Who we serve · musicians
Accountant for musicians in Amsterdam
Finance People is an accountant for musicians in Amsterdam: performers, composers, songwriters, session players and DJs who earn money from many small sources at once. A typical year might include club gigs, a festival slot, a session fee, a royalty statement from Buma/Stemra and a payment from Sena. Each of those payments is treated differently, and the statements are not always easy to read. Michiel Terwindt has been in finance since 1999 and has run Finance People since 2011, exclusively for the creative sector. He knows Buma/Stemra and Sena payments from his own practice, helps out at the Amsterdam Dance Event in Noord and volunteers at the Torpedo Theater. He keeps your books straight, files your VAT and income tax returns, and tells you in plain English what you need to set aside.
Sign up for 2027WhatsApp Michiel
Finance People is fully booked for 2026. You can sign up for 2027 now.
Your income
Bookkeeping for musicians: many small payments, many sources
Musicians rarely receive one monthly payment. Income usually comes from a mix of:
- fees for live performances in venues, clubs and at festivals
- session work and studio recordings for other artists
- Buma/Stemra payments for composers and lyricists
- Sena payments for performing artists whose recordings are played
- music lessons, workshops and teaching
- merchandise and sales of your own recordings
From a stream of payments to a quarterly overview
The amounts are often small and the timing unpredictable. That makes it easy to lose track, and hard to know what your real profit is. Good bookkeeping turns that stream of payments into a clear picture per quarter.
Royalties
Buma/Stemra and Sena explained for your tax return
What Buma/Stemra and Sena collect
Buma/Stemra is the Dutch collecting society for composers, lyricists and music publishers: it collects money when your songs are played, performed or reproduced. Sena collects for performing artists and producers when recorded music is played in public or broadcast.
No VAT, but income tax on royalties
Both kinds of payments are, as a rule, not subject to VAT. They are income for your income tax return, so they add to your profit. Statements can cover periods long ago, so Michiel helps you read them, book them in the right year and link them to your other income.
VAT
VAT for musicians on gigs, sessions and lessons
Dutch VAT (btw) has two rates: 21% and 9%. The planned increase of the 9% rate to 21% for culture, media and sport from 2026 was cancelled, so performing arts stay at 9%. Composers can also fall under the VAT exemption for certain services of authors. Which rate goes on your invoice depends on what exactly you deliver and to whom.
VAT and income tax per type of music income
| Income | VAT | Income tax |
|---|---|---|
| Buma/Stemra payment | As a rule no VAT | Yes, part of your profit |
| Sena payment | As a rule no VAT | Yes, part of your profit |
| Live performance | Performing arts rate of 9% stays in 2026; set up per gig | Yes |
| Composing on commission | Exemption for authors may apply | Yes |
| Merchandise | 21% | Yes |
Checking each gig and each contract
Michiel files your VAT returns as a musician per quarter and checks how each gig and each contract was set up.
KOR
Small turnover, many gigs: the KOR VAT question for musicians
With the Dutch small business scheme (KOR) you charge no VAT and reclaim none, as long as your turnover stays under €20,000 a year. You register through Mijn Belastingdienst Zakelijk, which takes about four weeks.
New instruments or mostly royalties: the KOR choice
For a musician who has just bought a new instrument or studio gear, giving up the VAT refund can be expensive. For a musician whose income is mostly royalties and small gigs, the KOR may save a lot of admin. Michiel calculates both before you choose.
Costs
Instruments, studio time and travel in a musician's bookkeeping
Typical business costs for musicians include instruments and maintenance, amplifiers and cables, studio hire, rehearsal space, travel to gigs, music software and promotion. With bookkeeping for freelance musicians you send your receipts each quarter and Michiel sorts them. An instrument you play for years is booked differently from strings you replace every month, and gear that you also use privately is split sensibly.
Income tax
Irregular income and the musician's income tax return
Your Dutch income tax return brings all income streams together. If you work at least 1,225 hours a year on your music business (rehearsals, travel, admin and promotion count too), you may qualify for the self-employed deduction: €1,200 in 2026 and €900 in 2027, plus the starters deduction of €2,123 in your first years. The SME profit exemption is 12.7% in 2026; these deductions are applied at no more than 37.56%. Michiel prepares the Dutch income tax return for musicians and explains what a strong festival season means for next year.
