Invoice generator for the Netherlands (factuur) in English

How to create an invoice for Netherlands

1. Check the region and currency. The editor opens with Netherlands defaults: EUR, VAT (BTW) presets and the right date and number format. Change the currency in the settings if you bill in another one.
2. Add your business details. Enter your name, address and BTW-id and kvk number. Upload a logo if you have one. Save it as a business profile so you can reuse it next time.
3. Add the client. Fill in the customer’s name and address and their customer btw-id where it applies. Saved clients are stored in your browser for next time.
4. Add line items and tax. Describe each item, enter quantity and rate, and choose a VAT (BTW) preset or set your own rate. The totals update as you type, and you can switch between tax-exclusive and tax-inclusive prices.
5. Check the checklist and terms. Open the compliance checklist to see which required fields are still empty, then choose payment terms, add bank details and notes.
6. Pick a template and colour, then export. Choose one of the 15 templates and colour themes, then download the PDF, use Print / Save as PDF, or export a PNG. Everything is created in your browser.

The Dutch factuur: who needs one and what it must say

In the Netherlands, businesses that sell to other businesses or to consumers must issue a factuur in most cases, and the Belastingdienst (Dutch tax administration) sets the minimum content in its invoice requirements (factuureisen). Freelancers (zzp’ers), sole proprietorships (eenmanszaak), partnerships and companies all follow the same principles. If you sell to consumers, you need not always issue an invoice, but you must if they ask, and business customers will expect one.

This page is written in English for international freelancers and expats who invoice Dutch clients. You can rename labels to Dutch in the label settings, for example “Factuurnummer” and “Factuurdatum”. The editor formats amounts with a decimal comma and dot thousands separators, as is usual in Dutch documents.

What must be on a Dutch invoice

The Belastingdienst lists the details an invoice must contain. The fields below follow the live checklist in the editor; compare them with the official list in the sources box:

• Supplier name, address, BTW-id and KvK number
• Customer name and address
• Unique sequential number and invoice date
• Description, quantity, price excl. VAT per line
• VAT rate and amount (or exemption wording)

• The date of issue and a unique, sequential invoice number.
• Your full name and address, and the customer’s.
• Your BTW-identificatienummer (VAT ID, in the form NL123456789B01) and your KvK number from the Chamber of Commerce.
• The quantity and nature of the goods or services, and the date the supply took place, if different from the invoice date.
• The price excluding VAT, the VAT rate and the VAT amount, or a reference to the exemption.

The BTW-id is not the same as your old BTW number based on your BSN: since 2020, sole proprietors have a separate BTW-id for invoices so they do not have to publish their citizen service number. Use the BTW-id on invoices.

BTW rates and the small-business scheme (KOR)

The standard Dutch VAT rate is 21%. A reduced rate of 9% applies to groups of goods and services such as food, books and some labour-intensive services. A 0% rate applies to exports outside the EU, intra-EU supplies to business customers, and some other supplies. The editor’s presets provide each rate.

Small businesses can opt into the kleineondernemersregeling (KOR). If your annual turnover in the Netherlands is below €20,000 and you register for the scheme, you do not charge VAT and cannot reclaim input VAT. Invoices under the KOR must not show VAT, and must contain a reference to the scheme. The generator’s KOR flag prints a wording based on article 25 of the Wet OB, but the Belastingdienst sets precise requirements on its page for KOR invoices, so verify before using it.

When you invoice a business customer in another EU country for services, you normally issue the invoice without Dutch BTW and write “BTW verlegd” (VAT reverse-charged), showing both VAT numbers. Our reverse-charge guide has details, and the VAT calculator works out the numbers.

A worked example

Daan is a zzp UX designer in Utrecht who invoices a Dutch SaaS company for 40 hours at €85 per hour plus €45 for stock illustrations.

He adds his KvK number, BTW-id, a payment term of 14 days and his IBAN. Because Dutch clients often pay by bank transfer with the invoice number as description, he includes a “betalingskenmerk” (payment reference).

Payment terms and late payment

Dutch law allows parties to agree a payment term, with statutory commercial interest if payment is late in a business transaction. The Dutch Civil Code sets rules on maximum payment terms for large companies and on the commercial interest rate, which the government adjusts twice a year. Check the current rate before claiming. If no term was agreed, the customer is typically in default 30 days after receiving the invoice or goods, but read the Civil Code article on this for your case.

It helps to be precise: write “Please pay before 12 November 2026” instead of “within 14 days”. For more, see the payment terms explainer.

The Belastingdienst requires you to keep your administration, including invoices, for seven years in general. Some records need longer, such as property-related VAT. See our retention guide.

Mistakes to avoid

• Using the old BSN-based BTW number instead of the BTW-id.
• Forgetting the KvK number.
• Showing VAT when you are in the KOR scheme.
• Not writing “BTW verlegd” on B2B EU services.
• Mixing VAT rates without showing each rate and amount.
• Late invoicing. Issue invoices promptly: in the Netherlands, an invoice for a supply to a business should generally be issued by the 15th day of the following month, but confirm with the Belastingdienst.

Who should use this page

This page suits zzp’ers and small studios in the Netherlands who invoice in English, expats starting a Dutch eenmanszaak, and foreign freelancers invoicing Dutch clients. It is not accounting software: it will not file your BTW return, link to your bank or send the invoice to a Peppol network. If your customers require Peppol or UBL invoices, use a tool that supports them, and use this one for quotes, drafts, foreign customers or a clean PDF copy. Pair it with the hourly rate calculator to set your price, the due date calculator for exact payment dates, and the invoice number generator for a numbering scheme that will survive an audit.

Getting paid faster in the Netherlands

Dutch businesses pay by bank transfer to an IBAN, and consumers often use iDEAL or a payment request link. Put your IBAN on the invoice with a payment reference (betalingskenmerk) and keep the term short and clear: 14 days is common for zzp’ers, 30 days for larger organisations. State the due date as an exact date.

If an invoice is overdue, send a reminder (betalingsherinnering) the day after the due date. A second, firmer letter, often called an aanmaning, should set a final deadline and, for consumers, meet the rules about the 14-day notice before collection costs can be charged. The Netherlands has a law on extrajudicial collection costs (the Wet incassokosten), which caps what you can charge, so check the rules before you add costs to a reminder.

Many zzp’ers also use a deposit or a monthly retainer to smooth cash flow. See the deposit and milestone guide and the hourly rate calculator to check your rate covers non-billable time.

Glossary

BTW

Belasting over de toegevoegde waarde, Dutch VAT.

KOR

Kleineondernemersregeling, the small-business VAT scheme.

KvK

Kamer van Koophandel, the Chamber of Commerce.

zzp’er

Zelfstandige zonder personeel, a self-employed person with no staff.

BTW verlegd

VAT reverse-charged to the customer.

Related topics

• factuur sjabloon
• Dutch invoice template
• zzp factuur
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