Public limited company (NV)

The NV (naamloze vennootschap) is a Dutch business structure known in English as a public limited company or open corporation, with publicly tradeable shares.

The NV in a nutshell

• Establishment: Notarial deed of incorporation
• Capital required: 45.000 euros, plus notarial costs
• Governance: Executive board
• Other bodies: Shareholders (and potentially a board of directors)
• Liability: Board of directors in cases of negligence
• Social security: No social security benefits for directors or shareholders with a majority stake in the company
• Taxation: Corporate income tax on profits, income tax for board member salaries, dividend tax, BTW and payroll tax (if you have employees)

The difference between a BV and an NV

The NV business form is more or less same as the BV, except for one major difference: the shares of an NV can be publicly traded on the stock market. With a BV, it is only possible to transfer shares via a notary. For this reason the NV requires a startup capital of 45.000 euros, compared to 0,01 euros for a BV.

NV in formation: going public

It is possible for the owner(s) of a BV to convert their business to a NV when they want to "go public". When starting this process, the owners can set up a NVio (NV in oprichting or NV in formation), allowing them to prepare for making a public offering.