Finance People · Amsterdam
Accountant for creatives in Amsterdam, in English or Dutch
Finance People is an accountant for creatives in Amsterdam: a one-person bookkeeping and tax practice that Michiel Terwindt has run since 2011, working only for freelancers and small business owners who make creative work. Photographers, musicians, illustrators, filmmakers, writers, performers, architects, web designers and visual artists hand over their Dutch bookkeeping, VAT returns and income tax return, and in return get one person who knows both their numbers and their trade. If you moved to Amsterdam from abroad, you can do all of this in English. Michiel explains the Dutch system in plain words, so a brown envelope from the Belastingdienst (the Dutch Tax Administration) stops being a mystery and becomes a task with a clear next step.
Sign up for 2027WhatsApp Michiel
Finance People is fully booked for 2026. You can sign up for 2027 now.
What we do
Bookkeeping and tax for Amsterdam creatives, handled by one person
Finance People takes care of the financial side of a creative business so you can spend your time on the work itself. You pass on your invoices, receipts and bank statements; Michiel keeps the books, files your VAT return every quarter or month, prepares your annual income tax return and draws up annual accounts where they are useful. There is no call centre, no receptionist and no junior who changes every year. You work directly with Michiel by email, phone or WhatsApp.
Tax planning when income is not a monthly salary
That direct line matters when your income does not arrive as a neat monthly salary. A large commission in March, almost nothing in May, a royalty statement in October and a festival fee in December: Michiel looks at the year as a whole, so the tax you owe does not come as a surprise and the deductions you are entitled to are not left on the table.
Who we serve
An accountant for every kind of creative freelancer
Finance People works exclusively for the creative sector. Each profession has its own patterns, from equipment that lasts for years to income that depends on rights and royalties. You will find the details per profession on these pages:
- accountant for photographers in Amsterdam: commissions, licences and expensive camera gear.
- bookkeeping for illustrators: book projects, editorial work and usage rights.
- accountant for musicians in Amsterdam: gigs, Buma/Stemra and Sena payments, instruments.
- accountant for filmmakers and video makers: productions that span several months.
- tax help for writers and journalists: the special VAT position of authors.
- accountant for web designers: client work, retainers and software costs.
- accountant for actors, dancers and theatre makers: short contracts and touring.
- accountant for freelance architects: long projects and a small studio.
- bookkeeper for artists: selling your own work at 9% VAT.
Not sure where you fit? The overview of creative professions we work with shows the full picture.
Services
Five bookkeeping and tax services, one point of contact
Most clients use a combination of services, agreed after an introductory conversation. Each one is explained in detail on its own page:
- bookkeeping for freelancers: your income and expenses recorded and checked throughout the year.
- Dutch VAT returns: the quarterly or monthly btw return, filed on time at the right rate.
- income tax return for self-employed creatives: the yearly return, including entrepreneur deductions you qualify for.
- annual accounts: a balance sheet and profit and loss statement for your business year.
- interim finance consulting: temporary finance work at larger organisations.
The full overview of accounting services helps you see which combination fits your situation.
Dutch terms
Dutch tax words for creatives, explained in English
Many internationals in Amsterdam find the Dutch vocabulary harder than the rules themselves. These are the words that come up most in the first year of freelancing.
Btw, KvK and KOR: the key Dutch tax terms
| Dutch term | What it means in English |
|---|---|
| btw | VAT (value added tax), usually 21% or 9%, declared per quarter or per month |
| KvK (Kamer van Koophandel) | The Chamber of Commerce, where you register your business |
| Belastingdienst | The Dutch Tax Administration, which collects VAT and income tax |
| zzp'er | A self-employed person without staff, the Dutch word for a freelancer |
| zelfstandigenaftrek | The self-employed deduction, €1,200 in 2026, if you meet the 1,225 hour criterion |
| KOR | The small business scheme for turnover up to €20,000 a year: no VAT charged, none reclaimed |
You do not need to memorise any of this. Michiel translates letters and forms into plain English and tells you what, if anything, you need to do.
Waitlist
Accountant for creatives: full for 2026, open for 2027 sign-ups
Because Finance People is one person, the number of clients is limited on purpose. The client list for 2026 is full, so no new clients are taken on this year. If you would like to work with Michiel from 2027, you can join the 2027 waitlist. Signing up is free and without obligation. Michiel contacts people in the order they signed up for an introductory talk as soon as a place opens in 2027. There is no promised date or guaranteed spot, but you will hear from him when it is your turn.
Michiel
Meet Michiel Terwindt, in finance since 1999
Michiel has worked in finance since 1999. Before starting Finance People in 2011 he worked as an account manager at ATC Corporate Services, a financial specialist at Brunel, a fund accountant at CBTJ Financial Services, a senior corporate accountant at AON and an accountant at TMF Netherlands. He studied at the University of Nijmegen (Radboud). You can read his full story in Michiel's career and background.
Bookkeeping knowledge from the Amsterdam creative scene
His knowledge of the creative sector does not come from a textbook. He volunteers behind the bar of the Torpedo Theater, the smallest theatre in Amsterdam, helps out at NDSM Open on the NDSM wharf and lends a hand at the Amsterdam Dance Event in Noord. Over the years he has dealt with Buma/Stemra and Sena payments, the costs an artist or freelance journalist can deduct, and project income that arrives in fits and starts.
