Company formation & legal forms

Guides on choosing a legal form and setting up your company, from sole proprietorship to GmbH, UG and beyond.

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Company formation

Starting your own business in the Netherlands: from idea to registration

From the first idea to registering with the KVK: the steps from the Ondernemersplein step plan, what is mandatory, what it costs and what to watch out for if you start while receiving a benefit.

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Company formation

The Dutch bv: what is a private limited company and how does it work?

What a bv is, how shares, directors and the dga work, the advantages and disadvantages, when you are personally liable, how to set up a bv and which taxes come with it.

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Company formation

Choosing a business name in the Netherlands: rules, check and registration

Which business name may you choose? The rules of the Dutch Trade Name Act with the KVK’s examples, the check with the Naamchecker, registering and protecting a name, and changing it.

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Company formation

The Dutch vof: what is a general partnership and how does it work?

What a vof is, how to set one up with the KVK, what belongs in the partnership agreement, how liability and taxes work, and when a bv is the more obvious choice.

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Company formation

Sole proprietorship in the Netherlands: how the eenmanszaak works

What an eenmanszaak is, how to set one up with the KVK, why you are personally liable, which taxes and deductions apply in 2026, what belongs in your records and how to stop.

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Company formation

Holding company in the Netherlands: what a holding bv is and when it makes sense

What a holding bv is, how the holding and the operating company work together, the advantages and disadvantages, how tax works in 2026 and what setting one up costs.

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Company formation

Closing a bv in the Netherlands: how to stop your company step by step

How to close a bv: dissolution, a turboliquidatie or a liquidation with a liquidator, what to do with debts, which taxes you settle and how to deregister with the KVK.

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Company formation

Freelance income in the Netherlands: what do you keep after tax?

How a Dutch freelancer gets from turnover to net income in 2026. With the deductions, box 1, tax credits, worked examples and tips for your hourly rate.

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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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