Short answer
To write a quote, include your business details (your KVK number in the Netherlands; your enterprise number and a bank account in Belgium), the client, a quote number and date, a description of the work, prices with VAT and an expiry date. Once the client accepts, the quote is a binding contract. Consumer prices must include VAT.
A clear quote tells your client what you will deliver, what it costs and how long the offer stands. This guide is for freelancers and small-business owners in the Netherlands or Belgium, including expats and international founders. It covers what to include, the rules in each country and a full example.
How to write a quote: what to include
Start with what the law requires. In the Netherlands, business correspondence, including quotes, must show your trade name and KVK number (Dutch Business Register number); a bv or nv also adds its registered office. In Belgium, all documents your business issues must show your enterprise number (ondernemingsnummer) and at least one business payment account (Code of Economic Law, article III.25).
Beyond that, a complete quote usually contains:
- Your business name, address and contact details, plus the registration details above.
- The client’s name, address and contact person, and any purchase order number.
- A quote number and the quote date.
- A description of the work, including what is not included.
- Prices per item, the VAT rate and the total.
- An expiry date.
- Schedule, payment terms and any deposit.
- A reference to your terms and conditions, if you use them.
How long is a quote valid?
As long as the period you state. Neither country sets a standard period, so put a specific date on the quote, for example 30 days after the quote date. Without a date, the rules differ: a Dutch offer can be revoked until the client accepts, while a Belgian offer stays irrevocable for a reasonable period.
One Dutch extra: an offer marked as non-binding (vrijblijvend) can even be revoked immediately after acceptance.
| Situation | Netherlands | Belgium |
|---|---|---|
| Quote has an expiry date | Cannot be revoked until that date | Irrevocable until that date |
| No expiry date | Revocable until accepted; lapses after a reasonable time | Irrevocable for a reasonable period |
| Client changes key terms | Counts as a rejection and a new offer | Counts as a rejection and a new offer |
Should quote prices include VAT?
For consumers, yes, in both countries. For business clients, it is customary to show amounts excluding VAT, followed by the VAT and the total.
In the Netherlands, the Authority for Consumers and Markets (ACM) says a consumer price must include VAT and additional costs, such as call-out charges, in every offer. In Belgium, consumer prices must be total prices in euros, including VAT, other taxes and any services the consumer must pay for (Code of Economic Law, articles VI.4 and VI.5).
Standard VAT is 21% in both countries. Reduced rates are 9% in the Netherlands and 6% or 12% in Belgium, for specific goods and services.
Worked example: one job, two quote formats
Work: 4 hours × €65 = €260 excluding VAT VAT 21%: €54.60 Quote to a business: €260.00 excluding VAT, €54.60 VAT, total €314.60. Quote to a consumer: €314.60 including VAT, with any call-out charge already included.
Calculate VAT at Dutch and Belgian rates
ACM: stating prices for consumers (in Dutch)
Belgian FPS Economy: price indication for goods and services
When does a quote become binding?
When the client accepts it: in both countries, an offer plus its acceptance makes a contract. In Belgium, the contract is formed when the acceptance reaches you, and silence does not normally count as acceptance. Get a clear written acceptance, ideally signed.
In both countries, your terms and conditions only apply if the client could read them before or when agreeing (and, in Belgium, accepted them). Attach them to the quote and state that they apply.
Selling to consumers adds a few rules:
- Cooling-off period: for sales online, by phone or away from your premises, consumers generally have 14 days to cancel (Dutch doorstep sales from €50), with exceptions such as custom-made products.
- Dutch deposits: when selling goods to consumers, you may ask for at most 50% upfront; there is no cap between businesses.
- Belgian quotes: for services without a fixed price, you must provide a quote if a consumer asks and you want the job. Charging for it requires telling the consumer beforehand and getting their agreement.
- Belgian deposits: when a consumer pays a deposit, an order form (bestelbon) is required.
Example quote for a business client
This example is a freelance web designer’s quote to a Dutch company, with amounts excluding VAT. For a Belgian business, replace the KVK number with your enterprise number and VAT number.
Sample quote (amounts excluding VAT)
[Business name] [Street and number], [postcode and city] KVK number: [8 digits] · IBAN: [account number] [Email] · [phone] To: [client company], attn. [contact person] [Client address] Quote 2026-0018 Quote date: September 24, 2026 Valid until: October 24, 2026 Client reference: [purchase order number] Subject: design and build of a five-page website 1. Homepage and page layout design, two revision rounds (fixed price): €1,200.00 2. Build and setup: 16 hours × €75.00 = €1,200.00 3. Copy editing and upload: 4 hours × €75.00 = €300.00 Subtotal: €2,700.00 VAT 21%: €567.00 Total: €3,267.00 Not included: hosting, domain name and photography. Schedule: start within two weeks of acceptance, delivery within six weeks of the start. Additional work: only after written approval, at €75.00 per hour excluding VAT. Payment: 30% on acceptance, the balance on delivery, within 14 days of the invoice date. The attached terms and conditions apply to this quote. Accepted by Name: Place: Date: Signature:
Follow up and turn the quote into an invoice
Say in the quote when you will get in touch, and follow up before it expires. After acceptance, invoice what was agreed and refer to the quote number; the invoice must meet Dutch or Belgian invoice requirements.
In Belgium, invoices between VAT-registered businesses must, as a rule, be structured electronic invoices since January 1, 2026; a PDF sent by email does not count as one. The quote itself is not covered by that obligation.
In Factuur Simpel, you create quotes alongside your invoices and email them from the app. Clients sign online with their name, place and a drawn signature. A quote expires automatically after the validity period you set, you can send a reminder while it is open, and an accepted quote becomes an invoice in one step. On the Complete plan, you can send that invoice via Peppol. The PDFs use Dutch labels, such as Offerte and Factuur.
Invoice requirements in the Netherlands and Belgium
Frequently asked questions
How long should a quote be valid?
Neither country sets a standard period, so state a date that matches how stable your prices are, for example 30 days after the quote date. In the Netherlands, you cannot revoke a quote during its stated period. In Belgium, an offer is irrevocable for its stated period or, without one, for a reasonable time.
Is a quote legally binding?
Yes, once the client accepts it: from then on, both sides are bound. Before that, it binds only you, as an offer, under the validity rules above. A client who changes key terms, such as the price, makes a counteroffer. Consumers who agree online, by phone or away from your premises may still have 14 days to cancel, with exceptions.
Can I charge for writing a quote?
You can, if the client knows in advance. In Belgium, a business that charges a consumer for preparing a quote must say so clearly beforehand, and the consumer must agree before the quote is drawn up. In the Netherlands, the ACM lists quotation costs among the additional costs that must be included in the price shown to consumers.
Do Belgian quotes have to be sent via Peppol?
No. Belgium’s structured e-invoicing obligation covers invoices between VAT-registered businesses, not quotes. You can send a quote as a PDF or a link. The invoice that follows an accepted business quote must, as a rule, be a structured electronic invoice, for example sent via Peppol.
Turn accepted quotes into invoices
Create quotes in Factuur Simpel, let clients sign online and convert an accepted quote into an invoice in one step. Try it free for 30 days.
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