the Dutch DBA Act)
• 📄 Contracting, documents, and rate agreements in one flow
• ✅ Fully integrated screening and vendor management
• 📊 Dashboards and reports for both office and customer

New revenue models for accountants

More and more administrative and accounting firms are developing new services related to external hiring. For example, they set up a Flexdesk for clients, offer DBA scanning services, or integrate hiring issues into their broader compliance approach. In doing so, they broaden their services, increase their added value, and strengthen their relationship with their clients.