Are you looking to expand your company to a country with business-friendly regulations?

Owning a company can lead to substantial business success, but your company's location plays a crucial role in determining its growth potential. While establishing a business in your native country is a logical first step, considering a subsidiary or new business in the Netherlands can significantly enhance your opportunities for international success. The Netherlands' strategic position makes it an ideal hub for international trade and European business operations.

Intercompany Solutions is a specialized Dutch business-establishment firm that assists foreign entrepreneurs and investors with a comprehensive range of business services. With extensive experience in Dutch company formation, we handle the complete incorporation process in just a few business days. Upon registration, you receive your Dutch Trade Register number and VAT number, allowing you to commence business activities immediately. Beyond company establishment, we provide additional services designed to support your business growth while enabling you to focus on your core operations.

We invite you to request a free consultation for personalized information and a clear quote to learn how our services can benefit your business expansion plans.

Why choose the Netherlands?

The Netherlands has been well-known for its enormous success in international trade throughout the centuries. Whenever anyone mentions the Dutch, most people immediately think of the port of Rotterdam, the country’s international business prowess and the famous city of Amsterdam. The Netherlands is fantastically positioned for import and export activities, due to the fact that the country functions as a portal to the entire European Union (EU). One of the main benefits of owning a company in the EU zone is the fact that you get direct access to the European Single Market. The European Single Market offers every established company in the zone the possibility to freely trade goods and services within the borders of the zone. This means that you don’t have to spend time and money on costly customs procedures, and this positively affects transportation duration as well.

Apart from the strategical position of the country, the Netherlands offers many more benefits for entrepreneurs owning a Dutch business. The political climate in the country is very stable. The economic situation is also favorable. For example, the Dutch have an extensive social system in place. The infrastructure is one of the best in the world, with almost complete coverage when it comes to internet connectivity. The physical infrastructure is top-notch, with well-kept roads and excellent road connections. You can reach any place in the Netherlands within a timeframe of 2 to 2,5 hours. This is excellent for any business involved in the transportation of goods, as it allows you to offer fast delivery services. Another important factor is the openness of the Dutch towards foreigners, especially foreign investors and entrepreneurs. The country welcomes everyone, as long as you can offer something in return to fuel the Dutch economy. Starting a company in the Netherlands is a strategic choice that reap you many benefits, if you put time and effort into the business.

The Netherlands as a business hub

Next to some of the general benefits of the Netherlands that we mentioned above, the country is actually notorious for its high rankings in many international business listings. The country is considered a leading destination for international business. There are some indexes that underscore this, such as the 2023 IMD World Competitiveness Ranking, in which the Netherlands has the 5^th place. In the last Global Competitiveness Report, issued by the World Economic Forum (WEF), the Netherlands had the 4^th place. The Netherlands also holds the 4^th place in Forbes’ Best Countries for Business index. In the US News & World Report Open for Business index, the Netherlands has 8^th place and the 13^th position as best country overall. And the country also ranks 4^th in the Leading Export Countries Worldwide 2023 index by Statista. In any case: the country is highly suitable for business establishment, and you can achieve a lot of success here.

It's not a big surprise either that many well-known multinational companies have already established offices, subsidiaries and even headquarters in the Netherlands. You can think of companies such as Nike, Microsoft, Visa, Starbucks, Uber, eBay, LinkedIn and Boeing, to name but a few. All these companies chose the Netherlands because of its strategical position, healthy economy and highly skilled bilingual workforce. But you won’t only find large corporations in the Netherlands, on the contrary. The country is also bustling with a relatively high amount of freelancers and sole proprietors, making it easy for you to find qualified entrepreneurs to assist you with various projects and jobs. The amount of entrepreneurs is also steadily increasing on a yearly basis, mostly due to the possibilities that online entrepreneurship has brought to the table.

