Source: https://rivet.global/blog/netherlands-vat-number-btw-id
Published: 2026-08-11 · Updated: 2026-08-11 · By Alexia M.

# Netherlands VAT number: btw-id and omzetbelastingnummer explained

Dutch businesses have two VAT numbers: the btw-id for invoices and the omzetbelastingnummer for the tax office. The format, uses and checking EU customers.

## Key takeaways

- Dutch businesses have a btw-identificatienummer for invoices and a separate omzetbelastingnummer for contact with the Belastingdienst.
- The btw-id format is NL, nine digits, B and two digits.
- Reverse-charge invoices to EU businesses show both VAT IDs and "btw verlegd".
- Check EU customers' VAT IDs on VIES before invoicing without VAT.

"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](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

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](/blog/eu-vat-oss-for-non-eu-sellers).

## Questions

### 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.