How does the Income Tax Return work at The Bookie?

If you are a customer of The Bookie, we will always send you a notification in The Bookie Webapp with an explanation if we need something. That's why you don't have to read this explanation in one go. Do you want to know in advance what and how we will tackle this? Then read this FAQ.

Notification with explanation

After the financial year has ended, your Bookies will prepare the (abbreviated) annual accounts of your company in the new year and we'll file your income tax return. A financial year runs from January 1st to December 31st of a year. You'll receive a reminder from us to provide us with additional information via the IB declaration checklist in The Bookie Webapp. It states exactly which documents you must provide and how.

Cost Subscription with The Bookie

• Did you have an active subscription during the financial year of the tax return? So: did you pay montly subscription costs during 2022? Then probably we have already filed (part of) your 2022 VAT returns and you have already (partly) paid in advance for the IB declaration 2022 (Income Tax Return in Dutch: Inkomstenbelasting = IB). You will receive an additional invoice for the missing part of your annual fixed fee based on your revenue.
• Hourly customer or not yet customer of The Bookie. Even if you are not yet a customer of The Bookie, we can prepare your annual accounts and take care of your IB declaration. You then pay € 95 ex vat per hour 

Urgency costs 25%

Do you need your annual figures faster or did you hand in your checklist late? Then in most cases we can still prepare your annual figures and submit your tax return. We'll charge an extra 25%. Read here how that works.

Term

After completing the form and submitting the required information completely, you will enter the queue. As soon as it's your turn, we'll contact you if anything is missing. After drawing up and sending your draft report, we'll submit your declaration after you have approved it.

The Tax and Customs Administration: authorizations and postponements

Since it is impossible for us to complete all income tax returns before 1 May, we (as is usual) request a postponement for filing your income tax return. Read here how postponements and permissions work.

Do you also have a tax partner and do you want us to file her/his/their tax return? Report this to your Bookie before May 1st. We'll then also request an extension for her/him/them.

Initials, surname, BSN and date of birth

To request your authorizations and postponements for you and possibly your partner, we need your personal data, that of your company and any tax partner.

Do you want the Bookie to do your income tax return? Then fill out the questionnaire for that year.

On this page:

Wat is de inkomstenbelasting vragenlijst?
Hoe vul ik hem in?
Welke informatie hebben jullie nodig?
Vennoot in VOF

Through The Bookie Webapp we will make a questionnaire available. This is what you use to provide us the information needed for your annual figures and/or Income Tax Return. This can be done with a free basic or paid account. This way you know what we need and we have everything in one place.

How do I fill it in?

You can fill out or reject the questionnaire from February 14 on your Dashboard or under your own name via Income Tax (if you don't want us to do your return).

Follow the checklist. Using a few easy questions, we'll take you through the process. Since the return is also about your personal situation, we will also ask questions about topics such as home, child, debt, illness.

Upload annual statements and other important documents securely into the questionnaire so we have everything together. Did you forget to upload something? Email it to us.

Relevant documents for Income Tax

Not sure what to submit or what certain things mean?

> Check our FAQ about the relevant documents for the Income Tax Return

Partner in a VOF

If you are a partner in a VOF and work from a shared email address, it may be that not all your details are known to us yet. Create your own account so that you can provide additional information for your own tax return.

> Create an account or add an extra user to your adminstration

The income tax return is something everyone with an income has to file. As a freelancer or entrepreneur, your business profit usually makes up the largest part. But that’s not all: we also need some personal and financial details to make sure your return is complete and correct. That’s why we ask you to fill in a short questionnaire and upload relevant documents via The Bookie Webapp.

> Go to the questionnaire

On this page:

Your business

Personal situation

Other income & expenses

Income, expenses and VAT returns

OPTION 1: Your bookkeeping is fully in The Bookie Webapp
Great! Then we already have most of the info needed. Please make sure all your business income and expenses are included – that means your sales invoices, receipts, purchase invoices, and any other business income (e.g. Tikkie, cash, or other platforms).

OPTION 2: Your bookkeeping is (partly) done elsewhere
No problem! Just indicate this in the questionnaire. We'll then discuss the easiest way to share your bookkeeping. You might send us an Excel file, an export from another system, or a zip folder with PDFs.

Did someone else file your taxes last year?

If this is your first year with The Bookie, please upload your previous income tax return or annual report. This helps us double-check your starting figures.

Provisional tax payments (IB or ZVW)

Did you pay monthly advance payments to the Dutch Tax Authority (Belastingdienst) in 2024, either for income tax (IB) or the healthcare contribution (ZVW)? Upload the assessment or bank statements – this ensures we calculate your final tax position correctly.

Business vehicle

Do you use a car or motorbike that’s officially registered to your business? Or do you keep a complete mileage log? Then we’ll need that info as well. Not sure whether your vehicle counts as business or private?

