Invoice example
Sending your first invoice, or checking whether your current invoice is still correct: in both cases it helps to simply see one. Below you will find a complete example invoice that you can download, followed by its structure block by block, the variations for each situation and the mistakes a good example helps you avoid.
What does an invoice look like?
An invoice is made up of fixed blocks that always appear in the same order: your details at the top, your client's details below them, then the invoice details, followed by the invoice lines and finally the total with your payment details.
You are free to choose the layout, so your own house style and logo are fine. As long as the fixed elements are included, which is something you want to take into account from the start when setting up your invoicing and bookkeeping.
This is what such an invoice looks like in practice:
From:
Van Dijk Design
Stationsweg 12, 5611 AA Eindhoven
KVK 87654321
VAT ID NL003456789B12
To:
Bakkerij De Korenbloem
Marktplein 5, 5611 BB Eindhoven
Invoice number: 2026-014
Invoice date: 3 August 2026
Delivery date: 31 July 2026
Due date: 2 September 2026
Description | Quantity | Rate | Amount |
Brand identity design | 12 hours | € 75.00 | € 900.00 |
Print production support | 3 hours | € 75.00 | € 225.00 |
Subtotal | € 1,125.00 | ||
VAT 21% | € 236.25 | ||
Total amount due | € 1,361.25 |
Payment details: please transfer the amount within 30 days to IBAN NL00 ABCD 0123 4567 89 in the name of Van Dijk Design, quoting invoice number 2026-014.
Want to compare this example with your own invoice? Download the example invoice as a PDF and use it as a blank basis for your own layout.
The structure of an invoice, block by block
Every invoice consists of five blocks. If you stick to that order, your client finds everything where they expect it and your bookkeeping stays organised. Which details are legally required in each block is set out in full in the overview of mandatory details on an invoice. Here it is purely about what goes where:
Header block: your logo, company name, address, Chamber of Commerce (KVK) number and VAT identification number. This block is identical on every invoice and largely determines how professional it looks.
Client block: your client's name and address, on the left or right below your own details. If you work for a larger company, add the department or contact person so the invoice does not get lost.
Invoice details: the invoice number, the invoice date and the delivery date, usually right-aligned. Adding a due date is not mandatory but prevents discussion about when payment is due.
Invoice lines: the table with description, quantity, rate and amount. One line per service or product, with a description your client will still understand six months from now.
Total and payment block: the subtotal excluding VAT, the VAT rate with the VAT amount, the total including VAT, and below that your IBAN, the account holder name, the payment term and the reference.
Those last two blocks determine how quickly you get paid. An unclear description or a missing payment term is often the reason an invoice first does the rounds internally before someone approves it.
Examples for different situations
The structure always stays the same, but depending on the situation something changes in the total block or a line is added. Below are the variations you will need most often in practice.
1. Invoice with VAT
This is the standard version, like the example above. The total block contains three lines, one below the other: the amount excluding VAT, the VAT rate with the corresponding amount, and the total including VAT.
If you use several rates on one invoice, for example 21% and 9%, you break them down per rate and then add them up.
2. Invoice without VAT
If you fall under the small businesses scheme (kleineondernemersregeling, KOR) or an exemption applies, the VAT line is dropped and the subtotal is immediately the total amount.
Instead of a VAT line, you add a short note below the table, for example stating that you apply the small businesses scheme. Exactly when you show no VAT and which wording goes with it is explained on the page about mandatory details.
3. Hourly invoice
If you work on an hourly basis, the invoice line is your most important block. On each line, state the work carried out, the number of hours and the hourly rate, so the amount can be traced.
For longer assignments, attach a timesheet or break it down per week or per sub-project. That saves questions afterwards and makes the invoice easier to approve.
4. Invoice to a private individual
The layout is no different from a business invoice. The practical difference lies in the amounts: private individuals look at the total including VAT, so make that amount visually prominent instead of the amount excluding VAT.
Also state clearly how and within what term they need to pay, because a private individual does not have an accounts payable department to handle that for them.
5. Sales invoice and purchase invoice
It is the same invoice, just seen from the other side. The invoice you send is your sales invoice; for your client, that exact document is a purchase invoice.
Useful to know when setting up your bookkeeping: sales invoices end up with your accounts receivable, purchase invoices with your accounts payable. If you process a lot of purchase invoices, you can have that flow read in via paying invoices automatically instead of typing them over manually.
Creating an invoice in Word, Excel or PDF
For your first invoices, a template in Word or Excel is fine. Word gives you the most freedom in layout, while Excel automatically calculates the VAT amount and the total for you with a formula. Both have the same drawback: you keep track of the invoice numbering yourself and have to check every time that everything is correct.
