Paying your bills/invoices in the Netherlands
The payment of bills works differently from country to country, and in the Netherlands it is important to pay your bill or query it before it goes to the Incasso Bureau (debt collectors). Here are some tips to avoid problems:
- Know whether your bills will come by post or email and whether you set them up to be debited automatically or manually
- Open and read your post. If you do not understand a letter/possible bill get a Dutch friend to translate it, phone the company or book a session with me
- Read your emails from companies that you have contracts with
- For automatic payments, check that the payments went out. If your account was not in credit at the time, it may become a debt
- Contracts are often rolling which means that they continue from year to year. Non-payment after one year does not mean that you have cancelled the contract, you need to look at the notice period, terms and conditions and follow the guidelines or phone and ask
- If renting, and you receive post that looks like a bill sent to your address that is not for you, forward on to the landlord and make sure the previous tenant de-registered from that address. You can check this with your local Gemeente
- When an unpaid bill goes to the debt collectors, you will be charged interest and may have a visit from the bailiffs. At this stage it is often too late to query the bill
If you require further practical tips regarding living in the Netherlands, you can book an individual appointment or group workshop with Karen, karen@kgtconsulting.nl