> When is a car considered business or private?

Homeownership

Do you own a home? Then you may be entitled to deduct mortgage interest and certain home-related costs. At the same time, you’re required to add an “imputed rental value” (eigenwoningforfait) to your income. Upload your WOZ-valuation and mortgage overview.

> Why your home matters for taxes

Assets and debts

Do you have savings, stocks, crypto, a second home or other valuable assets? These must be declared in box 3. You may subtract certain debts such as overdrafts or personal loans. Also include the assets and debts of your fiscal partner and underage children.

> What counts as taxable assets?

Fiscal partner or children

Having a fiscal partner or children may affect your deductions and tax brackets. In the questionnaire, you’ll be asked whether you share a household or income. Make sure your partner also has a linked profile in The Bookie Webapp.

> What to provide for partners and children

Other income

Did you receive income outside of your freelance work? Think of: salary, unemployment benefits, rental income, dividend, or an inheritance. These often fall under box 2 or 3. Report them and we’ll help determine if they are taxable.

Donations and gifts

Do you donate money to charities (ANBIs) with a notarial contract or recurring agreement of at least 5 years? Upload the contract and payment confirmations. You may be entitled to deduct these from your taxable income.

Unreimbursed healthcare costs

Did you pay healthcare costs in 2024 that weren’t reimbursed by your insurer? Certain medical expenses might be deductible.

> Which medical expenses are deductible?

Box 2 and 3 income

Do you own shares in a BV or NV, or other types of investments? Then these might be taxed in box 2 or 3. Please include this information in the questionnaire so we can file your return correctly.

> How do tax boxes 1, 2 and 3 work?

Questions? Schedule a consult with your Bookie!

As a client of The Bookie, we’ll always give you a quick call before we start your return. That way, you can ask questions or clarify anything from above.

Want a longer session to go through your options? You call us at +31 (0)30 2072077.

How do I create an extra user account for a partner in a VOF?

To do

1. Log in to your administration of let your partner do this (if you don't have an account yourself)

2. At the top left under your company name, go to Administration settings and choose the fifth tab Users.

3. Select Add new user and enter your email address here. In your mailbox you will now find an invitation to create your own account.

4. You can now always log in via this account to view your accounting and to supply your personal details of yourself and your tax partner.

How much money do I have to set aside for income tax and when do I have to pay this?

How much income tax you have to pay (according to the tax authorities)

It is a question that is rightly asked more often. This is the answer the tax authorities give.

We cannot say that like 1-2-3 (a Dutch way of saying it isn't done fast). Among other things, it depends on how much income and capital you have. Because we have 4 tax brackets with different rates. It also depends on, for example, whether you have deductible costs or debts.

There are different types of income for income tax purposes. For your income from work and home (box 1), different tax rates apply than for your assets (box 3). And those rates can vary per year.

Tax rates for income from work and home (box 1)

These infographics are not translated in EN yet because the Belastingdienst doesn't do English :) But you will understand these universal numbers. 

Income tax for entrepreneurs

This is the case if you are an entrepreneur for income tax purposes in the Netherlands. A number of factors play a role in this, including the level of your profit, the 1225 hour criterion, the number of clients, whether you publicize and promote your services, your independence and if an entrepreneurial risk applies to you.

Entrepreneurs pay taxes on the taxable profit made and therefore not on their income. This profit is the sum of all the income from your company minus the operating costs. These are all your business expenses. Taxable profit is after benefits are taken into account. If you are a client of The Bookie, then you always have an up-to-date overview of your finances, both income and expenses, in The Bookie Webapp. In the left bar under Overviews you will find your VAT overviews and Profit / loss account. This last overview shows what your Profit is.

Is your income a result from other activities (also income from other work or ROW in Dutch)? Then this does not apply to you. In this case you can still be an entrepreneur for VAT.

Income tax tool from The Bookie

Of course we understand that you want a bit more insight and don't want to leave you with such a vague story. That's why you can use The Bookie Income Tax Tool for an estimation of the amount of income tax that you will have to pay. Keep in mind though that this is a machine that doesn't take in to account your specifics and personal situation, therefore this is not definitive or binding. Read here how that works.

Income tax and Health Insurance contribution to be paid

At the start of a new bookyear or our new collaboration for income tax, you receive a request from us to provide additional information. After you have completely provided the additional information, you can expect a draft version of your annual reports within three months. Once you have approved this, we will submit your Income Tax return.

In addition to the income tax, bear in mind that you need topay an income-related healthcare insurance contribution (ZVW). If you're employed, this contribution is already withheld by the employer of the benefits agency, but as an entrepreneur you have to pay this contribution yourself.

