Knowledge base

Guides for freelancers

Practical guidance on invoicing, tax, your rate and your pension in the Netherlands. No jargon, just answers. Written by the makers of Finq.

Invoices & getting paid

Writing a quote as a freelancer: what to include (with example)A good quote wins the job and prevents hassle later. Yet many freelancers hesitate about what exactly to include. This belongs on it, and here is how to turn it into an invoice with one click once accepted. 4 min read Credit invoice: when and how (with example)A wrong amount, a cancelled job or a discount after the fact: sometimes you have to reverse an invoice. You do that not by deleting the old one, but with a credit invoice. Here is how to set it right. 4 min read Invoicing without VAT: when is a VAT-free invoice allowed?Sometimes you put no VAT on your invoice, but the reason why determines what exactly you must state. "No VAT" can be the small business scheme, an exempt service, reverse-charged VAT or the zero rate. Here is how to know which applies. 4 min read Invoicing abroad: reverse-charged VAT explainedA client in Germany or outside the EU? Then you usually charge no Dutch VAT, but that does not mean there is nothing to do. Here is how to invoice abroad correctly, with VAT reverse-charged and the right filings. 5 min read Payment reminder and demand letter: sample texts and termsThe payment term has passed and the money is not there. Annoying, but usually just forgetfulness. A polite reminder and, if needed, a formal demand almost always gets you paid. Sample texts you can copy included. 4 min read Charging travel costs to your client: how to do itIf you drive to a client for a job, you often want those kilometres reimbursed. But what do you charge, and how do you put it neatly on the invoice, with or without VAT? Here is how to bill travel costs without hassle. 4 min read How long must you keep invoices? The retention obligation explainedYou cannot just clean out your administration: the Tax Administration can audit years back. How long you must keep invoices and receipts, what exactly is covered, and how to handle it smartly. 4 min read Unpaid invoice? How to get your money after allSooner or later it happens to every freelancer: the payment term passes and the money is not there. Usually it is sloppiness, sometimes unwillingness. The same approach works for both: start friendly, get more formal step by step, and know your rights. 5 min read Dutch invoice requirements: what must be on your invoice?The Dutch Tax Administration has clear requirements for what an invoice must contain. Miss something and it can mean a fine for you and lost VAT deduction for your client. Fortunately the list is manageable. These are the requirements, plus the exceptions freelancers should know. 5 min read Recurring invoices: billing subscriptions as a freelancerDo you work with fixed monthly amounts, a service contract or a retainer? Then typing out the same invoice every month is a waste of your time. With recurring invoices you automate it. Here is how it works and what to watch for. 4 min read

Tax & deductions

Dutch income tax return for freelancers: from revenue to assessmentYou file a VAT return every quarter, but once a year the real one arrives: income tax on your profit. That is where the bulk of your tax burden sits, and most of your deductions too. Here is how the calculation runs from your revenue to what you actually pay. 6 min read The hours criterion: the 1,225-hour rule for the self-employed deductionThe self-employed deduction and the starter deduction together quickly add up to thousands of euros in tax benefit. The key condition: the hours criterion. You must spend at least 1,225 hours per year on your business. Here is how it works, and how to substantiate it. 5 min read Deductible business expenses: what counts and what does notEvery euro of business costs lowers your profit, and therefore your tax. Yet many freelancers leave deductions on the table, or deduct things that are not allowed. The main rule is simple: costs are deductible when you incur them for your business. The details are stricter. 4 min read The KOR: when is the small business scheme smart?If your revenue stays under 20,000 euros per year, you can opt for the Dutch small business scheme (KOR): no more VAT on your invoices and no VAT returns. Sounds like a pure win, but it often is not. Here is how to weigh it. 4 min read Mileage log requirements of the Dutch Tax AdministrationA mileage log matters for two groups of freelancers: those who claim business kilometres with a private car, and those who want to avoid the private use addition on a company car. In both cases the Tax Administration does not accept estimates, only records that add up. 4 min read Tax deductions for freelancers in 2026As a freelancer you pay tax on your profit, but not on all of it: a stack of deductions lowers your taxable income first. Knowing them easily saves thousands of euros per year. These are the main ones for 2026, conditions included. 4 min read Filing your Dutch VAT return as a freelancer, step by stepFiling a VAT return every quarter is part of freelancing in the Netherlands. The good news: with a tidy administration, the return itself is mostly copying numbers. Here is how it works, step by step. 5 min read

Rate & pension

Pension as a freelancer: your optionsAs a freelancer you do not build up a pension anywhere automatically. Not a disaster, but something to arrange yourself, and the earlier you start, the less it costs per month. These are your options, from tax-advantaged to fully flexible. 5 min read How to calculate your hourly rate as a freelancerMany freelancers set their hourly rate by gut feeling, or by copying a colleague. There is a better way: work backwards from the net income you want to the rate that supports it. That way you know you are not quietly working below minimum wage. 4 min read

Starting & running a business

A business bank account as a freelancer: required or not?Do you need a business bank account as a freelancer? Legally not, if you have a sole proprietorship. Still, a separate account is almost always a good idea. The rules, the pros and cons, and what to watch for. 4 min read

Software & switching

Moneybird alternatives for freelancers: 7 options comparedMoneybird is one of the best-known accounting packages in the Netherlands, and a solid choice for many businesses. Just not for everyone: if you only send invoices, or you have just grown past a plan limit, you pay a lot for it. Here is what Moneybird does well, why freelancers still look elsewhere, and seven alternatives with their real price and their weak spot. 6 min read Switching accounting software: how to do it without losing your recordsSwitching feels like a job that will cost you a weekend, and it does not have to. The sting is not in moving the data but in three details: the moment you pick, your invoice numbering, and the seven-year retention rule on what you leave behind. 6 min read

Rather calculate than read?

Eight free calculators and an invoice generator: from net income and hourly rate to what you should set aside.

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