Pain points
Typical tax problems for musicians and how they get solved
- Royalty statements nobody reads. Michiel books them and tells you what they mean for your tax.
- Cash from gigs without paperwork. A simple routine makes sure every gig has a record.
- A tax bill after festival season. Quarterly figures show early how much to set aside.
- Doubt about VAT on a performance. Each type of gig gets a clear rule.
Many musicians also act or dance on stage; the page about bookkeeping for actors, dancers and theatre makers covers that side. Musicians who score films may find useful notes on the page for freelance filmmakers in Amsterdam.
Next step
Working with Michiel, accountant for musicians in Amsterdam
Finance People is a one person business: you always work with Michiel himself. Read more about Michiel and his career in finance. Pricing is tailored after an introduction and is often fixed per month or per year.
For 2026 there is no room for new clients. Musicians who want to start in 2027 can put their name on the 2027 waitlist. Signing up is free and without obligation; Michiel contacts people in the order they signed up as soon as there is room.
Frequently asked questions
Frequently asked: accountant for musicians in Amsterdam
Do musicians pay VAT on Buma/Stemra payments?
Musicians do not pay VAT on Buma/Stemra payments as a rule, because these copyright payments for composers and lyricists are normally outside VAT. They are taxable for income tax, so they count towards your profit. Michiel books each statement in the right year and shows what it means for your tax return.
Is Sena income taxable for a musician in the Netherlands?
Sena income is taxable for a musician in the Netherlands, because it counts towards your profit for income tax. As a rule no VAT is charged on Sena payments for performing artists. Since statements can cover older periods, it helps to have them booked properly each time they arrive.
Which VAT rate does a musician charge for a live performance?
A musician usually works with the performing arts rate of 9% for live performances, because the planned increase to 21% for culture from 2026 was cancelled. How a gig is contracted can affect the outcome, for example when you are booked through an agency. Michiel checks your contracts and agrees a clear rule per type of gig.
Should a musician register for the KOR?
A musician should only register for the KOR after comparing both options, because the scheme removes VAT on your invoices but also your right to reclaim VAT on instruments and gear. It is available when turnover stays under €20,000 a year. Musicians with mainly royalty income and few costs benefit most often.
Do rehearsal hours count for the musician's hours criterion?
Rehearsal hours count for a musician's hours criterion, because the 1,225 hours include all time spent on your business. Rehearsing, travel to gigs, writing, recording, promotion and admin are all included, not only paid performances. Keeping a short weekly log makes it easy to show the total if the Belastingdienst asks.
Can a musician deduct a new instrument?
A musician can include a new instrument in business costs when it is used for the music business. An instrument that lasts many years is spread over time rather than booked at once, and private use is taken into account. Michiel handles the booking once you send the invoice.
How does an accountant for musicians handle cash from gigs?
An accountant for musicians handles cash from gigs by making sure every payment has a record, such as an invoice, a receipt or a note with date, venue and amount. Michiel sets up a simple routine for this, so cash income is complete in your books and your VAT and income tax returns are correct.
Does Finance People work with DJs and electronic music producers?
Finance People works with DJs and electronic music producers as part of its focus on musicians and the creative sector. Michiel knows the scene through his help at the Amsterdam Dance Event in Noord. Gig fees, Sena and Buma/Stemra payments and studio costs are all part of the bookkeeping.
What does an accountant for musicians in Amsterdam cost?
An accountant for musicians in Amsterdam at Finance People costs a tailored amount agreed after an introduction, because the number of gigs and royalty streams differs a lot per musician. Michiel often agrees a fixed price per month or per year, so the costs stay predictable.
Can musicians sign up with Finance People now?
Musicians can sign up now for the 2027 waitlist of Finance People, because there is no room for new clients in 2026. Signing up is free and without obligation. Michiel contacts people in order of sign-up when there is room in 2027 and starts with an introduction.
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.