1,225-hour criterion tracker (2026)
Track whether you reach the 1,225 hours for the Dutch hours criterion — with progress counter, weekly forecast and categories for billable and non-billable hours.
To qualify for the Dutch self-employed deduction you must meet the hours criterion: at least 1,225 hours per calendar year spent on your business. With this free Excel tracker you log all entrepreneurial hours per week, split into billable work, administration, acquisition, travel and other — because all of those hours count.
At the top you continuously see your total, the hours still needed and a forecast based on your current pace. The Dutch tax authority can ask for an hours specification; weekly tracking is essential — reconstructing afterwards is often rejected.
What's inside?
- 53 weekly rows with five hour categories (billable, admin, acquisition, travel, other)
- Automatic progress counter: total, remaining and annual forecast
- Based on the 1,225-hour criterion for the self-employed deduction
- Instructions including the majority-of-time criterion
- Works in Excel, Google Sheets and LibreOffice
Frequently asked questions
Which hours count towards the criterion?
All hours spent on your business: billable hours but also administration, acquisition, travel time, training, updating your website and writing quotes. Not just invoiced hours.
What is the majority-of-time criterion?
Besides the 1,225 hours, non-starters must spend more than 50% of their total working time on their business. If you are also employed, this criterion is often the bottleneck.
Does the tax authority accept an Excel timesheet?
Yes, provided the record is complete, consistent and plausible. Weekly tracking with concrete descriptions is stronger evidence than an estimate made afterwards.
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