VAT on Events and Conferences in the Netherlands

Admission is taxed where the event takes place

Tickets and admission fees for events physically held in the Netherlands are taxed with Dutch VAT, for business visitors and consumers alike. A foreign organiser of a Dutch event therefore has a Dutch VAT duty on the ticket revenue, which usually means a Dutch VAT registration.

The rate on the ticket

Admission to conferences and trade events is taxed at the standard rate of 21%. Cultural admissions, such as theatre, concerts and museums, are taxed at 9%, as listed in Dutch VAT rates 2026. For mixed programmes, the rate depends on the character of the event.

Sponsoring and exhibition booths

Sponsor packages and exhibition booths are separate services. If you sell them to foreign businesses, VAT is generally due in the customer's country under the reverse charge. This is different from the tickets, even though it is the same event.

A company outside the EU can use these rules through a Dutch partner. See fiscal representation for non-EU importers for what that partner does and how the costs are built up. There you also read when your own Dutch company is the better option.

The deduction side

Venue hire, catering-related costs, audio-visual equipment (AV) and build-up all include Dutch input VAT. A registered organiser deducts this VAT from the ticket VAT in the same return. An unregistered foreign organiser reclaims it through the refund process. Registration is usually faster.