Backup for Exact Online
Exact Online does not automatically create a backup of your financial records and accounts. Here is what is genuinely at stake — and how to protect it in under an hour.
((Dutch Tax Authority fiscal retention obligation))
What is actually stored in Exact Online?
Exact Online is the daily operational backbone for many accountants, SMEs and financial services. What most users don't realise: all that data is not automatically protected against loss.
Typical data that lives in Exact Online and can be lost:
- general ledger — years of transaction history, required for tax authority
- VAT returns — quarterly and annual VAT filings
- invoices — sales and purchase invoices per debtor/creditor
- year-end accounts — annual financial statements and audit files
All of this data falls under Dutch Tax Authority fiscal retention obligation, which means you must be able to reproduce it for 7 years.
Does Exact Online automatically create a backup?
Exact Online is cloud-based, so your data is safe — right? This is the most common misconception among accountants, SMEs and financial services.
Exact guarantees that the platform runs, not that your data can be recovered after ransomware or errors.
Ransomware
Encrypts everything — including data synchronised via Exact Online. Without an offline backup you have no clean recovery point.
Human error
A deleted record, an overwritten import or a mistaken bulk action — Exact Online offers limited or no undo functionality after more than 30 days.
Integration overwrite
Connections with webshops or payroll tools can overwrite entire datasets on a configuration error — with no undo option.
How Mindtime protects Exact Online data
Mindtime connects directly to Exact Online via a local agent combined with a direct API connection and creates continuous incremental backups.
| Scenario | Exact Online alone | With Mindtime backup |
|---|---|---|
| Ransomware encrypts your data | x | ✓ |
| Employee deletes records | x | ✓ |
| Integration overwrites data | x | ✓ |
| Prove GDPR retention obligation | x | ✓ |
| Data on Dutch servers | AWS Ireland (outside NL) | 100% Netherlands |
What if something goes wrong?
Imagine: it's Monday morning. Exact Online is no longer showing data — ransomware encrypted all accounting data via a phishing email from a fake Exact support address. What now?
Alert received
Mindtime automatically detects that something is wrong and sends an alert.
Choose a recovery point
Choose the moment before the attack. Every increment is saved.
Local recovery started
Recovery starts directly from the local copy. No waiting for a cloud download.
Operational
Your Exact Online environment is running again. All financial records and accounts is intact.
Exact Online and your retention obligation
Data you manage in Exact Online typically falls under Dutch Tax Authority fiscal retention obligation. That means you are legally required to retain those records for 7 years.
Mindtime stores all Exact Online data exclusively on Dutch servers, fully within GDPR jurisdiction.
Mindtime is ISO 27001 certified and ISO 27001 where applicable.
Secure your Exact Online data in five steps
Setup takes less than an hour. After that, the backup runs fully automatically.
Request a demo
We show you how Mindtime works for Exact Online.
Install the Mindtime agent
The agent is installed on your server or workstation.
Configure the backup schedule
Set which data, how frequently and how long it is retained.
First backup + test recovery
We run a test recovery so you know it works.
Runs automatically
Mindtime runs fully automatically. We schedule a brief quarterly review.
Why accountants, SMEs and financial services choose Mindtime
100% on Dutch soil
Your data never leaves the Netherlands. Two redundant data centres within GDPR jurisdiction.
ISO 27001 + ISO 27001
Independently certified. Annual external audit on processes and security.
Hybrid backup: fast recovery
Local copy for fast recovery and cloud copy for disaster scenarios.
No vendor lock-in
Your data is always yours, in standard formats. You can switch or export at any time.
What is actually stored in Exact Online?
Exact Online is the daily operational backbone for many accountants, SMEs and financial services. What most users don't realise: all that data is not automatically protected against loss. Typical data that lives in Exact Online: general ledger, VAT returns, invoices and year-end accounts. All of this falls under Dutch Tax Authority fiscal retention obligation, meaning you must be able to reproduce it for 7 years — even after ransomware, a fire or human error.
Does Exact Online automatically create a backup?
Exact Online is cloud-based, so your data is safe — right? This is the most common misconception among accountants, SMEs and financial services. Exact Online offers high availability — meaning the software is almost always online. But availability is not the same as a backup. Exact guarantees that the platform runs, not that your data can be recovered after a ransomware attack, a deleted account or an integration error.
Ransomware
Encrypts everything — including data in Exact Online. Without an offline backup you have no clean recovery point.
Human error
A deleted record or bulk import error — Exact Online offers limited undo after 30 days.
