Moneybird for US DAFT Entrepreneurs: A Practical, English-First Setup Guide (ZZP and BV)
Last reviewed: February 2026
If you are a US citizen on DAFT, bookkeeping is not “just admin.” Your bookkeeping is your proof system. Proof that the business is real. Proof that invoices and payments match. Proof that VAT is handled correctly when it applies. Proof you can hand a tidy file to a professional without paying them to untangle chaos.
Moneybird is one of the best practical options for DAFT entrepreneurs because it is built for the Dutch reality: invoices, receipts, EUR bookkeeping, VAT workflows, and bank automation. It is not trying to be enterprise software. It is trying to make small-business bookkeeping boring. For DAFT founders, boring is the goal.
Scope note: This article is education and process guidance. It is not tax advice, legal advice, or accounting advice. Rules and reporting obligations depend on your facts. Use the official Moneybird guides linked throughout, and confirm specifics with your accountant or tax adviser.
Who this guide is for: English-speaking expats who want a “I can run this myself” bookkeeping system for DAFT, either as ZZP (eenmanszaak) or BV (including low-activity BVs). If you want to do bookkeeping once per week, not once per quarter, you are in the right place.
If you want a structured DAFT workspace with checklists and tools, start here: DAFT. For support, start with intake: Start in the Portal. Questions first: Contact.
The one sentence that makes Moneybird work
Every expense needs a document attached, and every bank transaction needs a match. That is the whole game.
If you do that weekly, Moneybird stays clean. If you do not, Moneybird becomes a backlog machine. The software is not the limiting factor. The rhythm is.
Minimum viable routine (for almost everyone):
1) Connect the bank feed.
2) Process the Bank tab weekly until it is clear.
3) Upload every purchase invoice or receipt into Inkomend and keep it attached.
4) Run VAT checks each period, even if it is a zero return.
5) For BV topics (salary, dividends, corporate tax), use memorial entries plus the official Moneybird guides.
Before you touch software: the decisions that prevent 80% of bookkeeping pain
Most “Moneybird problems” are not Moneybird problems. They are setup problems. Make these decisions once, in writing, and your bookkeeping becomes mechanical.
| Decision | Why it matters | Practical default for most DAFT founders |
|---|---|---|
| Entity type (ZZP vs BV) | Changes how you record private money, salary, dividends, and taxes. | Use your KvK registration and keep the Moneybird administration aligned to that legal form. |
| Base currency | Everything becomes easier when your administration matches Dutch reality. | Keep Moneybird in EUR even if you invoice US clients. |
| Business bank account | Mixing personal and business transactions creates monthly chaos. | Separate EUR business bank account. Keep personal spending out. |
| Invoice defaults | Correct defaults prevent VAT and numbering errors. | Create workflows for NL, EU B2B (reverse-charge), and non-EU (often US). |
| Document capture | If receipts are not attached, year-end becomes a scavenger hunt. | Every purchase invoice or receipt gets attached in Inkomend. |
| VAT status (VAT, KOR, or no VAT) | Determines invoice defaults, VAT return rhythm, and how some cross-border purchases are treated. | Confirm your VAT position early. Configure workflows and the BTW view to match, then run a BTW check each period even if it will be a zero return. |
| Payment rails (Stripe, Mollie, PayPal, Wise, etc.) | Processors create net payouts and fees. If you do not reconcile them, you end up with “mystery differences.” | Expect net deposits. Create a visible “payment fees” category and reconcile payouts weekly. |
| Cutover approach (new vs switching tools) | Determines whether you import history or start clean with opening balances and open invoices. | For many DAFT founders, pick a clean cutover date, enter an opening balance and open invoices, then go forward cleanly. |
Your target state: every euro that leaves your business has a document attached, and every euro that enters your business can be traced to an invoice or a clearly labeled deposit.
Quick orientation: the three Moneybird areas you will actually use
Moneybird has lots of features. Most DAFT founders only need to master three parts of the system. If you make these three areas boring, the rest follows.
