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Bookkeeping for e-commerce freelancers: VAT, abroad and stock
Written by Ilias5 min read
Running a webshop or selling online seems simple, but fiscally there's a lot to it. You often sell to customers in other EU countries, work with platforms such as Bol or Amazon and have stock to manage. This article explains what you should watch for as an e-commerce entrepreneur to keep your VAT and bookkeeping correct.
VAT on sales abroad
If you sell to private individuals in other EU countries, you deal with the rules for distance sales. If you exceed the threshold of 10,000 euros in EU sales per year, you must charge VAT according to the rate of your customer's country. Via the One Stop Shop scheme (OSS) you declare that foreign VAT all at once with the Dutch tax authorities.
If you sell to businesses abroad, you can often reverse-charge the VAT. It's important to administer your sales per country and per type of customer well, because the VAT treatment differs. A bookkeeping program set up for this saves a lot of sorting out.
Stock and purchasing
Stock is an important part of your bookkeeping. At the end of the year you count your stock to determine your profit correctly: unsold products aren't yet costs. If you purchase from countries outside the EU, you deal with import VAT and sometimes customs duties.
Keep your purchase invoices and stock movements tidy. If you work with dropshipping, the stock runs via your supplier, but the distance-sales VAT rules still apply. Make sure you know who pays VAT where.
Platform costs and bookkeeping
If you sell through platforms such as Bol, Amazon or Etsy, you record their commissions, shipping and transaction costs as business costs. The platform's settlements are important documents for your bookkeeping. Some platforms pay VAT for you in certain situations; check carefully how that works.
Because of the large number of transactions, automation in e-commerce is almost indispensable. A link between your webshop, your platforms and your bookkeeping program ensures that your turnover, costs and VAT automatically end up in the right place, so your bookkeeping is always up to date.
This article provides general information based on the rules known for 2026 and does not replace personal tax advice. For your specific situation, we're happy to take a look with you.
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