English and Dutch
Working with an accountant in English or Dutch
Michiel works in both Dutch and English. For expats and international creatives that means you can ask your questions in English, receive explanations in English and still be sure that everything is filed correctly in the Dutch system. The returns themselves go to the Belastingdienst in Dutch, as they must, but you will know what is in them.
Digital collaboration with your bookkeeper
Collaboration is practical and mostly digital. You can read how working with Finance People goes, step by step, from the first introduction to the yearly routine. Questions that are not covered there may already be answered in the frequently asked questions about Finance People.
Giving
10% local, 10% effective: what your accountant gives away
Michiel gives 10% of his turnover to local causes in Amsterdam, such as Serve the City Amsterdam, a volunteer movement that cooks for homeless people, visits older residents and helps in shelters. He gives another 10% according to the principles of effective altruism, which asks how to do the most good with limited means. He also sponsors an orphanage in Asia. As a client, you indirectly contribute to all of this. More about the choices behind it is on the page about how Finance People gives back.
Amsterdam
An accountant in Amsterdam Oost for creatives across the city
Finance People is based at Commelinstraat 44 in the Dapperbuurt, Amsterdam Oost, a few steps from the Dappermarkt. Clients live and work all over the city, from studios at the NDSM wharf in Noord to home offices in West and Zuid. Read more about being an accountant for creatives across Amsterdam, or find the address and contact details if you have a question before signing up.
Beyond the books
The accountant for creatives in Amsterdam's arts scene
michielterwindt.nl
Michiel Terwindt's personal siteLinkedIn
Career since 1999HC AthenA
His hockey club in AmsterdamTorpedo Theater
Volunteer behind the bar of Amsterdam's smallest theatreWijn van Bret
City vineyard near Sloterdijk, own vines and own wineArt City NDSM
Helps out at NDSM Open on the NDSM wharfKunstmarkt Noord
Many of the artists are clients or friendsAmbacht in Beeld Festival
Craft workshops at NDSMDe Nieuwe Anita
Favourite venue in Amsterdam WestAmsterdam Dance Event
Helps out in Amsterdam NoordCasas Benali
Eco retreat in Enguera he keeps returning toServe the City Amsterdam
Local cause of the 10% revenueEffectief Altruïsme
Another 10% along these principlesGiving What We Can
International giving pledge
Frequently asked questions
Frequently asked: accountant for creatives in Amsterdam, in English or Dutch
What does Finance People do?
Finance People is a one-person bookkeeping and tax practice in Amsterdam that works only for creative freelancers and small creative businesses. Michiel Terwindt handles bookkeeping, Dutch VAT returns, income tax returns and annual accounts, and also takes on interim finance work at larger organisations. You deal with him directly, without an account team in between.
Is Finance People taking on new clients right now?
No, Finance People is not taking on new clients in 2026 because the client list is full. You can sign up without obligation on the 2027 waitlist. Michiel contacts people in order of sign-up for an introductory talk once a place opens in 2027, without a fixed date or a guarantee.
Can I work with Finance People entirely in English?
Yes, you can work with Finance People entirely in English. Michiel speaks and writes both English and Dutch, so emails, calls and explanations of letters from the Belastingdienst can all be in English. The returns themselves are filed in Dutch, but he walks you through what they contain.
Who is the accountant behind Finance People?
The accountant behind Finance People is Michiel Terwindt, who has worked in finance since 1999 and started Finance People in 2011. Before that he worked at ATC Corporate Services, Brunel, CBTJ Financial Services, AON and TMF Netherlands. He studied at the University of Nijmegen and is the only person working at the practice.
Does Finance People only work with creative freelancers?
Yes, Finance People only works with creatives: photographers, illustrators, musicians, filmmakers, writers and journalists, web designers, performers, architects and visual artists. The common thread is creative work done as a freelancer or small business owner. Businesses outside the creative sector are not taken on, which keeps the knowledge focused on what creatives actually run into.
How much does an accountant for creatives in Amsterdam cost at Finance People?
The cost of Finance People is tailored to your situation and agreed after an introductory conversation. That can be a fixed fee per year or per month, so you know where you stand. The amount depends on things like the number of transactions, whether you charge VAT and which returns you need, so there is no public price list.
Does Finance People have a reception or waiting room?
Finance People has no reception or waiting room: it is a one-person practice at Commelinstraat 44, 1093 TV Amsterdam, in the Dapperbuurt in Amsterdam Oost, close to the Dappermarkt. Most of the work happens by email, phone and WhatsApp, and a meeting in person is arranged when that is useful.
Do I need an accountant as a freelancer in the Netherlands?
An accountant is not legally required for freelancers in the Netherlands, but many find it worth it. The Dutch system has its own vocabulary, deadlines and deductions. An accountant who knows creative work makes sure VAT returns are filed on time, deductions such as the zelfstandigenaftrek are claimed when you qualify, and assessments do not catch you off guard.
Why does Finance People give away part of its turnover?
Finance People gives away part of its turnover because Michiel wants his work to do good beyond his own clients. He gives 10% to local Amsterdam causes such as Serve the City Amsterdam, another 10% following the principles of effective altruism, and he sponsors an orphanage in Asia.
How quickly does Michiel reply to WhatsApp messages?
Michiel usually replies to WhatsApp messages within an hour. Email and phone work as well, although a call may be returned later in the day when he is in the middle of returns. Because Finance People is a one-person practice, the answer always comes from Michiel himself rather than from a colleague.
Working with Michiel in 2027?
Finance People works with a limited number of makers, so everyone gets Michiel himself on the line. Put your name on the waitlist and you will hear as soon as there is room.