Inkomend
This is your document vault. Every receipt, bill, and purchase invoice belongs here. If it is not attached, it effectively does not exist when you need proof later.
Bank
This is your weekly processing queue. Transactions come in via bank connection. Your job is matching: match money to invoices and expenses, then move on.
BTW
VAT is a periodic review. It becomes stressful only when bookkeeping is behind or invoices are inconsistent. With weekly processing, VAT becomes a checklist.
If you feel stuck, it is usually because one of these areas is not current. Fix the backlog and the system starts working again.
Step 1: Set Moneybird to English and keep terms consistent
Set your interface language early. It reduces mistakes and makes it easier to collaborate with an English-speaking adviser later. Moneybird also provides settings for category language. Consistency matters more than perfection.
Do this once:
1) Set the Moneybird interface language to English (or confirm it is already English).
2) Decide whether you want category labels in English or Dutch, then keep it consistent.
3) Keep Dutch bookkeeping terms in your own notes where Moneybird uses them (btw, memoriaalboeking, etc.). It makes official documentation easier to follow.
Official Moneybird guidance: English-speaking Moneybird experts / English usage and Category language (Taal categorieën).
If you are an expat, do not let language friction become “bookkeeping avoidance.” Translate the help center in your browser and keep moving.
Category strategy: keep it readable, not “perfect”
New expats often overcomplicate categories. They create 80 categories, then stop using the system because it feels like homework. Do the opposite. Start with a small set you can name in plain English. You can always split categories later if your accountant asks for it.
Your categories should answer three practical questions. What did I earn? What did I spend to run the business? What money is not a business expense (owner draws, private payments, and other non-expense movements)?
Practical default: aim for 15 to 25 categories in Year 1. If you cannot remember where something goes, you have too many.
A simple starter set for many DAFT founders
| Bucket | Examples | What to watch as a US expat |
|---|---|---|
| Income | Sales or services revenue | Keep invoices consistent by client location (NL, EU B2B, US) using workflows. |
| Professional | Accountant, tax adviser, bookkeeping support | Attach engagement letters and invoices. Clean documentation reduces follow-up questions. |
| Software and tools | Subscriptions, cloud tools, domain and hosting | Perfect for booking rules. These costs repeat, so automate them early. |
| Marketing and sales | Ads, website services, design, CRM tools | Marketing often mixes personal and business use. Keep notes and receipts so you can explain it. |
| Travel and meals | Business travel, client meetings | These categories can be sensitive. Keep notes describing business purpose. Confirm rules with your adviser. |
| Bank and payment fees | Bank fees, Stripe or payment processor fees | Fees create net deposits and timing differences. Keep them visible, not hidden in “misc.” |
| Owner money (ZZP) | Privé-opnames and privé-stortingen | Owner draws are not business expenses. Record them cleanly so profit and VAT stay accurate. |
| BV-only items | Salary entries, dividends, corporate tax payments, shareholder loans | Use memorial entries and attach supporting documents. Label clearly so year-end is painless. |
Scope note: Category naming is not tax advice. It is a documentation tool. If your accountant wants a different chart of accounts, you can adjust later. The Year 1 goal is consistency and a clean audit trail.
Step 2: Connect your bank feed (this is the biggest time-saver)
Moneybird is good without bank automation. Moneybird is excellent with it. A bank feed turns bookkeeping from manual typing into matching and review.
Moneybird supports automatic bank connections through Ponto. Once connected, transactions flow in automatically and the Bank tab becomes your processing queue.
Official guides: Automatic bank connection overview and Connect via Ponto (step-by-step).
Important: importing transactions is not the same as “automatic processing”
A bank connection imports transactions. Automatic processing is Moneybird deciding it is confident enough to categorize or match something without you touching it. Some transactions will auto-process. Some will not. That is normal.
Moneybird explains common reasons here: Transactions not automatically processed.
Booking rules: where you buy your time back
The highest-return setup work is booking rules. Anything recurring should be automated: hosting, telecom, software subscriptions, bank fees, accountant fees. Then weekly bookkeeping becomes “approve and move on.”
