The first assignment is in, the website is almost online, and then the Chamber of Commerce (KVK) asks for the legal form. Many starters choose between two forms: eenmanszaak (sole proprietorship) or bv (private limited company). The eenmanszaak is set up quickly; the bv needs a notary and more paperwork, but keeps the business apart from private assets. Which form fits depends on the risk, the profit you expect and how much work you want to put into the administration. The choice is not final, but a choice that fits at the start saves a switch later.
Below you can read how an eenmanszaak and a bv differ, what setting one up costs and how tax works in 2026. After that: the tipping point, the questions the KVK suggests for the choice and what is needed for a business account at the start.
Key points:
- You register an eenmanszaak with the KVK and can get started. A bv needs a deed from a notary.
- With an eenmanszaak you are also personally liable. With a bv, the bv is liable first for debts or damage, with exceptions.
- The eenmanszaak pays income tax, with deductions for entrepreneurs. The bv pays corporate income tax, and the director-shareholder as a rule receives a salary of at least €58,000 in 2026.
- There is no fixed tipping point. Whether a bv or an eenmanszaak works out better depends on the profit, the risk and the plans. The choice is not final: according to the KVK, you can change the legal form later.
Difference between an eenmanszaak and a bv
The biggest difference between an eenmanszaak and a bv lies in who the business is. An eenmanszaak has one owner and legally coincides with that person. A bv is a legal entity with its own rights and obligations, can sign contracts and can have several shareholders. An eenmanszaak starts with a registration at the KVK, a bv with a notarial deed that sets out the rules of the bv. The KVK lists the main differences between an eenmanszaak and a bv like this:
| Feature | Eenmanszaak | Bv |
|---|---|---|
| Owners | One | One or more shareholders |
| Start | Registration at the KVK | Deed at the notary, who registers the bv with the KVK |
| Costs at the start | KVK registration fee | Notary costs, KVK registration fee, business account with at least €0.01 |
| Liability | Also personally liable | Usually only the bv |
| Taxes | Income tax, VAT | Corporate income tax, income tax, dividend tax, payroll taxes, VAT |
Hiring staff is possible in both forms. What differs is how much has to be arranged: a bv prepares annual accounts every year and files them with the KVK.
The organisation differs too. A bv has a board that runs the company; whoever starts a bv alone is its only director. The capital of the bv is divided into shares, and shareholders are entitled to profit and voting rights. Shares can only be sold with the consent of the other shareholders, if there are any. That makes the bv suitable for a business with several owners or investors. An eenmanszaak has no shares: the owner decides everything alone and also carries everything alone.
Liability
With an eenmanszaak, the entrepreneur carries the risk personally. If the business runs up debts, or a customer suffers damage from a product or service, the owner has to pay with private money. If the entrepreneur is married or in a registered partnership in community of property, creditors may according to the KVK also have a claim on the partner’s assets. General terms and conditions and insurance can reduce that risk. With a bv, the company’s finances are separate from private money: for debts or damage the bv is liable first. There are exceptions, the KVK says, for example if a director deliberately runs the company badly or personally takes out a loan for the bv. For anyone working on large projects, that is a clear difference between a bv and an eenmanszaak.
Setting up and costs
Starting an eenmanszaak is simple: you register the business with the KVK and pay a one-off registration fee of €85.15. That fee is tax-deductible. Setting up a bv goes through a notary, who drafts the deed of incorporation with the articles of association and registers the bv with the KVK. When setting up a bv, the notary and the registration cost money: the KVK puts notary costs at around €500 and up. On top of that, the bv needs a business account with at least €0.01. Anyone who wants to make arrangements before the deed exists can, according to the KVK, register the bv in advance as a bv in formation (bv i.o.); for arrangements made on behalf of the bv i.o., the founder is then personally liable. After the start the recurring tasks follow, such as the annual accounts a bv has to prepare every year. VAT plays a role in both forms: after registration you receive, according to the KVK, in most cases a VAT identification number and a VAT tax number from the Belastingdienst (Dutch Tax Administration), and the VAT return is filed online, according to the KVK usually every quarter.
