Dutch tax guides, in plain language

Short explainers for the deadlines and deductions a first-year ZZP'er actually meets. Official rules stay with the Belastingdienst and KVK.

• Your first btw aangifte in the Netherlands: a complete guide for expat freelancersThe quarterly VAT return is the deadline expats meet first, and the one that teaches you how the whole Dutch system thinks.8 min · btw
• The KOR: should Dutch expat freelancers opt in?Under a revenue threshold, you can opt out of btw altogether, but the trade-off isn't free.5 min · btw
• The urencriterium: 1.225 hours, explainedThe hours gate behind the zelfstandigenaftrek and startersaftrek, and what actually counts.6 min · income tax
• The zelfstandigenaftrek explained: who qualifies and how much you saveOne deduction turns on a single number: the hours you can show you spent on the business. Here's what actually counts.7 min · income tax
• Startersaftrek: the first-five-years boosterAn extra deduction on top of the zelfstandigenaftrek, usable three times in your first five years.5 min · income tax
• Mkb-winstvrijstelling: the relief that needs no hours test12,7% of profit after ondernemersaftrek in 2026, applied automatically for IB entrepreneurs.5 min · income tax
• Voorlopige aanslag: pay monthly, or wait for MayOptional income-tax prepayments that smooth the year, matching the decision on Kwartaal's Money screen.6 min · income tax
• Dutch tax deadlines 2026: the complete calendar for expat ZZP'ersEvery quarterly btw date, the annual income tax window, the late-filing fine, and the optional prepayment that smooths the year, on one page.6 min · deadlines
• How DigiD works for filing Dutch taxes: a guide for expatsWhat DigiD is, how to activate it, and how to read the btw return once you are inside Mijn Belastingdienst.7 min · DigiD