Clarity. Accuracy. Confidence.
Learn Dutch business & taxes
Short, plain-English cards that explain how business in the Netherlands actually works. No jargon, no 40-page PDFs — about three minutes each.
- VAT & KOR
What is VAT (BTW)?
The tax you add to your prices, collect from customers, and pass on to the tax office. It never belongs to you.
3 min read - VAT & KOR
What is the KOR?
A scheme for small businesses under €20.000 turnover: you stop charging VAT, and you stop reclaiming it too.
3 min read - Costs & deductions
Deductible business expenses
What counts as a business cost, what it actually saves you, and where the limits sit.
3 min read - Invoicing
What a Dutch invoice must contain
Nine details make an invoice valid. Miss one and your client may not be able to deduct it — or pay it on time.
2 min read - Growing your business
What happens if I cross the KOR threshold?
Passing €20.000 is good news with paperwork attached. Here is the sequence, step by step.
3 min read
Made for your situation
Real situations you're likely to hit, answered in two sentences. Pick the profile that fits you.
You run a business here but grew up with another country's tax system.Matched to your profile
You just got a BTW-ID and an OB number and don't know which to use where.
The BTW-ID is public: it goes on every invoice and your website. The OB number is private and only used when you file with the Belastingdienst.
What a Dutch invoice must containWhat to do
Check your invoice template has the BTW-ID, not the OB number.
Your client is a company in another EU country. Do you charge Dutch VAT?
Usually no — VAT is reverse-charged to the client. You put 0% on the invoice, add their valid VAT number and the words 'VAT reverse-charged', and report it separately.
What is VAT (BTW)?What to do
Save the client's VAT number with the transaction so your quarterly return matches.
You keep hearing about 'two tax bills' — income tax and something else.
VAT is money you collect for the state and pay quarterly. Income tax (plus the ZVW health contribution) is on your profit and settled once a year. They are separate pots — never spend the VAT.
What is VAT (BTW)?What to do
Set your savings target on the dashboard so both are covered.
Ask the learning assistant
Ask a question in plain language. You get a short explanation and a topic to read next — not tax advice.
New to doing business in the Netherlands?
Plain-language guides to KVK registration, VAT, expenses, income tax and invoicing — written for first-time and international entrepreneurs in the Netherlands.
These explanations are simplified for clarity and are not tax advice. Rules change; check with the Belastingdienst or ask Ardel for a review.