Guides
Bookkeeping in the Netherlands, explained
Dutch rules apply to everyone equally. The explanations about them exist almost exclusively in Dutch — which is precisely the problem if you run a business here and don't read that language.
In short
These guides cover four subjects every entrepreneur in the Netherlands encounters: the VAT return and what boxes 1a through 5b mean, the small businesses scheme with its € 20,000 turnover threshold, which parts of your records you must keep for seven years, and what changes the moment you supply a customer in another EU country. Every subject is available in five languages: Dutch, English, Polish, Hungarian and Romanian.
The subjects
VAT return
How often you file, what boxes 1a through 5b mean, and the three mistakes that get made most often.
Read onSmall businesses scheme
The € 20,000 threshold, what changes if you join, and the exception that gets missed most often.
Read onKeeping records
What you must keep for seven years, why digital is allowed, and which file the Tax Administration asks for during an audit.
Read onSelling within the EU
Business or consumer is the first question: it decides whether you end up at box 3b and the EC Sales List or at the € 10,000 threshold.
Read onUpdated August 25, 2026. General explanation of the Dutch rules, not tax advice — for your own situation, decide together with your accountant or the Dutch Tax Administration.
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