Netherlands VAT number: btw-id and omzetbelastingnummer explained
Dutch companies have a VAT identification number (btw-id) for invoices and customers, and a separate VAT tax number for dealing with the Belastingdienst. Mixing them up is a common invoice error.
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"Netherlands VAT number" and "netherlands vat number format" are among Google's top suggestions after "Netherlands VAT". The answer starts with the fact that there are two numbers.
Two numbers
| Number | Use |
|---|---|
| Btw-identificatienummer (btw-id) | Invoices, website, customers, EU trade |
| Omzetbelastingnummer | VAT returns and contact with the Belastingdienst |
The btw-id looks like NL123456789B01. Since 2020 sole traders have had a separate btw-id to protect their citizen service number.
On invoices to EU businesses
A Rotterdam consultancy invoicing a company in Germany shows:
- its own btw-id,
- the customer's German VAT ID,
- no Dutch VAT,
- the note "btw verlegd" or "reverse charge".
It reports the sale in its EU sales listing (ICP declaration).
Checking customers
Check each EU customer's VAT ID on VIES and save the result. If invalid, the reverse charge may not apply.
Getting paid
EU customers pay by SEPA to an IBAN. Customers outside the euro area pay more cheaply into local details in their currency.
Paying into the Netherlands: the local rail
| What | Detail |
|---|---|
| Local rail | SEPA Instant Credit Transfer |
| Run by | European Payments Council scheme, run by each bank; Dutch banks send nearly all domestic transfers instantly |
| 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. Checked when this guide was last updated; the scheme's own page has the current figures.
Where Rivet fits
Rivet gives Dutch companies EUR details with an IBAN on Growth, plus GBP and USD details, so customers in and outside the EU pay locally. Rivet is not a bank; regulated partner institutions hold the funds. See EU VAT OSS for non-EU sellers.
Questions people ask
What is the difference between btw-id and omzetbelastingnummer?
The btw-id goes on invoices and websites. The omzetbelastingnummer is used for VAT returns and the Belastingdienst. For BVs they are often the same; for sole traders they differ.
Where do I find my btw-id?
On the letter from the Belastingdienst after registration, and in your online business portal.
How do I check a customer's VAT number?
On VIES. Save the result.
What is "btw verlegd"?
The Dutch phrase for the reverse charge: the customer accounts for the VAT instead of the supplier.
Sources
Alexia compares the accounts, cards and payment tools companies weigh before they switch, and writes Rivet's market guides for founders in a specific country. Prices in Alexia's comparisons come from each provider's own pricing page on the date given in the article, rules come from the regulator or tax authority that sets them, and every source is listed at the end.
More from Alexia M. →This article is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Rules and fees change; check the sources above and the provider’s current terms before you act on them.
- netherlands vat number
- btw-id
- omzetbelastingnummer
- vies
- dutch vat
- reverse charge