Integration overwrite
Connections with webshops or payroll tools can overwrite entire datasets on a configuration error — with no undo option.
How Mindtime protects Exact Online data
Mindtime connects directly to Exact Online via a local agent combined with a direct API connection and creates continuous incremental backups — in the background, with no action required on your part. Your data is stored on 100% Dutch servers, fully GDPR-compliant.
| Ransomware encrypts your data | ✗ No recovery | ✓ Restore from pre-attack snapshot |
| Employee deletes records | ✗ Limited undo window | ✓ Record-level recovery |
| Integration overwrites data | ✗ Cannot be undone | ✓ Restore from any point in time |
| GDPR retention obligation | ✗ No audit trail backup | ✓ Point-in-time restore + report |
| Data on Dutch servers | ✗ AWS Ireland (outside NL) | ✓ 100% Netherlands |
What if something goes wrong?
Imagine: it's Monday morning. An employee notices that Exact Online is no longer showing data — ransomware encrypted all accounting data via a phishing email from a fake Exact support address. What now? With Mindtime you are back up and running within 2–4 hours.
Alert received — within minutes
Mindtime automatically detects the problem and sends an alert.
Choose a recovery point — to the minute
Select the moment before the attack in the Mindtime dashboard.
Local recovery started — quickly available
Recovery begins immediately from the local copy — no waiting for a cloud download.
Operational — within 2–4 hours
Your Exact Online environment is running again. All financial records and accounts intact. No ransom paid.
Retention obligation for Exact Online
Data in Exact Online typically falls under Dutch Tax Authority fiscal retention obligation. That means you are legally required to retain records for 7 years and to be able to reproduce them during an audit or legal request. Mindtime configures the correct retention period automatically and stores all data on exclusively Dutch servers — fully within GDPR jurisdiction. Mindtime is ISO 27001 certified — independently verified, not self-declared.
Secure your Exact Online data in five steps
Setting up backup for Exact Online takes less than an hour. After that, the backup runs fully automatically in the background — no manual actions, no maintenance burden.
Request a free demo
We show you how Mindtime works for Exact Online — including the integration for your specific environment.
Install the Mindtime agent
The agent is installed on the server or workstation where Exact Online is running. Average: 20 minutes.
Configure the backup schedule
Set which data, how frequently and how long — aligned to your 7 years retention obligation.
First backup + test recovery
The first full backup starts immediately. We run a test recovery together so you know it works before you ever need it.
Runs automatically — quarterly review
Mindtime runs fully automatically. Monthly backup reports and a brief quarterly review to keep scope up to date.
Why accountants, SMEs and financial services choose Mindtime
Here is why accountants, SMEs and financial services choose Mindtime for backup of Exact Online — and why we are different from generic cloud backup solutions.
- ISO 27001
- NEN 7510
- GDPR-compliant
- Dutch servers
🇳🇱 100% Dutch servers
Your data never leaves the Netherlands. Two redundant data centres — fully GDPR-compliant. No US law exposure.
ISO 27001 + ISO 27001
Independently certified. Annual external audit on processes, systems and security.
⚡ Hybrid backup: fast recovery
Local copy for fast recovery (hours, not days). Cloud copy for disaster scenarios.
No vendor lock-in
Your data is always yours, in standard formats. Switch or export at any time.
Frequently asked questions about backup for Exact Online
Have a different question? Ask us directly.
Does Exact Online automatically create a backup?
Exact Online offers high availability, but that is not the same as a backup. Exact Online syncs your data to their cloud but offers no independent recovery outside their own platform. Mindtime adds an independent, immutable copy.
How long does setup take?
Installation and configuration takes under an hour on average. After the first full backup, all incrementals run automatically.
What does backup for Exact Online cost?
The price depends on data volume and retention window. We provide a tailored quote after a short intake.
What happens when I want to recover data?
Choose the recovery point in the Mindtime dashboard — to the minute. Recover a file, folder or the complete environment. Average: 2–4 hours.
Is Mindtime compliant with Dutch Tax Authority fiscal retention obligation?
Yes. ISO 27001 certified, exclusively Dutch data centres, retention configured for 7 years under Dutch Tax Authority fiscal retention obligation.
Does Mindtime also work with AFAS and Twinfield?
Yes. Mindtime works across your complete IT environment — not just Exact Online. See also: backup for AFAS and backup for Twinfield.
Protect your Exact Online data today
ISO 27001 certified · 100% Dutch servers · Operational within one hour · No vendor lock-in
Free and no obligation. Average setup time: < 1 hour.