You will usually receive the (provisional) overview from the Tax Authorities within 3 months. This states the payment period for your income tax and the zvw in a separate briefing.

What are the costs for work outside of the subscription?

In all cases listed below, you can engage The Bookie. You will receive an invoice after we have completed our work.

Work per hour: € 95 ex vat 

We have a fixed hourly rate. If you didn't have a subscription for a financial year or you ask for extra work, we'll charge €95 ex VAT per hour. 

We cannot make an estimate for this in advance, as it depends on the size of your administration, your personal situation, the way in which information is provided and how easily/quickly we can communicate with you. In other words, an hourly invoice. This means that you can see on the invoice how many hours we spent on what. Do you want no uncertainty and a fixed rate? View our rates here.

Extra work in addition to the subscription

The subscription price applies in combination with the use of The Bookie Webapp and concerns the regular work around a well kept administration. The emphasis here is on monitoring, implementation and brief explanation. This work includes VAT returns, preparing your annual documents, filing your income tax return and short questions.

In some cases your situation may require more attention and specialist knowledge. Or you would like multiple questions answered. This could apply to the following:

• In case of property abroad or a move to or from a foreign country. In the latter case, you will need to complete an extra form (M- or C-form).
• Loan rules
• IND procedure
• You may also want to take advantage of an investment or subsidy opportunity or need our help with a payment plan. 

Annual documents and income tax return per hour

Unfortunately we cannot make a good estimate of the costs for preparing annual accounts and filing income tax returns in advance. Besides the fact that we don't yet know the size and complexity of your company, your income tax return covers many more things than your business. For example, we take your income from other activities or benefits into account, we look at your private situation including children, house, tax partner and debts and we can still adjust the draft version of your tax return based on your feedback.

Since we do not have any insight into this yet, we cannot estimate the duration and complexity of the work and therefore we do not work with quotations.

Would you like to work with a fixed rate for the current financial year? Then activate a subscription and read how that works here.

Consultation: €110 ex VAT per (half) hour 

If you need more time or do not have a subscription with The Bookie, you can schedule a consultation. For example, because you are buying a house, want to discuss an investment, are starting a new legal form or cooperation or have another financial issue. We are happy to free up time in our schedules to discuss your specific situation. We charge extra for this time.

You can schedule a consultation directly at: https://www.thebookie.nl/en/appointment/

Joint tax return partner: € 95,- ex vat per year or custom pricing arrangement (for businesses).

The subscription price does not include the tax return for your partner. However, we are happy to file the partner’s return. If you would like to take advantage of this, please check ‘fiscal partner’ in The Bookie Webapp and submit the additional information by the deadline of May 1st. 

-> The additional cost for a joint tax return with a salaried fiscal partner is €95 excl. VAT per year.

-> If your partner has their own business, we require that your partner, who is also an entrepreneur, has their own account in The Bookie Webapp and submits their own questionnaire.

Your income tax return is filed by The Bookie and months later (usual about three months later) you receive the final assessment of your income tax return. The amounts payable on that assessment all match what you read in The Bookie's declaration months before.

However, there is one extra amount on this assessment that you don't really understand: tax interest. 

What is tax interest?

You pay tax interest to the Tax Authorities on a debt, for example the tax due on your income for a year. You pay interest when the Tax Authorities impose an assessment on you with an amount due. For sole proprietors, tax interest for all taxes is 7,5%.

How do you avoid (a lot of) tax interest?

1. Provisional assessment during the year

The most obvious way to avoid tax interest is a provisional assessment. You pay little to no tax interest if you pay a provisional assessment during the tax year. 

You pay the tax by estimating your profit already during the year. In other words, you pay a year in advance, in monthly installments. The amount you paid with your preliminary assessment will be offset against the amount you have to eventually pay after the income tax return.

Depending on the estimate there will be a small amount to offset and the tax interest on it is also negligible.
 

2. Apply urgently: tax return by May 1

Would you rather pay income tax after the year has ended? Then there are options to avoid (too much) tax interest.

For instance because you cannot get your information together before then. Or because you can't or don't want to file your tax return yourself. If you outsource your bookkeeping to an accountant then a standard deferral is requested to avoid any penalties, but this does not avoid interest. We work with a queue, first come first serve. Depending on where you are in this queue it might take longer.

Because we want to assist you in these situations as well, there are always options for quick handling. For example, we can schedule extra overtime. This way we try to complete your requested work within a month. For this we charge 25% extra, on top of your annual subscription or hourly fee. We will then make sure we file your tax return before May 1st, this way you do not pay any interest. 
 

3. (Provisional) assessment until moment of declaration

In this case you file a proviosional assessment based on the profit in The Bookie Webapp. You can do this yourself. This way you ensure you pay little to no interest and will probably get money back.

Then we can afterwards file a complete and correct income tax return with all the right information.