Source: https://rivet.global/blog/luxembourg-company-billing-us-and-uk-clients
Published: 2026-09-13 · Updated: 2026-09-13 · By Rashidatou K.

# Billing American and British clients from Luxembourg in their own currencies

How a Luxembourg company invoices and collects in dollars and pounds: VAT treatment, the W-8BEN-E, and why local account details get invoices paid faster.

## Key takeaways

- Services from Luxembourg to UK and US businesses are generally outside Luxembourg VAT; the invoice states why.
- A Luxembourg company may invoice in any currency, with VAT amounts, where shown, also given in euros.
- US clients will ask for a W-8BEN-E; the Luxembourg-US tax treaty generally allows payment without withholding for services performed outside the US.
- Sterling and dollar details let clients pay domestically, which removes intermediary deductions and the bank's conversion on arrival.

A Kirchberg compliance consultancy has three anchor clients: an asset manager in London, a fintech in New York and a bank in Frankfurt. Frankfurt pays its euro invoices by SEPA within minutes. London and New York pay euro invoices too, eventually, with an international transfer that arrives a few days later and a few hundred euros short.

## Invoice in their currency

Clients in London budget in pounds and clients in New York in dollars. A euro invoice makes them convert, and they push the cost back through slower approval, a lower amount or a request to re-quote.

Luxembourg rules allow invoices in any currency. Where VAT appears it must also be shown in euros, and your books record each foreign invoice in euros at a documented rate.

## VAT

For most services to businesses in the UK or US, the place of supply is the client's country. The invoice carries no Luxembourg VAT and states why. Keep evidence that the client is a business: its registration details and signed engagement letter are enough.

## The W-8BEN-E

A US client's accounts payable team will usually ask for Form W-8BEN-E before paying. It confirms your company is foreign. With it, and a claim under the Luxembourg-US tax treaty where relevant, payments for services you perform outside the US are generally made without US withholding.

## Collect on their rails

Domestic rails are what make the difference:

- UK clients pay sterling details by Faster Payments, usually in seconds.
- US clients pay US details by ACH, usually in one to two business days, or by domestic wire.
- EU clients pay a euro IBAN by SEPA.

Each arrives in full, in the invoiced currency. You then choose whether to convert, and when.

## Keep what you spend

A consultancy that pays London subcontractors in pounds or US software in dollars can pay those costs from the matching balance. The rest can be converted to euros on a schedule that suits payroll.

## Paying into Luxembourg: the local rail

| What | Detail |
|---|---|
| Local rail | SEPA Instant Credit Transfer |
| Run by | European Payments Council scheme, run by each bank |
| Settlement | Under ten seconds, 24/7 |
| Published fee | By the EU Instant Payments Regulation, no more than the bank charges for a standard SEPA transfer |

Source: [European Payments Council: SEPA Instant Credit Transfer](https://www.europeanpaymentscouncil.eu/what-we-do/sepa-instant-credit-transfer). Checked when this guide was last updated; the scheme's own page has the current figures.

## Where Rivet fits

A Rivet business account gives a Luxembourg company US account details in its own name on every plan and, from the Growth plan, sterling details for Faster Payments and euro details with an IBAN. Payments are matched to invoices, balances can be held or converted at a rate shown before you confirm, and payouts go to 120+ countries. Rivet is not a bank; regulated partner institutions hold the funds.

See also [the W-8BEN vs W-8BEN-E guide](/blog/w-8ben-vs-w-8ben-e).

## Questions

### Do I charge Luxembourg VAT to a London client?

For most services to UK businesses, no. The place of supply is the UK, and the invoice states that Luxembourg VAT does not apply.

### Can I invoice in dollars and keep books in euros?

Yes. Record each dollar invoice and payment in euros at a documented rate, such as the ECB reference rate on the relevant day.

### Why do US clients pay late on euro invoices?

Many US accounts payable teams need extra approval for international wires. US account details turn the payment into a domestic one.

### Should I convert dollars and pounds straight away?

Only what you need in euros. If you have dollar or pound costs, pay them from the matching balance and convert the rest when it suits you.