Voorlopige aanslag: pay monthly, or wait for May
Optional income-tax prepayments that smooth the year, matching the decision on Kwartaal's Money screen.
Income tax for a ZZP'er is usually assessed after the year. You can also ask for a : an estimate-based bill you pay in installments now, then settle against the final assessment later.
It is optional. Plenty of first-year freelancers wait for the annual bill. Others prefer monthly or quarterly outflows so May does not arrive as one large surprise. Kwartaal's Money screen frames the same choice: smooth the year, or hold cash and pay when assessed.
You start from an estimate of profit and tax for the year. If the year runs hotter or colder than planned, you can usually request an adjustment so you are not locked into a stale figure. Treat every number as provisional until the final assessment lands.
How an eenmanszaak requests it
For a typical eenmanszaak, you request and manage the voorlopige aanslag in your personal Mijn Belastingdienst with DigiD. That is the channel this guide assumes. Other legal forms can use a zakelijk channel; the in-app copy covers that nuance when your profile needs it.
Partners filing jointly can share edges this page does not unpack. If that is your situation, read the Belastingdienst steps and, if needed, ask a bookkeeper before you set an aggressive estimate.
What you gain, and what you risk
The gain is cash smoothing: smaller, predictable outflows instead of one spring lump sum. The risk is overpaying against an optimistic estimate, then waiting for the final assessment to claw money back. Underpaying shifts the bill later and can bring interest depending on the path. Honest framing: the voorlopige aanslag is a timing tool, not a discount.