When you buy or sell services across borders within the EU, verlegde BTW shifts who accounts for VAT — from the seller to the buyer.
Last updated: June 2026
Normally, the seller charges BTW and remits it. Under verlegde BTW (the reverse charge), the buyer instead self-assesses the VAT, declaring both the output VAT (as if charged) and corresponding input VAT on their own return. For a business with full VAT recovery, this is usually VAT-neutral, since the two entries cancel out.
If you’re a Dutch business (not on KOR) selling general-rule services (consulting, IT, design, and similar) to a VAT-registered business customer elsewhere in the EU, the sale is typically outside Dutch BTW scope, and your customer accounts for VAT under their own country’s reverse charge rules. Your invoice should state "BTW verlegd" and show no Dutch BTW.
If you’re a Dutch business buying services from a supplier in another EU country, you’re typically the one who must self-assess Dutch BTW under verlegde BTW, declaring it on your own return. This is a common area freelancers overlook when buying software subscriptions or consulting from non-Dutch EU suppliers.
Yes, you need to verify their VAT number via the EU’s VIES system to confirm they’re a genuine VAT-registered business before treating a sale under the reverse charge.
KOR generally means you don’t charge BTW at all, domestic or cross-border, so the reverse charge mechanics for outgoing sales are largely moot — but purchase-side obligations may still have specific treatment, so check current rules.
This can result in unpaid BTW and potential penalties on review — reverse charge purchases from EU suppliers should be actively tracked and included in your own BTW return.
It’s primarily an EU cross-border B2B mechanism, though similar place-of-supply principles (outside Dutch BTW scope for B2B services) often apply to non-EU business clients under general rules.
Yes, they still count as part of your turnover for threshold purposes, even though no Dutch BTW is actually charged on the invoice.
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