Tax for an eenmanszaak
An eenmanszaak pays no profit tax of its own. The profit counts towards the entrepreneur’s income tax in box 1. In 2026 the rate is 35.75% up to and including €38,883, 37.56% up to and including €78,426 and 49.50% above that, for anyone who has not yet reached the state pension age. Against that stand deductions that only apply to entrepreneurs, and they are the main advantages of an eenmanszaak over a bv.
Anyone who is an entrepreneur, meets the hours criterion (urencriterium) and has not reached the state pension age at the start of the year is entitled to a self-employed deduction (zelfstandigenaftrek) of €1,200 in 2026. If someone was not an entrepreneur in one or more of the five preceding years, a starter’s deduction of €2,123 is added under conditions. After that, the SME profit exemption (mkb-winstvrijstelling) is deducted from the profit: 12.7% in 2025 and 2026. The benefit of both is limited, because the Belastingdienst calculates it in 2026 at a rate of 37.56%. With a low or average profit the eenmanszaak keeps things simple: one income tax return a year, besides VAT. The bookkeeping remains the administration of one entrepreneur, without annual accounts for the KVK. For someone just starting out, that makes starting an eenmanszaak straightforward: register, get the administration in order and get to work.
Tax for a bv
A bv pays corporate income tax (vennootschapsbelasting) on its profit: 19% on the first €200,000 and 25.8% on the part above that. The entrepreneur who runs the bv and holds at least 5% of the shares (a substantial interest) is a director and major shareholder (dga) and is employed by their own bv. For that dga, a customary salary (gebruikelijk loon) of at least €58,000 applies in 2026. If there is not yet enough money for that salary, a lower salary can be requested from the Belastingdienst, according to the KVK. The dga pays income tax on the salary, and the bv pays payroll taxes. The amount of €58,000 is a floor: the Belastingdienst also looks at the salary from the most comparable employment and at the salary of the highest-paid employee of the company, and the customary salary is as a rule the highest of those amounts. A lower salary is only possible if it is made plausible. For a bv with staff, the dga’s salary can therefore be higher.
What remains after the salary and corporate income tax can stay in the bv or go to the shareholders as a dividend. The bv withholds 15% dividend tax on it, which according to the KVK the shareholder may set off in the income tax return. In box 2 the rate in 2026 is 24.5% up to €68,843 and 31% above that. That is where the advantages of a bv over an eenmanszaak lie: profit that is not needed to live on can be saved in the bv at the corporate income tax rate, including for a pension. According to the KVK, no income tax is due (yet) on money set aside in the bv this way; it follows only when it is paid out.
In short: the eenmanszaak is taxed in box 1 with entrepreneur deductions, the bv with corporate income tax, a salary for the dga and box 2 on distribution.
The tipping point between an eenmanszaak and a bv
According to the KVK, a bv pays less tax than an eenmanszaak above a certain amount. Many entrepreneurs search for that amount as the tipping point (omslagpunt) between an eenmanszaak and a bv. There is no single figure for the tipping point, because the outcome depends on a few things:
With a profit that is not far above the customary salary, according to the KVK little remains in the bv and the tax advantage is small. Because the profit is usually not yet high at the start, many entrepreneurs choose an eenmanszaak when they start, the KVK says. Anyone who wants to calculate bv or eenmanszaak can use a calculator; the KVK refers to one itself. An accountant can do the calculation with your own figures and the plans for the coming years. Also include the fixed costs of a bv, such as the annual accounts, the payroll administration for the dga and the notary costs at the start. Those costs are independent of the profit and weigh more heavily the smaller the profit is.
When do you choose a bv?
