Invoice requirements Netherlands

What Must Be Included on an Invoice in the Netherlands?

A business invoice is more than a request for payment. For your VAT records it should include who sends it, who receives it, what you supplied and how VAT is calculated. When those details are in place, your administration is clearer — and your customer can usually process the VAT.

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Checklist: details on an invoice

The list below follows the standard invoice requirements summarised by Business.gov.nl, together with the Belastingdienst and KVK. What is required in your case can differ — for example with the KOR, reverse charge, or a simplified invoice.

According to the invoice requirements

  • Full name of your business
  • Establishment address of your business
  • Customer name
  • Customer address
  • VAT identification number
  • KVK number, if you are registered with KVK
  • Invoice date
  • Unique, sequential invoice number
  • Date of supply or service
  • Clear description of goods or services
  • Quantity or extent
  • Amount excluding VAT
  • Applicable VAT rate
  • VAT amount
  • Total amount

KVK mentions the amount including and excluding VAT. The Belastingdienst mentions the amount excluding VAT, the rate and the VAT amount; the total follows from those.

Useful to add as well

  • Payment term or due date
  • IBAN
  • Payment reference
  • Customer reference or purchase order number
  • Email or other contact detail
  • Short payment instruction

These are practical additions, not standard legal invoice fields.

For invoices of €100 or less including VAT, the Belastingdienst allows a simplified invoice with fewer details. Cross-border transactions can require extra details.

Useful extras that are not universally mandatory

The invoice requirements cover who, what, when and which VAT. They say little about how your customer actually pays. That is why invoices often also include a due date, your IBAN, a payment reference, the customer's purchase order number, an email address and a short payment instruction. That is not a legal checklist — it is how most invoices work in practice.

In Hoppa's free invoice generator you can include a due date, IBAN, reference, email and notes.

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The most important fields explained

Invoice number

Each invoice gets its own number. The Belastingdienst asks for sequential numbers, in one or more series, where each number appears only once. You may choose how the number looks — for example including the year. In Hoppa's public generator there is an editable example number, not an automatic series from an account. Use consecutive numbering in your own records.

Invoice date

This is the date you issue the invoice. That date counts for your administration, not necessarily the day you did the work.

Date of supply or service

Include when you supplied the goods or services, or the date of an advance payment. That date may differ from the invoice date — for example if you invoice later than you delivered.

Business and customer details

Name and address show who sends the invoice and who receives it. Use the legal name, or a trade name that is registered with KVK together with the address and place. State the establishment address; a PO box alone is not enough according to the Belastingdienst. The same applies to your customer's details.

VAT treatment

On an ordinary VAT invoice you include the amount excluding VAT, the rate and the VAT amount. In the Netherlands you will among other things encounter 21%, 9% and 0%, an exemption or the KOR, and in some cases reverse charge. Which rate or scheme applies depends on what you supply and to whom. This is not a VAT guide — check the current explanation from the Belastingdienst or Business.gov.nl if you are unsure.

Example: invoicing website design

Imagine you are an English-speaking freelance web designer in the Netherlands. You invoice a business customer for website design: one assignment, € 1.000,00 excluding VAT, at 21%.

Sample invoice — fictional details

From

Northlight Studio

Keizersgracht 12

1015 CN Amsterdam

KVK 87654321

VAT NL000099998B01

To

Atlas Bureau B.V.

Prinsengracht 88

1015 DX Amsterdam

Invoice number
2026-0042
Invoice date
17-08-2026
Supply / service date
10-08-2026
Description
Website design
Quantity
1
Amount excl. VAT
€ 1.000,00
VAT 21%
€ 210,00
Total
€ 1.210,00

This example is fictional. On a real invoice you fill in your own details, including the fields that are required in your situation.

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Sending invoices more often?

The free generator is meant for a one-off invoice. If you send invoices often, Hoppa lets you save customers and services, create invoices and offers, follow payment status, and keep track of revenue and VAT.

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  • reuse products and services
  • create invoices
  • create offers
  • track payments
  • overview of revenue and VAT
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Frequently asked questions

Does my KVK number need to be on my invoice?
Yes, if you are registered with the Chamber of Commerce. The Belastingdienst then lists the KVK number as an invoice detail. If you are not registered, this point does not apply.
Does my VAT number need to be on my invoice?
On a standard VAT invoice, yes: include your VAT identification number, the number starting with NL. That is the number for customers, not the turnover-tax number used with the Belastingdienst. For reverse charge, the customer's VAT identification number also belongs on the invoice. If you use the KOR, you do not charge VAT and you do not state a VAT amount or percentage.
Does an invoice need a due date?
No, a due date is not in the Belastingdienst's standard invoice requirements. In practice it is still wise: your customer then knows when to pay. KVK mentions the payment date, account number or a payment link as parts of a clear invoice.
What is the difference between invoice date and delivery date?
The invoice date is the day you issue the invoice. The delivery date is the day you supplied the goods or services, or the date of an advance payment. Those two dates may differ.
May I choose my own invoice number?
Yes. You decide the format of the number. Invoice numbers must be sequential, and each number may appear only once. You may use one or more series. In Hoppa's free generator there is an editable example number; that is not a running series from an account.
What do I put on the invoice if I use the KOR?
Do not charge VAT and do not put a VAT percentage or VAT amount on the invoice. State that an exemption applies, for example that you use the KOR. For VAT purposes you do not have to send an invoice, but many business customers still ask for one.

Sources

Business.gov.nl, invoice requirements · Business.gov.nl, small businesses scheme · Belastingdienst, invoice requirements · KVK, creating an invoice

The rules can differ by situation. If you are unsure, check the current information from Business.gov.nl or the Belastingdienst, or ask an adviser. Hoppa does not provide tax or legal advice. You remain responsible for the accuracy of your invoice.