Expense rules in Netherlands.
All Belastingdienst rules: BTW rates, mileage allowances, vergoedingen and EU VAT recovery for your employees in the Netherlands.
Get started →Disclaimer: This country guide is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Although we update it regularly, it may not reflect ongoing regulatory changes. Illizeo SA declines all responsibility for actions taken or not taken based on this content.
1Expense rules & reclaimable VAT
| Category | VAT | Reclaim | Cap / Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Business meals | 9% | 100% reclaimable | Itemized invoice in company name |
| Employee meals | 9% | 100% reclaimable | Targeted exemption cap |
| Accommodation | 9% | 100% reclaimable | Itemized invoice |
| Fuel | 21% | 100% reclaimable | If business vehicle |
| Train / NS / flight | 9% | 100% reclaimable | NS and public transit |
| Taxi / Uber | 9% | 100% reclaimable | Transport receipt |
| Client gifts | 21% | 100% reclaimable | €227/year/recipient cap |
| Parking / toll | 21% | 100% reclaimable | Itemized invoice |
Pro meal allowance
Daily tax-free meal cap (2024).
Onkostenvergoeding
Targeted professional expense allowance.
Retention
Tax records: 7 years (VAT Act).
2Mileage allowance
| Mode | Allowance | Cap | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Personal car | 0,23 €/km | Unlimited | 2024 tax-free rate |
| Bicycle | 0,23 €/km | Unlimited | Aligned with car |
| Employer bike | Fiets-plan | — | Employer bike plan |
2024 rate
€0.02 increase vs 2023 (Belastingplan 2024).
Home-work
Netherlands includes commute (unique in EU).
Electric car
Separate tax reduction (bijtelling 16%).
3Per diem and travel allowances
| Destination | Meal | Lodging / night | Daily rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Netherlands — national | 29,07 € | 120 € | 149,07 € |
| Amsterdam / The Hague | 29,07 € | 180 € | 209,07 € |
| Foreign — Paris | 65 € | 180 € | 245 € |
| Foreign — London | 70 € | 220 € | 290 € |
| Foreign — New York | 100 € | 320 € | 420 € |
National flat
Daily allowance for national mission (2024).
Foreign rates
Annual country table update.
Covers
Lodging separate on itemized invoice.
4Foreign VAT recovery
| Zone | Mechanism | Deadline | Method |
|---|---|---|---|
| European Union (27) | 8th Directive (2008/9/EC) | 30 Sept. N+1 | Belastingdienst portal |
| France | Reciprocity | 30 Sept. N+1 | Via BD portal |
| United Kingdom | 13th Directive post-Brexit | 31 Dec. N+1 | HMRC VAT65A |
| Switzerland | Reciprocity | 30 June N+1 | FTA Form 1222 |
| USA | No recovery | — | Sales tax not recoverable |
| NL BTW for foreign cos | Refund request | 30 Sept. N+1 | Belastingdienst online portal |
EU minimum
Annual 8th Directive request.
NL minimum
Min BTW foreign company.
Typical ROI
% expenses recovered multi-country.
Industrialize your Netherlands expenses with Illizeo.
BTW 21%/9%, €0.23/km mileage, reisbesluit binnenland, EU 8th Directive VAT recovery: all the Belastingdienst rules above are natively integrated into Illizeo.
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