Invoice business customers

When you deliver an item to a business customer, it is mandatory to issue a correct invoice. As you are the party making the delivery to the customer, it is your responsibility to issue a correct invoice. You can read more about this on the website of the tax authorities.

To comply with your legal obligations, it is necessary to send the invoice along with the order or via e-mail.

Sample invoice Dutch

Sample invoice in French

When should you send an invoice?

Each order automatically indicates whether the order was made from a business account, so you can immediately see whether you need to issue and send an invoice along with it. In the account of business customers, there is also a button that allows the customer to directly request a VAT invoice from you if you have not yet sent one. A customer does not have to have ordered as a business customer to request a VAT invoice. In addition, it is mandatory to send an invoice along with cross-border sales.

Once the customer asks for a VAT invoice via the button, you will receive the request under ‘Factuuraanvragen’ under the tab ‘Bestellingen’ in your seller account. You will automatically get all the information you need to prepare the VAT invoice.

How to send an invoice?

You send the invoice to the customer by uploading the invoice in the invoice request under ‘Factuuraanvragen‘ in the seller account. The invoice will then automatically become available in the customer account.

Prefer to automate?  In June, a new end point for the Retailer API will become available that allows you to automatically upload and forward invoices to your customer. Want to take advantage of this now? With the beta version of the Retailer API v10, automatic uploading and forwarding of invoices is already available. Click the button below for all specifications.

Good to know: invoice requests must be answered within 24 hours by uploading the invoice in the seller account or via the Retailer API. You can also upload invoices immediately after sending the order via the Retailer API. This way, the customer can download the invoice directly from their customer account and you avoid receiving invoice requests.

What information do you share on an invoice?

You can find all invoice requirements on the Tax Administration’s website. An invoice should include at least the following items:

• The invoice date
• The invoice number
• The bol.com order number associated with this order*
• The date on which the item was delivered
• Your full (legal) name, address and contact details
• Your Chamber of Commerce number
• Your company’s VAT identification number
• Customer’s full name and billing address*
• A valid VAT identification number of the customer (only for foreign customers in case of intra-Community supply of goods)*
• The number of items delivered
• A description of each item delivered
• The sales amount excluding VAT
• VAT rates
• The VAT amount (if applicable: VAT amount due per VAT rate)
• The total amount including VAT
• An entry when there is an intra-Community supply of goods.

* These details can be found with the order in your seller account – in the ‘Bestellingen’ menu, under ‘Factuuraanvragen’ and under ‘Upload’.

Billing requirements

Read more about the Dutch invoicing requirements of the Dutch Tax Administration.