Dutch freelance admin, finally in English.
You know your work. You don’t know what “rubriek 1a” means. Bilio is invoicing and bookkeeping for expat freelancers in the Netherlands: English first, AI native, and built around the btw return and the income tax return you actually have to file.
Free plan, no card · In English, Dutch, German, Spanish and Bulgarian · Data stored in the EU
- Revenue excl. btw
- €48,200
- Costs
- − €6,140
- Profit
- €42,060
- Self-employed deduction zelfstandigenaftrek
- − €1,200
- SME profit exemption MKB-winstvrijstelling 12.7%
- − €5,189
- Taxable profit estimate
- €35,671
What admin does an expat freelancer in the Netherlands have to do?
As a zzp’er (eenmanszaak) you send invoices that meet Dutch rules, file a btw return every quarter, keep your records for seven years and file an income tax return every year, where profit from your business is taxed after the self-employed deductions you qualify for. Most expats can do this themselves with the right tool; an accountant becomes worth it once your situation gets complicated.
Checked by Stefka Ivanova, founder of Bilio and a freelancer in Amsterdam, on .
- Btw return
- Every quarter, by the end of the month after the quarter
- Income tax return
- Every year, by 1 May
- Self-employed deduction 2026
- €1,200, if you work 1,225 hours a year
- SME profit exemption 2026
- 12.7% of profit after deductions
- Small business scheme (KOR)
- Optional if turnover stays under €20,000
What changes when Bilio does the admin.
You moved here, registered as a zzp’er, and the Belastingdienst writes to you in Dutch.
- 01
English first, Dutch where the tax office needs it
The app, the invoices and the help are in English, or in Dutch, German, Spanish or Bulgarian, per client if you like. Where the Belastingdienst uses a Dutch term, Bilio shows it next to the English one, so “Self-employed deduction (zelfstandigenaftrek)” matches the line on your return.
- 02
Your btw return, box by box
Bilio lays out the quarter the way Mijn Belastingdienst Zakelijk asks for it: rubriek 1a, 3b, 5b and the rest, with the ICP list for EU clients. You copy the numbers across and file.
- 03
An income tax worksheet
Revenue, costs grouped as the return groups them, profit, then the zelfstandigenaftrek, startersaftrek and MKB-winstvrijstelling. An estimate of your taxable profit before you open the return.
- 04
AI that explains, with your numbers
Ask what a line means, why your btw is higher this quarter or which costs you can deduct. The AI financial advisor and your own assistant (Claude, ChatGPT) answer from your Bilio data.
- 05
Clients at home and abroad
Billing a client in your home country or the US? Bilio picks 0% with the right legal wording, checks EU VAT numbers with VIES, bills in any currency, and writes the invoice in their language.
- 06
Free to start
Unlimited invoices, clients and the btw return on the free plan. Pro is €7 a month, less than one hour of an English-speaking bookkeeper.
Ask about your own numbers, in plain English.
Bilio’s AI financial advisor answers from your invoices and expenses (Pro). Or connect Claude, ChatGPT or Cursor to Bilio and ask there (Pro and Business); nothing is sent or changed without your OK.
Read receipts, suggest categories, add up the quarter, explain the btw boxes and the income tax lines, draft invoices.
Check the figures and file them. Bilio doesn’t file for you and doesn’t give tax advice; for a complex situation, see an adviser.
- What do I owe in btw this quarter, and what is rubriek 5b?
- Explain my income tax worksheet line by line.
- Which of my expenses this year are deductible?
- Draft an invoice for my client in Berlin: 20 hours at €95.
- When is my next btw deadline?
Four btw returns and one income tax return.
The btw return is due by the last day of the month after each quarter; the income tax return by 1 May the year after. Your first btw return is due after the first quarter you are registered, even if you invoiced nothing (then you file zero). The Belastingdienst sends the letter in Dutch; Bilio shows the deadline in English.
- €1,200zelfstandigenaftrek 2026, with 1,225 hours
- €2,123startersaftrek, up to 3 times in your first 5 years
- 12.7%MKB-winstvrijstelling on profit after deductions
- €20,000turnover limit for the KOR
Figures for 2026 from the Belastingdienst and business.gov.nl. Check them before you file.
- 30 AprBtw return Q1
- 1 MayIncome tax return 2025
- 31 JulBtw return Q2
- 31 OctBtw return Q3Next
- 31 JanBtw return Q4
- 1 MayIncome tax return 2026
Do it yourself now, bring in help when you need it.
| Bilio Starter | Bilio Pro | Bookkeeper | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price per year | €0 | €60 | €600 – €1,800 |
| Invoices that meet Dutch rules | Yes | Yes | You make them |
| Btw return, box by box | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Income tax worksheet | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Time tracking into invoices | Yes | Yes | — |
| Proposals accepted online | Yes | Yes | — |
| Receipt scanning and AI categories | — | Yes | Varies |
| Bank statement import, payments matched | — | Yes | Yes |
| iDEAL payment links on invoices | — | Yes | — |
| AI that explains your numbers | — | Yes | — |
| In English | Yes | Yes | Some |
| Files the returns for you | No, you file | No, you file | Usually |
| Tax advice for your situation | No | No | Yes |
Bookkeeper prices are typical ranges for zzp’ers in the Netherlands in 2026, for bookkeeping with the btw returns; an income tax return is often extra.
The tax office’s Dutch, in plain English.
- Btw
- Dutch VAT (belasting toegevoegde waarde). Usually 21%, 9% for some goods and services. You charge it on your invoices and pay it to the Belastingdienst every quarter, minus the btw on your business costs.
- Rubriek
- A box on the Dutch btw return, such as 1a (sales at 21%), 1e (0% or not taxed in the Netherlands), 3b (services to EU businesses) and 5b (btw on your costs).
- KOR (kleineondernemersregeling)
- The small business scheme. With turnover under €20,000 a year you can choose to be exempt from btw: you charge no btw and file no btw returns, but you cannot reclaim btw on costs.
- Zelfstandigenaftrek
- The self-employed deduction: €1,200 off your profit in 2026, if you meet the hours criterion (urencriterium).
- MKB-winstvrijstelling
- The SME profit exemption: 12.7% of your profit after the self-employed deductions is tax-free in 2026. No hours criterion needed.
- Urencriterium
- The hours criterion: at least 1,225 hours a year on your business, and more than half your working time (that second test does not apply in your first five years). Admin and finding clients count.
- ICP (opgaaf intracommunautaire prestaties)
- A quarterly list of your EU business clients, their VAT numbers and what you invoiced them under the reverse charge. Due with the btw return.
- Suppletie
- A correction to a btw return you already filed, for example after a forgotten invoice.
Common questions.
Can I do my Dutch taxes myself as an expat freelancer?
Does the 30% ruling apply to freelancers?
Can I freelance on my residence permit?
Is Bilio in English?
Does Bilio file my taxes?
How much does a bookkeeper cost for a zzp’er?
Your first invoice takes four minutes.
Create an account with your email and follow the five-step setup: business details, VAT and KvK, IBAN, first client, first invoice. No card, no setup fee, no downloads. Cancel any time and take your data with you.