Moneybird guide: Booking rules (Boekingsregels instellen).
Practical rule: if you have paid the same vendor twice, it probably deserves a booking rule.
Step 3: Configure your invoicing workflows (NL, EU B2B, US)
Most DAFT founders are cross-border by default. Even if you live in the Netherlands, your clients may be in NL, in the EU, in the US, or a mix. That means you need correct defaults. Invoicing should not require you to “remember the VAT logic” each time.
Moneybird uses workflows to control invoice numbering, language, and VAT behavior. The clean approach is to create a few workflows and always invoice through the right one.
Official guides: Invoices in other languages (workflows) and Invoices to foreign customers.
NL clients
Create a workflow for NL clients with the correct default VAT settings for your situation. Then do not improvise unless you have a reason and you can explain it.
EU business clients (B2B): reverse-charge and ICP
If you invoice EU businesses, reverse-charge VAT (btw verlegd) and ICP reporting can apply. This is not difficult, but it must be configured correctly. “Almost correct” becomes a VAT error.
Desk-level habit: if you apply reverse-charge, capture the customer’s EU VAT number and keep a quick verification note in your client onboarding file. The European Commission’s VAT number validation tool is VIES: VIES VAT number validation. If you are unsure whether reverse-charge applies, confirm with your adviser and do not improvise.
Moneybird guides: Reverse-charge VAT in Moneybird, Mention reverse-charge on invoice, and ICP return from Moneybird.
US clients (non-EU)
Many DAFT founders invoice US clients. That often intersects with foreign currency and different VAT rules. Your job inside Moneybird is not to guess. Your job is to build a workflow that reflects how your professional tells you to invoice, then use it consistently.
Practical warning: If you are not sure whether VAT applies to your service in a specific scenario, do not improvise. Use the workflow you know is correct, or confirm before you issue the invoice. Fixing VAT later is possible, but it is a tax headache you do not need.
Step 4: Document capture and purchases (Inkomend done right)
Your rule is simple: every expense needs (1) a document and (2) a matching bank transaction. If either is missing, your file is weak. Weak files create problems at VAT time, tax time, and during DAFT renewal when you want your admin to be clean.
Moneybird’s purchase invoice workflow is built around attaching documents in Inkomend, then matching payment in the Bank tab. That is the core loop.
Moneybird feature overview: Purchase invoices in Moneybird.
Three rules that prevent most year-end pain
First, attach the PDF or receipt even when it is small. Second, label anything unusual with a note so you can remember the context later. Third, never leave a transaction unmatched without a reason.
Desk-level habit: when you buy something, upload the receipt immediately. Do not “save it for later.” Later becomes never.
Personal card used for business purchase (common in Year 1)
This happens constantly for new expats. The fix is not complicated. Record the business expense, attach the receipt, then record the “who paid” part correctly (private contribution for ZZP, or the correct BV handling if applicable). The goal is that a reviewer can see the expense, see the proof, and see how it was paid.
Step 5: Weekly workflow (the habit that makes everything else easy)
Moneybird is a system. Systems work when you have rhythm. Your goal is to turn bookkeeping into a small weekly habit, not a seasonal punishment. If you do this weekly, renewal prep is easy. If you do this quarterly, everything becomes expensive.
Weekly checklist (15 to 30 minutes):
1) Upload any missing receipts to Inkomend.
2) Open Bank and process every new transaction.
3) Match incoming money to invoices.
4) Match outgoing money to purchase invoices.
5) Categorize remaining items and add notes when needed.
6) Leave the Bank tab clean or intentionally parked with notes.
Moneybird guide: Link invoice or category to bank transaction.
Monthly mini-close (20 minutes)
Once per month, do a mini-close. You are not doing corporate accounting. You are checking for drift. Scan for uncategorized transactions, missing attachments, and any weird items you need to explain.
Reality: monthly mini-closes are what keep DAFT bookkeeping boring and renewal-ready.
