Knowledge base
Practical guides on invoicing, VAT and freelancing in the Netherlands, including guides written for internationals.
Creating invoices
The basics: what an invoice must contain, how to number it and how to invoice as a freelancer.
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Invoicing in Word or InDesign: when it works and when it breaks
An invoice template in Word or InDesign is fine for a few invoices a year. Here is where it breaks once you invoice more often, and what to do about it.
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What must a Dutch invoice contain? The mandatory details
A full checklist of the invoice details the Dutch tax office requires, explained item by item, with the special cases for VAT exemption and reverse charge.
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Invoicing as a freelancer (zzp) in the Netherlands
A practical guide for freelancers: which details belong on your invoice, how VAT works, payment terms and how to make a tidy invoice quickly.
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The invoice number: rules and examples
What are the rules for invoice numbers in the Netherlands? Unique and sequential numbering explained, with practical examples and common mistakes.
Choosing an invoicing tool
Excel, an invoicing tool or a bookkeeping suite: what fits the way you work, and what it really costs.
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Invoicing without a subscription: how paying per invoice works
No subscription needed to send a proper invoice. How to invoice without an account, pay only for the PDF, and see when a subscription does pay off.
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Can I invoice without a bookkeeping suite?
Yes, invoicing without a bookkeeping suite is allowed. What the Dutch tax office requires, how your accountant gets everything, and when a suite makes sense.
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Invoicing tool for under 10 invoices a month: what makes sense?
Send fewer than ten invoices a month? Then a bookkeeping suite soon costs too much. When paying per invoice beats a plan, and what you miss out on.
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Invoicing tool or Excel: when is a template no longer enough?
An invoice in Excel or Word is fine for a few invoices a year. These are the four moments when an invoicing tool saves time and mistakes, and what it costs.
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A Moneybird alternative when you only want to invoice
Moneybird is a bookkeeping suite; if you only invoice, you pay for features your accountant already has. What you gain and lose by switching, and how.
VAT and tax
Working out the rates, rounding correctly and invoicing without VAT under the small business scheme.
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The Belgian small business exemption: invoicing without VAT
What the Belgian exemption scheme is, who can use it, which note your invoice must carry, and what happens above the 25,000 euro turnover threshold.
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The Dutch small businesses scheme (KOR): invoicing without VAT
What is the KOR and when is it worth it? The 20,000 euro turnover threshold, what it means for your invoices, and the pros and cons.
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Calculating VAT in the Netherlands: 21%, 9% and 0% explained
How do you calculate VAT (btw) on a Dutch invoice? The three rates explained, with worked examples, reverse calculation and the rounding rule.
Quotes
An offer that holds up, and how to get it accepted faster.
Getting paid
Reminders, formal notices and what you may charge when a client does not pay.
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How do I send an invoice with an iDEAL payment link?
An invoice with an iDEAL payment link gets paid sooner. What your client sees, what it costs via MultiSafepay or Mollie, and how it marks itself paid.
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Which invoicing tool works with Mollie?
Already on Mollie? Get your invoices paid through it. How to connect Mollie, what Mollie and factuurmaken charge per payment, and when MultiSafepay is easier.
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Can my client ignore my 14-day payment term and pay in 30 days?
Your invoice says 14 days, but your client pays after 30. Learn when your payment term applies under Dutch law and how to respond politely.
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How to write a friendly payment reminder, with an example
Create a friendly payment reminder in three steps. Enter your business name and invoice details, then copy your personalised sample email.
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Invoice not paid? How to send a payment reminder
Your invoice is overdue: when to send a reminder, what goes in it, and how formal notices, collection costs and statutory interest work in the Netherlands.
E-invoicing
UBL, Peppol and sending invoices digitally to government bodies and large organisations.
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What is the difference between UBL and Peppol?
UBL is the file format of an e-invoice, Peppol the network you deliver it over. When you need which, what NLCIUS and Peppol BIS are and how you send.
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What is a UBL invoice? E-invoicing explained
What is UBL and how does an e-invoice differ from a PDF? NLCIUS, Peppol, when you need a UBL invoice and how to send one.
For expats and internationals
Starting out, taxes and invoicing in the Netherlands and Belgium when you are new here.
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Dutch invoice requirements: checklist for expats and starters
Every detail a valid Dutch invoice must contain, the VAT rates, when to reverse charge, how long to keep invoices and the mistakes the tax office spots first.
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Starting a business in the Netherlands as an expat
BSN, KVK registration, VAT numbers and legal forms: the practical steps to becoming self-employed in the Netherlands when you moved here from abroad.
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Invoicing foreign clients: VAT, reverse charge and the ICP return
How VAT works when you invoice abroad from the Netherlands: the EU reverse charge, checking a VAT number in VIES, the ICP return and clients outside the EU.
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Invoicing a client in Belgium from the Netherlands
VAT reverse charge to Belgian businesses, the mandatory Belgian e-invoicing rules, structured payment references and what to watch out for.
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Income tax for freelancers in the Netherlands: what to expect
VAT returns versus income tax, entrepreneur deductions, the hours criterion, how much to set aside and why the 30% ruling rarely helps the self-employed.
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Can a Dutch business invoice in English and in another currency?
Yes to both, with two conditions: the VAT amount must be shown in euros and the tax office may ask for a translation. What that means in practice.