Vivid Editorial Team

The Vivid editorial team writes about company formation, finance and self-employment, with practical guides on business accounts, taxes and funding for founders and the self-employed.

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Company formation

Converting an eenmanszaak into a bv: how it works

The three ways to convert your eenmanszaak into a bv, the deadlines for a retroactive conversion, the steps at the notary, the costs and what changes afterwards.

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Company formation

Writing a business plan in the Netherlands: parts and example

A business plan (ondernemingsplan) puts your business idea, your customers and your figures in one place. What goes into it, when it is required and how to write it in five steps.

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Company formation

How to get a KVK number: registering with the KVK

Registering in the Dutch Business Register gives your business a KVK number. Who has to register, how the online form and the appointment work, what it costs and what happens next.

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Company formation

Eenmanszaak or bv: the differences and how to choose

The eenmanszaak (sole proprietorship) and the bv (private limited company) are the two legal forms many starters in the Netherlands choose between. How they differ in liability, costs and tax, and when a bv becomes worthwhile.

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Business accounts

Interest on a current account between Dutch bv’s: how it works

Money moves back and forth between a holding and an operating company. When interest is due on it, how to set an arm’s-length rate and what to put on paper.

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A private account with a house and a business account with a briefcase, separated by a glass pane
Business accounts

Is a business account mandatory for a Dutch eenmanszaak?

Not by law. Many zzp’ers still choose a separate account: many banks do not allow business use of a private account, and it makes the bookkeeping easier to follow.

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Purple account panel with an office building next to a notary folder with a seal and a stack of coins
Business accounts

Opening a business account for a Dutch bv: how it works

A bv needs its own account in practice. Which documents the bank asks for, why the notary sets the timing and what applies to a bv in formation and a holding.

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Two purple game pieces together on one account panel, with two coins beside them
Business accounts

Business account for a Dutch vof: what you need

A business account is not mandatory for a vof, but it is advisable. What the bank asks for, whose name the account is in and how partners agree who may pay.

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Two payment cards on a stone stand: a light card with a calendar and a dark card with coins on a white panel
Business accounts

Business credit card or debit card: what is the difference?

With a credit card you pay afterwards, with a debit card the amount leaves the account straight away. What that means for limits, BKR and deposits, and which card suits which business.

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