Step 6: VAT and ICP (make it repeatable)
VAT becomes stressful when bookkeeping is behind or invoices are inconsistent. If you process weekly, VAT becomes a verification step. Moneybird supports VAT return preparation and, in some cases, submission, subject to conditions. It also supports zero returns (nihilaangifte), reverse-charge logic, KOR scenarios, and ICP reporting.
VAT guides: VAT return in Moneybird, Conditions for VAT submission, Submit VAT return, 0 return (nihilaangifte), KOR, Reverse-charge VAT, ICP return, and Foreign purchase and reverse-charge with KOR.
Practical warning: VAT compliance is not the place to wing it. If you are unsure, pause and confirm. Fixing VAT later is possible, but it costs time and professional fees.
Best habit: before you file VAT, clear the Bank tab and make sure key expenses have attachments. VAT is easy when the file is current.
Foreign currency: invoice in USD, keep the admin in EUR
This is one of the most common expat edge cases. Moneybird can invoice in foreign currencies and track exchange differences. The limitation is often bank processing: a non-EUR bank account can be difficult to process inside an EUR administration. Most DAFT founders should keep their core bookkeeping in EUR and treat foreign currency as a managed workflow.
Common expat setup: you receive USD into Wise or another multi-currency account, then convert to EUR. That can work fine, but you need a clear rule for what is “in the books.” For most founders, the clean path is still an EUR business account feeding Moneybird, with foreign currency handled as a conversion step upstream.
Moneybird guides: Exchange differences (koersverschillen), Register payments in foreign currency, and Foreign currency bank account limitation.
The practical workflow for many DAFT founders
Keep the administration in EUR. Invoice in USD when you need to. Convert USD to EUR before it hits your main booked EUR business account. Register the payment and let Moneybird track exchange differences. Keep documentation for large conversions.
Scope reminder: This is operational guidance, not tax advice. If you have multiple foreign accounts or complex flows, confirm the reporting approach with your accountant.
ZZP scenario: private money, owner draws, and stop mixing accounts
The ZZP scenario is the most common DAFT setup. Your biggest risk is not VAT. Your biggest risk is mixing private and business money until nothing is clear. If you keep separation clean, everything else becomes easier.
If you pay a business expense personally, record it as a business cost and record a private contribution (privé-storting). If you take money out of the business for personal use, record a private withdrawal (privé-opname). Do not disguise owner draws as business expenses. That is how people break their bookkeeping.
Moneybird guides: Private payments, Business vs private, and Which private category to use.
Income tax payments are not business expenses
A common mistake is treating Dutch income tax (IB) and the healthcare contribution (ZVW) as a business expense. Moneybird explicitly notes these are personal taxes and in principle do not belong inside the business administration as normal business costs.
Moneybird guide: Handling payments for IB and ZVW.
Practical DAFT mindset: treat your bookkeeping like you are building a file for a reviewer. If a stranger cannot understand a transaction in 20 seconds, label it and attach proof.
BV scenario: low-activity routine, salary, dividends, corporate tax
A low-activity BV is one of the best use cases for Moneybird. The goal is a clean administrative file that stays current with minimal time. You will use more memorial entries for BV topics, but the routine can still be simple.
Minimum viable BV routine:
Weekly or monthly: process Bank to zero and attach documents.
Monthly: post salary journal entries if applicable and reconcile payments.
Quarterly: VAT review and file, plus ICP if relevant.
Annually: year-end closing entry and export reports for your accountant.
Moneybird BV guides: Salary (loon verwerken) · Dividends · Paid corporate tax · Corporate tax filing note · Loans · Year-end closing (jaarafsluiting).
If you have a BV, do not treat dividends like expenses. Do not treat shareholder loans like revenue. Label things clearly and use memorial entries when needed. That clarity prevents misunderstandings with your accountant and prevents year-end surprises.
Edge cases DAFT expats run into (and how to keep the file clean)
None of these issues are complicated. They are just the places where expats tend to improvise and then pay for cleanup later. Treat edge cases like a mini process: document, label, match.
