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Are you 2030-ready? 7 questions for business owners (with a score)

Being 2030-ready means your business can send and receive e-invoices under the European standard, that your customer and VAT details are correct, and that your invoice process fits digital reporting to the Dutch tax authority. Answer the seven questions below, add up your points, and in three minutes you know how far along you are.

Last checked 28 October 20267 min read

An e-invoice is an invoice as a structured data file under the European standard EN 16931 that software can read in automatically. An emailed PDF is not.

Why 2030?

From 1 July 2030, invoices between businesses in different EU countries must be e-invoices, and you pass the data per invoice to the Dutch tax authority. That is European law (the ViDA directive). The cabinet also wants to make e-invoices mandatory from 1 July 2030 for business invoices inside the Netherlands, with reporting from 1 July 2031. That Dutch part was announced on 11 September 2026 and still has to go through parliament as a bill. Businesses in the small-business scheme (KOR) are, under the proposal, exempt from the domestic obligation.

More background: E-invoicing mandatory in 2030: what changes for your BV?.

How the check works

For each question, choose the answer that fits you best and note the points. If you hesitate between two answers, choose the lower one. Being honest pays off most.

The 7 questions

Question 1. Can your accounting software send e-invoices, for example via Peppol?

Yes, and I have already sent an e-invoice: 2 points
I think so, but I have never used it: 1 point
No, or I do not know: 0 points

Peppol is the international network that takes e-invoices safely from one set of books to another. Explanation: What is Peppol?

Question 2. Can you receive e-invoices from suppliers, so they land automatically in your administration?

Yes, purchase invoices mostly arrive automatically: 2 points
Partly, I still scan or upload a lot of PDFs: 1 point
No, I retype purchase invoices or forward them separately: 0 points

Question 3. Do you know which share of your invoices goes to business customers in other EU countries?

Yes, I know exactly which customers and how many: 2 points
Roughly, but not per customer: 1 point
No idea: 0 points

Why this counts: for EU trade the obligation is already fixed in European law, including reporting per invoice. If you have no EU customers or EU suppliers, give yourself 2 points.

Question 4. Are your customers' details complete: correct business name, KVK number, VAT number and invoice address?

Yes, for (almost) all customers: 2 points
For the large customers yes, the rest not sure: 1 point
No, or I have never checked: 0 points

Question 5. Does every product or service in your software have a fixed, checked VAT code?

Yes, set and checked by me or my accountant: 2 points
Set, but never reviewed: 1 point
No, I choose the rate myself on each invoice: 0 points

An e-invoice recalculates the VAT. A wrong code means a rejected or incorrect invoice, and with digital reporting the tax authority sees that too.

Question 6. Do you send your invoices within 10 days of supply or completion of the service?

Yes, always or almost always: 2 points
Usually, but sometimes I batch them by month or quarter: 1 point
No, I often invoice only weeks later: 0 points

For invoices to business EU customers, from 1 July 2030 a period of 10 days after supply applies. A monthly summary invoice remains possible, provided it is within 10 days after the end of the month.

Question 7. Do your sales invoices and your VAT return line up without manual corrections?

Yes, that happens on its own every period: 2 points
Usually, but there are regular corrections: 1 point
No, the return is a puzzle every time: 0 points

Your score

Add up your points. Your score is between 0 and 14.

Score	What it means	What you do now
12 to 14 points: 2030-ready	Your invoice process is in place. Your software, details and VAT are in order.	Keep up with the legislation and move as many customers and suppliers as possible onto e-invoicing.
7 to 11 points: well on the way	The base is there, but there are still gaps in software, details or timing.	Tackle the questions where you scored 0 or 1 over the coming months, starting with VAT codes and customer details.
0 to 6 points: time for a plan	You still work mostly with PDFs and manual work. That works today, but not after 1 July 2030 for EU trade and, as things are heading, not for domestic B2B either.	Start with the checklist in How to send your first Peppol invoice and have your process reviewed.

Note: this check is a tool to measure your preparation. It is not a legal test. The Dutch rules are only final once the law has been adopted.

What do you gain if you start now?

Besides meeting the rules later, it saves money. In the parliamentary letter of 11 September 2026 the cabinet cites international benchmarks of €5 to €6 saved per invoice sent and about €8 per invoice received when working fully digitally. How that compares with PDFs is in Peppol vs a PDF invoice: cost, errors and VAT checks.

Talk through your score with DT Admin

DT Admin is a Dutch administration and bookkeeping partner for business owners in every sector, from sole trader to a BV with a holding. In a free intake we walk through your score together and you get a concrete plan: which software, which settings, which customers first, and what we can take over for you.

Book an intake with DT Admin and mention your score.
See the fees for a sole tradership, VOF, BV and holding.

Frequently asked questions

What does 2030-ready mean?

That your business is ready for the e-invoicing rules that apply from 1 July 2030: sending and receiving e-invoices under EN 16931, correct customer and VAT details, and an invoice process that fits digital reporting to the Dutch tax authority.

Do I have to be 2030-ready as a sole trader?

Yes, if you send invoices to other businesses. The legal form does not matter. Only businesses in the KOR (at most €20,000 turnover a year) are, under the cabinet plan, exempt from the domestic obligation.

How long does it take to become 2030-ready?

For a small business with modern accounting software, often a few weeks of tidying and testing. With many customers, EU trade or old software it can take months. So start well before 2030.

What if my score is low?

No panic, you have time. Start with the questions where you scored 0 points, usually software and VAT codes. Or let DT Admin look with you.

Is the Dutch e-invoice obligation already law?

No. For EU trade it is (European directive, from 1 July 2030). For domestic B2B invoices it is a cabinet plan; the bill is scheduled to go to the House of Representatives before the summer of 2027.

This is a general explanation, not advice for your situation. DT Admin’s fees are indications excluding VAT.

Sources

Last checked: 28 October 2026. This is general information, not tax or legal advice.