B2B

B2B means business to business: transactions, contracts or services between companies rather than consumers.

What it means in Dutch business

B2B context changes the reading of VAT, payment terms, liability, proof of delivery, commercial risk and the level of professional diligence expected. For The Polder reader, the term is useful when it explains what must be checked in the Dutch file, who carries responsibility and how a public rule or signal reaches daily business decisions.

Why it matters

B2B context changes the reading of VAT, payment terms, liability, proof of delivery, commercial risk and the level of professional diligence expected.

Where readers see it

  • commercial contracts
  • invoice terms
  • VAT treatment
  • payment collection
  • counterparty checks

In practice

  • commercial contracts
  • invoice terms
  • VAT treatment
  • payment collection
  • counterparty checks

What to check

  • Which duty, authority, client file, supplier file or reporting step uses B2B.
  • Who in the company owns the decision and evidence.
  • Which document proves the company understood the risk before pressure arrived.
  • Whether the control is operational or only written as policy.

Common mistake

B2B does not mean informal. The company file still needs clear terms, evidence and authority to show what was agreed.

The Polder reading

The Polder reads B2B through Compliance: not as loose terminology, but as a way to connect commercial contracts, invoice terms, VAT treatment to the decision a company, adviser or public authority has to defend.

Related terms

  • invoice proof
  • BTW
  • KVK

Related Polder columns

Last updated by The Polder Dictionary on 2026-06-08T06:30:08+00:00.