The choice of bv vs eenmanszaak is about more than tax. The KVK suggests a few questions: how much risk is in the products or services, are investors needed who want shares, how much profit is expected, should it be possible to save profit in the business, and how complex may the organisation be. A bv can offer investors shares in the company; with an eenmanszaak that is not possible, because there is only one owner. Whether a bv or an eenmanszaak is the better choice follows from those answers. A bv also leaves room to grow later: according to the KVK, you can set up several bv’s, such as a holding above an operating company, and spread risks that way. This is how to approach the choice:
Draw up a budget for the coming years: revenue, costs and the profit that remains. Put it next to the customary salary of €58,000.
Look at what damage or debts the work could lead to and whether general terms and conditions and insurance cover it.
Calculate the tax for an eenmanszaak and a bv with a calculator or an accountant, using the same profit and the same plans.
Register the eenmanszaak with the KVK or have the notary set up the bv, and then open a business account.
From eenmanszaak to bv
An eenmanszaak is not a final destination. According to the KVK, you can always change the legal form later, for example if the profit turns out higher than expected or a business partner joins. When moving from an eenmanszaak to a bv is the right step depends on the same questions: the profit, the risk and the plans. Anyone switching later sets up a bv through a notary and brings the business into it; the details per situation are best handled through an accountant or notary. Ondernemersplein, the government portal for entrepreneurs, lists three ways to convert an eenmanszaak into a bv: an asset-liability transaction (activa-passivatransactie), a transfer at book value (geruisloze inbreng) and a transfer at market value (ruisende inbreng). Those ways have different consequences for the settlement with the Belastingdienst. The bv gets a new KVK number, and the new legal form has to be reported to, among others, the Belastingdienst, the bank, current customers and the insurer.
A business account for an eenmanszaak and a bv
In both legal forms, a separate account helps keep business and private apart. An eenmanszaak opens the account in the owner’s own name, because legally there is no separate business. A bv opens the business account in the company’s name. With Vivid both are possible, fully online:
That way you can apply for the account as soon as the registration is complete, whichever way the choice between bv and eenmanszaak goes. Invoicing is included in all plans at no extra cost, and with sub-accounts with their own IBAN you set money aside, for example for VAT or income tax.
Vivid in short: a business account with a Dutch IBAN for the eenmanszaak and the bv, also for a bv in formation.
The account to go with the legal form
Open a business account for your eenmanszaak or bv online, with a Dutch IBAN.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between an eenmanszaak and a bv?
An eenmanszaak has one owner, who is also personally liable. A bv is a legal entity set up through a notary; for debts the bv is liable first. Tax works differently too.
What does setting up a bv cost?
The KVK puts notary costs at around €500 and up, plus the KVK registration fee. The bv also needs a business account with at least €0.01. An eenmanszaak only pays the registration fee of €85.15 at the start.
Bv or eenmanszaak: when is a bv more advantageous?
According to the KVK, a bv pays less tax above a certain amount. There is no fixed tipping point: it depends on the profit, the customary salary and what is paid out.
How much salary does a dga have to pay themselves?
The customary salary is as a rule at least €58,000 in 2026. If there is not enough money for that salary, a lower salary can be requested from the Belastingdienst.
Are you not liable with a bv?
For debts or damage the bv is liable first. In some situations a director is personally liable, for example if they personally take out a loan for the bv.
Can you move from an eenmanszaak to a bv later?
Yes. According to the KVK, you can always change the legal form later, for example if the profit is higher than expected or a business partner joins.
Does a bv need a business account?
Yes. According to the KVK, a bv needs a business account with at least €0.01. The account is in the bv’s name.
This article provides general information and is not tax or legal advice. The amounts and rates mentioned apply to 2026 and are as published by the KVK and the Belastingdienst; they may change. Vivid’s payment services are provided by Vivid Money S.A., an electronic money institution authorised and regulated by the Commission de Surveillance du Secteur Financier (CSSF) in Luxembourg; its Dutch branch is registered with De Nederlandsche Bank (DNB) as an electronic money institution.
