How to file your Dutch VAT return yourself, box by box
Every quarter, Dutch freelancers (zzp'ers) file a VAT return: the btw-aangifte. You do not need accounting software or an accountant for a simple administration; the form is short once you know what each box means. This guide walks you through it in English.
1. When is it due?
The return covers a calendar quarter and is due (filed and paid) by the end of the month after the quarter: 30 April, 31 July, 31 October and 31 January. There is a 7-day grace period, but do not plan on it: filing late costs a fixed penalty of 82 euro, and paying late costs 3% of the late amount (minimum 50, maximum 6.709 euro), per the Belastingdienst's own penalty pages (checked August 2026).
2. Logging in
- Go to Mijn Belastingdienst Zakelijk (the business portal on belastingdienst.nl).
- Sign in with DigiD (sole traders) or eHerkenning (companies). If you run an eenmanszaak, your personal DigiD is enough.
- Open Btw, pick the current period and choose to file the return (aangifte doen).
The portal is in Dutch only. The box numbers below match the form exactly, so you can follow along even without reading every sentence.
3. The boxes, in plain English
| Box | Dutch label | What goes in |
|---|---|---|
| 1a | Leveringen belast met hoog tarief | Your revenue taxed at 21%, and the 21% VAT on it. This is most services. |
| 1b | Laag tarief | Revenue at the reduced 9% rate (food, books, some repairs). |
| 1e | 0% / verlegd | Revenue at 0%, including domestic reverse-charged work (subcontracting). |
| 2a | Heffing naar u verlegd | Purchases where the VAT was reverse-charged TO you (for example a subcontractor's invoice saying "btw verlegd"): you declare the VAT here and usually deduct the same amount in 5b. |
| 3a / 3b | Leveringen buitenland | Exports outside the EU (3a) and B2B sales inside the EU (3b). 3b also requires a separate ICP statement. |
| 4a / 4b | Inkopen buitenland | Purchases from outside (4a) or inside (4b) the EU, such as a foreign software subscription that invoiced you without VAT: you self-assess Dutch VAT here and deduct it in 5b when the cost is business-related. |
| 5a | Verschuldigde btw | All VAT you owe: the sum of the VAT amounts above. |
| 5b | Voorbelasting | VAT on your business costs (receipts, invoices). Private costs and restaurant meals do not count; mixed-use costs count for the business share. |
4. A worked example
You invoiced 8.000 euro plus 21% VAT this quarter, bought a laptop for 1.000 euro plus 210 VAT and paid 40 euro VAT on other receipts. Then: 1a is 8.000 and 1.680; 5a is 1.680; 5b is 250; you pay 1.430 euro.
5. The easy way to get the numbers
The hard part is not the form; it is having clean totals per box when the deadline arrives. NordBtw does exactly that: forward your receipts by mail or photo, the amounts are read automatically, and every box above is precomputed with a copy button next to it. English interface included.
Try NordBtw, first quarter free
More: KOR check: can you skip VAT entirely? · Dutch: common btw-aangifte mistakes