From 1 January 2026, Circular No. 152/2025/TT-BTC of the Ministry of Finance took effect, replacing Circular No. 88/2021/TT-BTC. Under the new rules, household businesses (hộ kinh doanh) and individual businesses within its scope must keep accounting books using standard forms.
Keeping accounting books helps a household business manage its revenue, costs and operations better. It is also the basis on which the tax authority compares the books with e-invoice data to check that tax has been declared correctly.
Who may do the accounting?
Circular 152/2025/TT-BTC lets household and individual businesses choose who does their accounting. The books may be kept by:
- the head of the household business or the individual business owner;
- an organisation or individual hired to provide accounting services;
- a family member such as a father, mother, wife, husband, child, brother or sister;
- the manager of the household business, who also takes on the accounting work.
Whoever keeps the books, the records must be complete, honest and accurate and must reflect the actual business transactions, so that they can be checked against invoices and supporting documents when the tax authority carries out an inspection.
Which accounting books must a household business use?
Household and individual businesses use different forms of accounting book under Circular 152/2025/TT-BTC, depending on their tax calculation method and size.
An FC Legal lawyer will discuss it with you and propose a suitable approach.
Household businesses with revenue not subject to VAT and PIT
A household business whose revenue is below the threshold for value-added tax (VAT) and personal income tax (PIT) uses the Sales Revenue Book for Goods and Services (Form S1a-HKD). This book records daily revenue based on invoices and supporting documents. It is the evidence of the household business’s actual revenue.
Household businesses paying tax as a percentage of revenue
A household business paying tax under this method uses the Sales Revenue Book for Goods and Services (Form S2a-HKD). This form tracks revenue for each period and separates taxable from non-taxable revenue, so the correct amount of tax can be worked out.
Household businesses with several business lines
A household business that works in several fields at the same time, such as trading, services or manufacturing, uses the Sales Revenue Book for Goods and Services (Form S2b-HKD). Recording revenue separately for each business line makes it possible to apply the correct tax rate to each activity.
Household businesses paying tax under the declaration method
This group must keep fuller records. A household business in this group needs the following books:
- Detailed Book of Revenue and Expenses (Form S2c-HKD): tracks revenue, expenses and income as the basis for working out the tax due;
- Detailed Book of Materials, Tools, Products and Goods (Form S2d-HKD): tracks goods and materials received, issued and in stock;
- Detailed Book of Cash and Bank Deposits (Form S2e-HKD): records money received and paid in cash and through bank accounts.
These books help the household business manage its operations more closely and are the basis for determining taxable income as required.
| Type of household business | Accounting book (form) |
|---|---|
| Revenue not subject to VAT and PIT | S1a-HKD: Sales Revenue Book for Goods and Services |
| Tax paid as a percentage of revenue | S2a-HKD: Sales Revenue Book for Goods and Services |
| Several business lines | S2b-HKD: Sales Revenue Book for Goods and Services |
| Tax paid under the declaration method | S2c-HKD (revenue and expenses), S2d-HKD (materials, tools, products and goods), S2e-HKD (cash and bank deposits) |
| Special taxes (resource tax, environmental protection tax and others) | S3a-HKD: Book for Tracking Other Tax Obligations |
Summary table of the forms described in this section.
Household businesses with special taxes
A household business that has to pay taxes such as resource tax, environmental protection tax or other special taxes uses the Book for Tracking Other Tax Obligations (Form S3a-HKD) to track each of these taxes separately.
Points to note when keeping accounting books
To comply with the law, household and individual businesses should:
- record every transaction in full, using the correct form of accounting book;
- keep all invoices and supporting documents used as the basis for the entries;
- make sure the figures in the books match the e-invoice data;
- keep the books and documents for the required period, so that state authorities can inspect them when needed.
Complete and accurate records help a household business comply with the law, manage its operations more effectively and limit tax risks.
Tax declaration obligations and penalties
Besides keeping accounting books, household and individual businesses must also fully meet their tax declaration obligations.
For failing to file a tax return or filing it late, the current penalties are:
- a fine of VND 8,000,000 to VND 15,000,000 for not filing a tax return, or filing it 61 to 90 days late, even where no tax is payable;
- a fine of VND 15,000,000 to VND 25,000,000 for filing a tax return more than 90 days late where tax is payable.
In addition to the fine, the taxpayer must still meet all of its financial obligations under the law.
Conclusion
Circular 152/2025/TT-BTC sets new requirements for the accounting books of household and individual businesses from 1 January 2026. Choosing the right accounting books, recording every transaction and meeting tax declaration obligations will help a household business limit legal risk, avoid penalties and run its business more effectively.
If you are not sure which accounting regime applies to your household business, or you need advice on accounting, tax and other rules for household businesses, FC Legal’s lawyers are ready to help and support you as your business operates.
Not sure which books apply to you?
FC Legal can check which accounting regime applies to your household business and review your tax declaration obligations.
Please do not send confidential documents or personal data through the form.
This article is general information and does not replace advice on a specific case. It reflects the law in force at the date of publication.
Prepared and reviewed by the FC Legal legal team, FC Legal Law Company Limited, advising businesses on governance, contracts, employment, intellectual property and personal data protection.
