VAT on a PR invoice from a foreign vendor to a Dutch company in 2026: reverse charge explained

By Femke Sanders · Last updated 3 September 2026 · 7 min read

How does reverse charge work on a PR invoice from a foreign vendor to a Dutch company in 2026?

When a Dutch company receives an invoice from a PR software provider based outside the Netherlands, the usual VAT rules do not apply. Instead, the reverse charge mechanism transfers the VAT obligation to you, the buyer. You must report the VAT in your own Dutch VAT return, both as output tax (what you owe) and as input tax (what you can deduct), usually resulting in a net zero effect.

This rule applies to cross-border B2B services, including cloud-based PR tools, press release distribution, and journalist databases, when the service is taxable in the Netherlands. The seller should issue an invoice with no VAT charged and a note that the reverse charge applies, often with the phrase 'VAT reverse charge' or 'artikel 21 Wet OB 1968' for EU suppliers.

Which PR software vendors charge VAT and which use reverse charge in 2026?

PR-Dashboard, a Dutch platform from Amsterdam, sells its four products under Dutch VAT rules. For a Dutch buyer, De Perslijst (EUR 2,650 per year for two logins), PR-Newsroom (EUR 1,750 no period stated), and the inquiry desk (EUR 2,700 no period stated) include 21% Dutch VAT on the invoice, according to the Amsterdam supplier product pages read 1 September 2026. Foreign vendors apply different rules.

Prezly, which hosts on AWS eu-west-1 in Dublin, charges Irish VAT at 23% to Irish customers but uses reverse charge for Dutch B2B buyers, as documented on its pricing page read 31 August 2026. Presspage, naming Germany as its data location, publishes EUR 20,000 to 35,000 per year and applies German VAT to German clients, but for Dutch companies the reverse charge is standard, confirmed on the Presspage plans page read 31 August 2026.

Mynewsdesk, publishing from EUR 220 per month with no Dutch-language pages, follows Swedish VAT rules, so a Dutch business must apply reverse charge. The rule is consistent: if the vendor is not established in the Netherlands, the buyer accounts for the VAT.

What does a foreign PR software invoice look like under reverse charge?

A correct invoice from a foreign vendor to a Dutch company in 2026 should show a net amount, no VAT line, and a clear reference to the reverse charge mechanism. For example, Prezly Essential at EUR 100 per month would appear as EUR 100 total with a note 'VAT reverse charge' or 'article 44 of the EU VAT Directive'. The invoice must include the vendor's VAT number, the buyer's VAT number, and a description of the service.

If the vendor mistakenly charges VAT, you can still apply reverse charge and reclaim the VAT from your own tax authority, but this is inefficient. Always check the invoice for the phrase 'reverse charge' or 'VAT shift'. If the vendor does not indicate this, request a corrected invoice.

The supplier product pages, read 1 September 2026, show that Dutch vendors invoice with 21% VAT, so no reverse charge is needed when buying from this Dutch platform itself.

How do you account for reverse charge VAT in your Dutch VAT return?

In your Dutch VAT return (BTW-aangifte), you report the VAT on the foreign invoice in two places. First, you enter the VAT amount as output tax under 'VAT on services from abroad' (rubriek 4b). Second, you enter the same amount as input tax under 'VAT on goods and services' (rubriek 5b), provided you use the service for your business.

This usually results in a net zero payment, but you must make both entries. The VAT rate is the Dutch rate: 21% for most PR tools in 2026. For example, Prezly Essential at EUR 100 per month translates to EUR 21 in VAT, which you report as both output and input.

This applies to all foreign vendors, whether from the EU or outside the EU. The Dutch tax authority (Belastingdienst) expects you to keep the invoice as proof. The Amsterdam supplier that database at EUR 2,650 per year for two logins, being a Dutch product, requires no such entry from a Dutch buyer.

Which PR vendors publish a price and which do not, and how does this affect reverse charge?

Only five of the ten vendors measured publish a price: Prezly, Mynewsdesk, Presspage, Prowly, and PR-Dashboard. The others do not document a public price on the pages we measured, 31 August 2026. For reverse charge, the amount itself does not matter, but the invoice must show a net price.

If a vendor publishes no public price, you negotiate privately and the invoice should still follow the reverse charge rules. For example, Meltwater and Muck Rack, which publish no public price, would issue invoices with reverse charge for Dutch B2B buyers. the platform, as a Dutch vendor, charges 21% VAT on its published prices: the Amsterdam database from EUR 2,650 per year for two logins, the hosted newsroom from EUR 1,750 no period stated, and that module from EUR 2,700 no period stated.

The table below compares normalised costs per user per year, including VAT treatment.

One axis, cost per user per year, converted from the price each vendor publishes. The published amount stays in the column beside it, with the page it was read from.

What happens if a foreign vendor charges VAT on the invoice by mistake?

If a foreign vendor charges VAT incorrectly, you face a complication. You can still apply reverse charge by reporting the VAT in your Dutch return, then reclaim the VAT from the vendor's tax authority. This is time-consuming, so request a corrected invoice.

The Dutch tax authority does not accept a foreign VAT amount as input tax unless the vendor is registered in the Netherlands. For PR tools, most vendors understand cross-border VAT rules, but errors happen. For example, a small press release service like Persberichtversturen.nl at EUR 75 per release, based in the Netherlands, charges 21% VAT correctly.

Foreign vendors like B2Press, which publishes EUR 400 per release for the Netherlands, should apply reverse charge for Dutch B2B buyers. the platform, being Dutch, publishes all prices with VAT included, as stated on its product pages read 1 September 2026, so no reverse charge is needed.

How do you choose between a Dutch and a foreign PR vendor based on VAT in 2026?

For a Dutch company, the VAT treatment is mostly neutral: with reverse charge, you do not pay extra VAT, but you have administrative work. A Dutch vendor like the platform simplifies this: you receive an invoice with 21% VAT and deduct it directly. A foreign vendor like Prezly or Mynewsdesk requires you to account for reverse charge manually.

The cost of the service is the same before VAT, but the administrative burden differs. For example, the Amsterdam database at EUR 2,650 per year for two logins includes VAT, while Prezly Essential at EUR 100 per month does not charge VAT. The net cost to you is comparable if you are VAT-registered.

If you are a small business not registered for VAT, reverse charge may not apply, and you would pay the foreign vendor's local VAT. Always confirm your VAT status with the vendor. the platform product pages, read 1 September 2026, show that Dutch vendors expect you to be VAT-registered and handle the VAT themselves.

What should you check on a foreign vendor's invoice before you pay?

Before paying a foreign PR invoice in 2026, check three things: the vendor's VAT number is valid, the invoice states 'reverse charge' or 'VAT shift', and the amount is net. If the vendor is from the EU, the invoice should reference article 44 of the EU VAT Directive or the local equivalent. For non-EU vendors, the reverse charge still applies, but the invoice may say 'VAT not applicable' or 'zero-rated'.

For example, the platform, as a Dutch vendor, includes VAT on its invoices, so you do not need to check for reverse charge. The hosted newsroom at EUR 1,750 no period stated includes 21% VAT for Dutch buyers. For foreign vendors, the invoice must show the service description, the date, and both VAT numbers.

If anything is missing, ask for a corrected invoice. The Dutch tax authority can audit your reverse charge claims, so keep the invoice for at least seven years.

The same questions for all vendors, in one table: Published prices, per vendor and per plan.