SODA Payroll Files in Belgium: Everything You Need to Know

SODA Payroll Files in Belgium: Everything You Need to Know SODA (Social Document of Account) is the Belgian standard format for payroll accounting entries generated by social secretariats. Just like the CODA bank statement is the standard for bank transactions, SODA is the standardized format for all payroll-related bookings. What is a SODA payroll file? A SODA file contains all accounting information arising from your employees' payroll processing. It is created by your social secretariat (Acerta, Securex, SD Worx, Partena Professional) and contains all the details your accounting software needs to correctly process payroll costs. Contents of a SODA file: - Gross salary costs per employee - Employer social security contributions (RSZ/ONSS) - Withholding tax (bedrijfsvoorheffing/précompte professionnel) - Net salary payments per employee - Holiday pay provisions - Meal voucher deductions - Group insurance contributions - Eco-vouchers - Other payroll components Difference between SODA and CODA: This is a frequently asked question. The distinction is straightforward: - CODA bank statement = what moved on your bank account (bank transactions) - SODA payroll file = what you need to account for in terms of salaries (payroll bookings) Both are essential for complete Belgian accounting records. The SODA file provides the analytical breakdown of payroll costs, while the CODA file shows the actual bank payments. Why convert both CODA and SODA? For correct bank reconciliation, you need both. Your SODA file tells you how much you should have paid in salaries, social security, and withholding tax. Your CODA bank statement shows how much you actually paid. CODA OK processes both formats and helps you perform reconciliation automatically. Importing SODA into your accounting software: CODA OK converts SODA files to CSV format compatible with Xero, QuickBooks Online, Exact Online, and other international accounting packages. The result is a directly importable file with all payroll bookings, correctly classified by PCMN account codes. See also our article on "Belgian PCMN Account Codes: A Complete Guide" for more on the Belgian chart of accounts. Frequently Asked Questions Q: How often do you receive a SODA file from your social secretariat? A: SODA files are typically delivered monthly after payroll processing. For companies with bi-weekly payroll, this may be twice a month. Some social secretariats also deliver SODA files automatically via SFTP. Q: What if my social secretariat does not generate SODA files? A: All major Belgian social secretariats (Acerta, Securex, SD Worx, Partena Professional) support the SODA format. Contact your social secretariat and ask them to enable SODA export. Q: Can CODA OK process both SODA payroll files and CODA bank statements? A: Yes, CODA OK processes both CODA bank statements and SODA payroll files. You upload both files in the same platform and receive a converted CSV for each, ready for import. Upload your SODA file in CODA OK today and convert your payroll bookings in seconds to the format of your accounting software.