Over the last decades many foreign companies have chosen the Netherlands to expand their business.

The Netherlands is the gateway to Europe and although the European market has become highly competitive in attracting foreign investments, the Netherlands is still a preferred location. Furthermore, the Netherlands is well-known for its international trade as this is one of the main key elements in the economic system.

If you plan to do business in the Netherlands, you may obviously require (further) information about the business environment, the nature and culture of the country and of course the tax and legal system. It is important to realise that although the Netherlands has an open economy with a flexible legal system, it does have its own typical characteristics, which should be considered when you intent  to do business in the Netherlands.

What makes the Netherlands so attractive? In a nutshell we can mention the following:

• International focus and open culture;
• Stable political and economic environment;
• Availability of skilled and educated workforce;
• Highly developed infrastructure;
• Excellent distribution network;
• Easy access to financial markets;
• Situated in the heart of Europe;
• Flexible tax and legal system;
• Sophisticated and internationally orientated service industry;
• Relatively low cost of establishment and running of a business.

Once you have taken the decision to do business in the Netherlands or expand business to the Netherlands you will need to orientate yourself on the appropriate legal, tax and financial structure of your business. 

• In what form do you want to start your business in the Netherlands, a branch or a legal form like a company (“BV”) or a partnership? At the same time, the funding of the activities also needs to be considered, e.g.: with equity, with loan or by utilising hybrid instruments.
• What will be your management structure? Are you planning to hire local staff or do you intend to second your personnel? What kind of work permits and residency permits needs to be applied for? 
• Is your Dutch business (branch or company) subject to tax? Are special tax incentives or grants (i.e. subsidies) available? Can you apply for an advance tax ruling? 
• What are the registration and filing requirements of the business?  

We are specialised in this field. We have tried to clarify some of the issues you may encounter when you plan to start a business in the Netherlands on our website. For a summary of the topics covered we refer to the page "Doing business in the Netherlands".

If you wish concrete and professional advice on your situation please feel free to contact us.

We can assist you in a professional way, which may include the following services: