Booking Hours in Moneybird: The Complete Guide

Booking hours in Moneybird means creating time entries linked to contacts and projects so you can generate accurate invoices directly from your tracked work. Whether you log hours manually in Moneybird or import them from an external tool, understanding this workflow is essential for every Dutch freelancer using Moneybird for their accounting.

What Is Moneybird?

Moneybird is one of the most popular online accounting platforms in the Netherlands, used by over 300,000 entrepreneurs according to their own figures. It offers invoicing, expense tracking, VAT returns, and - importantly for freelancers - a built-in time tracking module.

How Time Entries Work in Moneybird

Moneybird's time tracking revolves around a few core concepts:

• Contact: The client you performed the work for
• Project: An optional grouping for related work
• Time entry: A record with date, duration, description, and hourly rate

When you book hours, each entry is linked to a contact. This is what allows Moneybird to roll up your hours into an invoice later.

Step-by-Step: Booking Hours Manually

1. Navigate to Time Tracking in Moneybird's left menu
2. Click New Time Entry
3. Select the Contact (client)
4. Optionally select or create a Project
5. Enter the Date, Hours, Description, and Hourly rate
6. Save the entry

Repeat this for every block of work. At the end of a week or month, you can select multiple entries and convert them into an invoice with one click.

Step-by-Step: Creating an Invoice from Hours

1. Go to Time Tracking
2. Filter by contact and/or date range
3. Select the time entries you want to invoice
4. Click Create Invoice
5. Moneybird generates a draft invoice with line items based on your entries
6. Review, adjust if needed, and send

This workflow is one of Moneybird's strongest features: it closes the loop between tracking work and getting paid.

The Problem with Manual Hour Booking

If Moneybird is your only tool, manual entry works fine. But most freelancers don't track time in Moneybird - they use dedicated time tracking tools because:

Tools like Toggl, Google Sheets, or Notion are popular choices among Dutch freelancers for day-to-day time tracking. The challenge then becomes: how do you get those hours into Moneybird?

Importing Hours into Moneybird

Moneybird doesn't offer a native CSV import for time entries. You have a few options:

Option 1: Manual Re-Entry

Copy data from your tracking tool and type it into Moneybird. This works for small volumes but quickly becomes tedious and error-prone. A freelancer tracking 20+ entries per week could easily spend 30-60 minutes per month on data entry alone.

Option 2: Moneybird API

Moneybird has a well-documented REST API that supports creating time entries programmatically. If you're comfortable writing code, you can build a script that reads your time data and pushes it to Moneybird. The relevant endpoint is:

POST /api/v2/{administration_id}/time_entries

Each entry needs at least a contact_id, started_at, ended_at or duration, and description.

Option 3: Use a Sync Tool

Tools like Synkr connect your time tracking source (Toggl, Google Sheets, Excel, Notion) directly to Moneybird. You review which entries to sync, then push them - no manual re-entry, no coding required.

The key advantage of a sync tool is that you stay in control. You see exactly which entries will be created in Moneybird before confirming, and you can map fields (like project names to contacts) to match your Moneybird setup.

Best Practices for Booking Hours in Moneybird

1. Use Consistent Project Names

Whether you enter hours manually or import them, keeping project names consistent makes filtering and invoicing much easier. Decide on a naming convention (e.g., "Client - Project") and stick with it.

2. Book Hours Weekly

Don't let hours pile up for a month. Weekly booking means fewer errors and faster invoicing. According to research by the Harvard Business Review, people lose approximately 40% of billable time to poor tracking habits when they delay logging by more than a week.

3. Set Your Default Hourly Rate

In Moneybird, you can set a default hourly rate under Settings > Time Tracking. This saves you from entering the rate on every single time entry. You can still override it per entry when needed - for example, when a specific client has a different agreed-upon rate.

4. Link Entries to the Right Contact

This is critical for invoicing. If you book hours without a contact, you can't generate an invoice from them. Always double-check that each entry is assigned to the correct contact in Moneybird.

5. Add Meaningful Descriptions

"Work" or "Development" tells your client nothing. Write descriptions that explain what was delivered: "Frontend implementation of checkout flow" or "Tax consultation Q1 2026." This is also important for your own records if the Belastingdienst ever asks for details.

Moneybird Pricing and Time Tracking

Moneybird's time tracking feature is available on all paid plans. As of 2026, Moneybird offers:

If you're on the free plan, you'll need to upgrade to use time entries and the hour-to-invoice workflow.

Combining Moneybird with External Time Tracking

The most efficient setup for Dutch freelancers is typically:

1. Track time in a tool optimized for it - Toggl, Google Sheets, or even Notion
2. Sync to Moneybird for invoicing and accounting
3. Invoice from Moneybird using the built-in hour-to-invoice flow

This way you get the best of both worlds: a great tracking experience and clean accounting. If you compare Moneybird to other Dutch accounting platforms, check out our Moneybird vs. e-Boekhouden comparison.

Common Questions

Can I book hours retroactively in Moneybird?

Yes. When creating a time entry, you can set any date - past or future. There's no restriction on backdating entries.

Does Moneybird track VAT on hourly work?

The VAT rate is applied at the invoice level, not on individual time entries. When you generate an invoice from your hours, you select the applicable VAT rate (21%, 9%, or 0% for VAT-related considerations).

Can I import hours from Excel or CSV?

Not natively. Moneybird doesn't have a built-in CSV import for time entries. You can use the API or a tool like Synkr to import from Excel or other sources.

How do I handle different rates per client?

Set a default rate in Moneybird settings, then override it per time entry or per project. When syncing from an external tool, make sure your rate mapping is configured correctly so each client gets the right rate.

Wrapping Up

Booking hours in Moneybird is straightforward once you understand the contact-project-entry structure. The real efficiency gain comes from automating the data flow between your preferred time tracking tool and Moneybird, so you spend less time on admin work and more time on billable activities.