If you send dozens of invoices a month, that becomes error-prone and time-consuming. From that point on, invoicing software or your accounting package is the logical step, because it continues the numbering, calculates the VAT and keeps track of your outstanding invoices.
Why you should always send an invoice as a PDF
A Word or Excel file can be edited by the recipient, and you do not want that for a document that forms the basis of your VAT records. So create your invoice wherever you like, but save it as a PDF before you send it. That way your client sees exactly what you laid out and the amount stays unchanged.
How do you number your invoices?
Your invoice number must be unique and sequential. The most common format is the year plus a sequence number, such as 2026-001, 2026-002 and so on. At the turn of the year, you start again at 001 with the new year.
Multiple series are allowed, for example a separate series per branch or per type of service, as long as each series runs on without gaps. It is precisely keeping track of this manually that goes wrong: a skipped number or two invoices with the same number stands out during an audit and costs you unnecessary explanation.
Common mistakes on an invoice
The five most common mistakes, all of which a good example helps you avoid:
A duplicate or missing invoice number: almost always caused by manual numbering in Word or Excel, especially if you copy a template and forget to change the number.
An incorrect VAT amount: a wrong rate or a calculation error in the percentage. Your client then cannot deduct the VAT correctly and you report an incorrect amount.
No delivery date: many entrepreneurs only include the invoice date, while the delivery date must be stated separately. The two by no means always coincide.
No payment term: without a term on the invoice, it is unclear when your client has to pay, and you are in a weaker position if it takes too long.
Sending an editable file: a Word invoice can be modified and looks less professional than a neat PDF.
If you quickly check your invoice against these five points before sending it, the chance is small that you will later have to send a credit note to correct something.
Is a PDF the same as an e-invoice?
No, and that difference will become more important in the coming years. A PDF is an image of your invoice that a person has to read. A real e-invoice is a structured data file, usually in UBL format, that your client's software can process directly without anyone having to get involved.
If you supply to the government, an e-invoice via the Peppol network is already mandatory. Between businesses there is no obligation yet in the Netherlands, but the direction is set: the European ViDA legislation makes e-invoicing mandatory for cross-border transactions within the EU from 1 July 2030.
A research report presented to the Dutch House of Representatives (Tweede Kamer) in March 2026 recommends introducing that obligation for domestic B2B invoices as well, via Peppol. If you work with Belgian clients, you already notice it now, because the B2B obligation has applied there since January 2026.
How to process your invoices with GoDutch
GoDutch is not invoicing software. You create and send your invoices in your accounting package or invoicing software, and GoDutch takes care of the side that comes after: the money.
You connect your account to virtually any Dutch accounting package, from Exact and Moneybird to e-Boekhouden and Yuki, after which incoming payments are automatically matched to the right invoice. That saves you ticking off your outstanding items by hand.
On the purchasing side it works the same way. You forward supplier invoices to your own GoDutch email address or have suppliers email them there directly, after which the IBAN, the amount and the reference are read automatically.
You approve, schedule the payment and everything is recorded in your bookkeeping. You can read more about this under the accounting integration.
Easily open a business account with GoDutch
Put the IBAN of a business account on your invoice and keep your business and personal payments neatly separated. You apply for the account online in a few minutes, have your IBAN and card within 1 day, and connect it directly to your bookkeeping. If you run into anything, someone is ready to help you 24/7.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about an invoice example
Can I create an invoice in Word or Excel?
You can create an invoice in Word or Excel, as long as all the fixed elements are included. Do save it as a PDF before sending it, because a Word or Excel file can be edited by the recipient. For larger volumes, invoicing software is less error-prone.
What is a draft invoice?
A draft invoice is an invoice that has not yet been sent as final. You use it to check amounts and descriptions or to agree on them with your client in advance. Only when you finalise it does it get an invoice number and count towards your bookkeeping.
What does a management fee invoice look like?
A management fee invoice has the same structure as any other invoice. The difference lies in the invoice line: you describe the management fee, the period you are invoicing for and the amount, usually per month or per quarter. Where possible, refer to the management agreement.
What do you put in the email with your invoice?
In the email with your invoice, briefly state what the invoice is for, the invoice number, the amount and the payment term. Two or three sentences are enough. Also mention the invoice number in the subject line, so the email is easier to find later.
Does my IBAN need to be on the invoice?
Your IBAN is not legally required on your invoice, but in practice virtually everyone includes it. Without an account number, your client does not know where to pay and you face unnecessary delays. Also add the account holder name, so the name check on the transfer matches.
