A Belgian VAT invoice (facture TVA / BTW-factuur) is the paper trail that turns completed work into a payment you can legally chase — and for freelancers it doubles as your proof of taxable turnover. Get the layout right and clients pay without friction; get it wrong and you may face a document the tax office (SPF Finances) will not accept.
What to include
A valid Belgian invoice needs your VAT number, the client's VAT number for any B2B customer, a unique factuurnummer / numéro de facture, the invoice date, and the TVA shown per line. Leave any of these out and the invoice is harder to enforce — and for VAT purposes it can be treated as invalid. Add your and the client's full addresses and a clear description of what you delivered, and you have got a document nobody can dispute.
How the tax/calculation works
Belgian invoices require your VAT number, the customer's number for B2B, and the VAT broken out per line rather than only as a bottom total. The standard rate is 21%, with reduced rates of 12% and 6% for specific supplies. This template uses 21%. If you bill a business customer in another EU country, check the reverse-charge rule before you total up: you may need to charge 0% and note that the tax shifts to the recipient.
Example line items
Invoice
Belgium VAT invoice
- Invoice no.
- INV-2026-014
- Date
- 2026-07-15
From
Your Company
123 Business Rd, Your City
VAT No.: BE1234567890
To
Client Name
Client Company, Client City
| Description | Qty | Rate | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| E-commerce setup | 1 | €2,000.00 | €2,000.00 |
| Training – 6h | 6 | €95.00 | €570.00 |
- Subtotal
- €2,570.00
- VAT (21%)
- €539.70
- Total
- €3,109.70
Notes
Payment within 30 days. Thank you.
Example preview — not a real invoice
Concrete lines keep the total transparent. For example: E-commerce setup at 1 × €2,000.00, and Training – 6h at 6 × €95.00. Always list the quantity, the unit price, and the tax on each line so the grand total is easy to verify and approve.
Practical tips
Keep invoices for 7 years under Belgian rules. State the payment deadline clearly so there is no argument about when money is due. Reach for the 6% rate on basic food and some housing renovation works, and 12% on certain prepared items, but check each line against Belgian VAT law first. Steady habits — consistent numbering, clear terms, and sending the invoice the day work finishes — quietly cut late payments and build the trust that brings clients back.
Getting the layout right is mostly habit: the mandatory fields do not move, the 21% rate stays put, and a clear breakdown prevents awkward payment chases. A reliable invoice generator handles the per-line VAT maths and the bilingual labels, so the only thing left is the work you actually enjoy.