Government balance sheet and government debt

The government or EMU balance sheet is the difference between government revenues and expenditure. Government revenues and expenditure are entered in the year, in which the economic value is established, changed or lost or when a legal right or obligation applies, is changed or annulled.

Government or EMU debt is the government debt at nominal value (not at market value). So-called trade credits and transitory entries are not included in the notion of government debt. Mutual debts between the various levels of Dutch government are also excluded.
The EMU debt-to-GDP ratio reflects the relation between government debt and GDP.