How to Open a Company in the Netherlands

We are Dutch company formation specialists based in Amsterdam. If you are interested in opening a company in the Netherlands, please contact us right away for prices, conditions, and paperwork. We offer you the possibility to be assisted by our representatives who will help you begin your business as soon as possible. 

Our Dutch company formation specialists can assist foreign investors who want to open companies in this country.

The steps for registering a company in the Netherlands

Providing all the necessary information to our company for starting a business in the Netherlands:

• - full information on the shareholders and directors of the future Dutch company
• - passport copies of shareholders (if natural persons), directors, and UBO's (Ultimate Beneficial Owners) if applicable
• - in the case of foreign companies, an extract from the Trade Register in the home country is necessary;
• - required social capital, which in the case of the Dutch BV is 1 euro.

• Visit a Dutch Public Notary to sign company incorporation documents or sign the documents abroad and send them in original to our company's address in Amsterdam. In the latter case, these documents will be supplied by our office and will have to be properly legalized. Nevertheless, in this case, your visit to Holland will not be necessary.

• Our company will file for incorporation with the Dutch Trade Registry.

Before the company registration process is started, the applicant must verify the uniqueness of the trade name. Then, the name can be reserved, and the investor will receive a certificate for that name. After that, he must open a bank account and deposit the minimum capital share. Next step is the notarization of the company’s deed of incorporation, signed and drafted by a notary.

The documents of the new firm will be submitted to the Chamber of Commerce which will provide a registration number in just a few hours if the acts are delivered in person. This procedure may last a week if the documents are sent by post. The announcement of incorporation is made in the Netherlands Official Gazette (Staatscourant) and the process will be performed by the Chamber.

A tax number must be obtained, so the investors must submit a registration form at the local tax authorities. A separate registration form for income tax must be delivered. The necessary forms are obtained at the local tax authorities or on official websites and must contain the company's and member's information.

After you registered the firm in the Netherlands, the owner should hire an accountant for assistance with the taxes, audit and financial consultancy.

If you need the services of a lawyer in the Netherlands, we can recommend our local attorneys who will provide you with legal assistance during your business activities. We can connect you with lawyers all around Europe if you want to set up a company in other countries.

Company formation costs in the Netherlands

Foreign enterprises registering companies in the Netherlands will usually consider the costs associated with it. The following costs must be considered upon starting a business in the Netherlands:

1. the company incorporation fee imposed by the Companies Register in the Netherlands is of approximately 50 EUR;
2. the virtual office cost is of approximately 75 EUR per month and it depends on the services requested by the client;
3. the share capital: there is no minimum amount of money required to be deposited at the registration of the company, therefore the amount must be calculated by the businessperson;
4. the company formation cost if you decide to work with our Dutch specialists starts at around 1,500 EUR in order for you to have a fully operational business;
5. the accounting services fees - you can benefit from our accounting services starting with a monthly fee of approximately 90 EUR.

Dutch company formation timeline

Foreign investors opening companies in the Netherlands often ask about how long it takes to register the company with all the authorities.

The timeline of the company registration procedure of a company in the Netherlands can be divided into:

• -          the online procedure of choosing and reserving a company which takes a few hours to complete;
• -          one day for the drafting and notarization of the company’s incorporation documents;
• -          registering the company with the Dutch Companies Registrar and obtaining the tax identification number will take another day;
• -          the registration with the tax authorities and for social security purposes will be completed in another day.

The future business owners must also consider the opening of the bank account which can take a few days and finding the premises for the company which will also be the business’ legal address. This can take a little longer, however, our company formation representatives in the Netherlands can guide them in choosing the right option.

Taxation of companies in the Netherlands

Another aspect foreign businessmen wonder about when starting a business in the Netherlands is related to the taxation of the company’s activities.

Once registered for taxation, the Dutch company will be taxed based on the profits it makes at a global level if it is a tax resident in this country. The corporate tax applied to local companies is levied at a rate of 20% if the taxable amount of money does not surpass 200,000 euros per year and at a rate of 25% of its taxable income surpasses 200,000 euros.

When it comes to subsidiaries and branch offices of foreign companies, the former will be taxed as local companies on their worldwide earnings, while Dutch branch offices will be taxed on the income made in the Netherlands.

Another important tax which must be paid by Dutch companies is the value added tax. This levy is imposed at different rates depending on the type of products and services supplied.

The VAT rates in the Netherlands are:

• -          the standard 21% rate;
• -          the reduced 6% rate;
• -          the reduced 0% rate.

It should be noted that starting with the 1^st of January 2019, the 6% rate will be increased to 9%. This rate applies to goods such as foods and beverages, medicines, publishing products and goods and services related to the agricultural industry.

Our company registration advisors in the Netherlands can offer more information on the taxation of companies. Foreign investors can also rely on us for a wide range of accounting services.

Economy overview in the Netherlands 

Foreign investors choose to start a business in the Netherlands due to the country’s stable industry and economy. The main industrial activity in the Netherlands is the food industry. Millions of foreign traders came to open a company in the Netherlands during the last decades, contributing to the economic growth of the country.

Almost one-third of the foreign investors decided to set up a company in the Netherlands in the private sector, mainly the manufacturing sector. However, the electrical machinery industry, as well as engineering products, chemicals, petroleum and construction are highly developed too. Nevertheless, the Netherlands is quite attractive for company formation due to its favorable relations with countries all over the world, especially Germany, Belgium, France, and UK.

Please contact us for assistance in opening a company in the Netherlands.