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Starting your own company in the Netherlands
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Starting your own company during the current coronavirus pandemic might seem like a daunting task. There is a lot to take into account: what type of company best suits your business, filing taxes, bookkeeping, the list goes on and on. So, Orange Tax has put together a brief introduction to starting your own business.


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Check out what Orange Tax can do for you!
Arnold Waal
Arnold Waal, born and raised in Amsterdam where his parents ran a B&B. After finishing the high business school and university tax degree Arnold started his career with a small typical Amsterdam tax advising company. Typical Amsterdam implies a joy in the work to be done with an eye for humor. Later on this small company grew and merged and that was time to leave and start his own typical Amsterdam tax advising company. The first employee, Eleonora, Arnold married. Both are now partners in Orange Tax Services and that has evolved to Tax-is-exciting BV, as Arnold actually thinks tax is exciting. The company employs a staff of 15 employees and the target clients is the international who needs help with the tax compliance. That can be from claiming back mortgage interest, to starting a company, or running a payroll. All communicated in English, all to make you comply with the rules and regulations. Born and raised in Amsterdam, the centre of the world. His company is based at the Keizersgracht 62 in Amsterdam and Zijlstraat 47 in Haarlem Arnold lives with his family in Haarlem Read more

Starting your own company in the Netherlands

Paid partnership
Mar 15, 2021
Paid partnership

What type of company?

We are straight forward tax consultants and like to keep things simple. So, we are going to run you through two common types of business structure in the Netherlands, eenmanszaak, or sole trader, and besloten vennootschap (BV), a private limited company.

Eenmanszaak 

An Eenmanszaak is a so-called one-man company or sole proprietor company, which is sometimes known as a ZZP company due to its popularity with freelancers (zelfstandige zonder personeel). Despite its name, it is not limited to one person and any number of employees can be hired.

A one-man company is a simple company to operate from a tax point of view; you and the company are the same. You should also be aware that your full assets are subject to liability. The administrative formalities are much less than that of a BV company and annual costs are generally lower.

It might be a good idea to start a sole proprietorship and, once your business has grown, if you later want to turn your company into a BV company, you can do so.

A BV company

A BV company is a very formal company. Incorporated by a Dutch notary, you need to publish an annual report, file a corporate income tax return and hold meetings with shareholders. It is important to keep in mind that for every obligation you neglect there is a special penalty, an enormous penalty to be frank.

There are certain formal matters that you will need to consider when setting up and running a BV company, for instance, the minimum salary requirements for the director, dividend rules and loan agreement with the shareholder.

What's next?

We like the Nike slogan: Just do it. Make that appointment with the Chamber of Commerce, have your company registered. You will need to sort out the bookkeeping for your company, apply for Value Added Tax and file income tax returns.

Our advice would be to not spend time on a business plan, if you can predict the future you would already know what to do. Do not expect a business plan to raise money from a bank or anyone else, first you need to prove you are indeed able to run your own business.

Don't worry about tax

We are often asked about tax on profits and presented with numerous scenarios of what companies are expected to make, even before they are registered. The bottom line is that paying larger amounts in tax implies that your company is earning larger profit margins and with larger profit margins, so many things are possible. Expand your company, upgrade your offices and do not forget to treat yourself from time to time!

Orange Tax feels tax is exciting. It is their mission to make company administration as simple and streamlined as possible and they are already looking forward to assisting you with your bookkeeping, tax returns and any questions you have about starting your new company.
Check out what Orange Tax can do for you!
By Arnold Waal