Chargebacks, refunds, and credit notes
If a client is refunded, do not just delete the invoice. You want an audit trail: a credit note or correct reversal flow, then match the bank refund. Add a short note explaining what happened.
Payment processors and net payouts
Stripe, PayPal, and similar tools create net payouts. That means deposits arrive minus fees, and a single payout can relate to multiple invoices. Your goal is to keep the story clean. Keep fees in a visible category. Do not hide them inside “misc.” If one payout bundles multiple invoices, match it carefully and leave notes.
Subscriptions and recurring costs
Recurring costs are where booking rules pay for themselves. Categorize once. Automate. Then review in seconds each week.
Starting mid-year or taking over an existing administration
For many low-activity situations, a clean cutover date is better than importing years of history. Focus on correct opening balances, open invoices, and clean bookkeeping going forward.
Moneybird takeover guidance: Bring old data, Import old bookkeeping options, Opening balance, Open invoices in opening balance.
Bottom line: edge cases are not hard. Vague categorization and missing documentation are hard. Label it, attach proof, and move on.
Give your accountant access (and stop emailing spreadsheets)
One of the best parts of Moneybird is collaboration. You can invite your accountant or bookkeeper directly into the administration and control access. That reduces back-and-forth, reduces mistakes, and reduces version control chaos.
Your goal is simple: let your accountant review and adjust, not reconstruct. When receipts are attached and bank transactions are matched, professional review becomes fast and cheap.
Moneybird guides: Invite users and Access rights overview. Pricing reference: Moneybird pricing.
DAFT-specific note: A tidy Moneybird file supports the broader goal: keeping your DAFT administration renewal-ready. It is not just bookkeeping. It is your compliance evidence trail.
What to export and save (your quarterly and year-end professional pack)
Moneybird makes it easy to stay current, but you still need a habit of saving the right outputs. Think of this as your clean handoff pack for your Dutch tax adviser and your US CPA. When you can produce these quickly, professionals work faster and you spend less.
US citizen reminder: If you have non-US financial accounts (including Dutch business accounts), you may have separate US reporting obligations that require tracking year-end and maximum balances. Moneybird bookkeeping does not replace that tracking. Keep a simple “account balances” worksheet for your US CPA and confirm your specific filing requirements with them.
Quarterly (or each VAT period)
After you review and file VAT, save a copy of the VAT return summary and keep it with your supporting documents. If you have ICP reporting, save that too. The goal is that a future reviewer can see what you filed and why it is supported by the underlying invoices and expenses.
Monthly (optional, but powerful)
Once per month, export or snapshot your profit and loss overview and note anything unusual. This is not for perfection. This is for early detection. If something looks wrong in March, you fix it in March, not next January.
Annually (year-end)
Save these items for your year-end file:
1) Profit and loss and balance sheet reports for the year.
2) A list of sales invoices and purchase invoices with attachments complete.
3) VAT return summaries (and ICP summaries if applicable).
4) Bank statements for the business account(s) that match the period.
5) Notes on anything nonstandard: large one-off expenses, unusual client refunds, loans, capital injections, dividends, salary changes.
DAFT benefit: keeping this pack clean makes renewal preparation calmer because your evidence is already organized.
Moneybird link library (official docs, grouped)
Full URLs, grouped for easy reference. Bookmark this section.
Getting started and language
Bank feed and processing
- Automatic bank connection
- Bank connection via Ponto
- Link invoice or category to bank transaction
- Automatic transaction processing
- Booking rules
- Transactions not automatically processed
Invoices, languages, abroad
VAT, 0 return, KOR, reverse-charge, ICP
- VAT return in Moneybird
- Conditions for VAT submission
- Submit VAT return
- 0 return (nihilaangifte)
- KOR
- Foreign purchase and reverse-charge with KOR
- Reverse-charge VAT
- ICP return
Foreign currency
ZZP and private payments
BV
Collaboration
Integrations and API
Final thought: DAFT is DIY-friendly. The painful part is administration drift. A simple Moneybird routine, run weekly, is one of the fastest ways to keep your DAFT business renewal-ready.