The Netherlands offers a business-friendly tax environment

Next to offering a prime location and excellent international trade possibilities, the Netherlands also has many interesting tax incentives and favorable tax treaties with many countries throughout the world. This makes it much easier to do business internationally, as it’s clear from the start where you will have to pay taxes and when. Often, when poking around in international trade, it can be difficult to find out how much tax you owe which country. Is can also make customs clearance a tedious effort that involves a lot of time and paperwork. Due to the large amount of international tax treaties, you should generally be spared such issues.

Next to favorable tax treaties, the Netherlands also boasts a very competitive corporate income tax rate. Especially when compared to other neighboring EU countries, as their rates are often significantly higher. The corporate income tax rate in the Netherlands is currently 19% for profits up to €200,000 and 25.8% for profits exceeding the amount of €200,000. Next to that, there are interesting tax exemptions and ways to pay less taxes, for example, when you pay yourself dividends. Companies that have just been established also profit from tax reductions for start-ups, in many cases. All regulations covering taxes are pretty straightforward and easy to find on the website of the Dutch Tax Authorities, but if you ever have any questions in this regard, feel free to contact us anytime. Our tax professionals will happily assist you further.

A strong and transparent legal system

In general, you will see that almost everything in the Netherlands is very neatly regulated. That means that laws and regulations are easily accessible, clear to understand, and also effectively mandated and protected. It’s due to the robustness of the Dutch legal system, amongst other things, that the country has a very low corruption rate. This is also underlined by the Corruption Perceptions Index that is issued by Transparency International, in which the Netherlands holds a solid 8^th place. If you are looking for a country that will protect your rights as entrepreneur or investor and will back you up in case something bad happens, you can rest assured that you will find plenty of opportunities for justice in the Netherlands. There are many ways that lead to effective dispute resolution, you won’t always have to go to court. Furthermore, the country offers plenty of protection when it comes to intellectual property rights.

Many incentives offering government support for foreign entrepreneurs

Another interesting benefit for foreign entrepreneurs is the fact that the Netherlands offers many interesting subsidies and other financial incentives, provided that you have a good idea and a solid business plan that backs it up. There are many booming sectors in which the country is actively seeking interested third parties to assist with current developments, such as the (green) energy sector, the high-tech sector, IT, security and water management. There are realistic opportunities within these sectors due to their rapid growth during the past few years. You can often benefit from investment grants and subsidies, but also indirect financial aid in the form of advisory services and networking opportunities, for example. If you want to expand but currently lack financial back-up, we strongly advise that you research opportunities in this regard. It might just be possible for you to start a Dutch business, even without the necessary capital investment.

The reason doing business is so easy in the Netherlands

As you can imagine a broader picture of the Netherlands and all its fascinating features and benefits, it’s logical to conclude that this small, yet powerful country knows how to provide all the essential elements that create space for entrepreneurial success. The process of Dutch business registration is fairly swift and straightforward, for example. We will elaborate on this later in the article and provide you with all the necessary information about Dutch business incorporation. Next to that, you will find plenty of opportunities to meet other entrepreneurs, obtain investments and financial aid, network with other professionals and expand your business and expertise beyond your current limitations.

One of the main factors that play a crucial role in the success of international trade companies, is infrastructure. Not just physical infrastructure, but also digital infrastructure. As it is, the Dutch excel in the creation and maintenance of both and are known worldwide for being able to pull this off. The Dutch roads and railroads are excellent, whereas the country also houses many rivers that allow for inland boat-transportation. The speed and quality of internet connections is also top-notch in the Netherlands, with one of the highest speeds available. This is also due to the installation of fiber optic cable throughout the country. This paves the way for a very quick and efficient way of doing business, especially if you own a company in international trade, or a company that requires a fast and high-quality internet connection. You will not experience many delays due to a lack of connectivity, that’s for sure.

How can you thrive internationally as a foreign entrepreneur?

If you are serious about establishing a business abroad, there are some things you should consider first. Ask yourself some questions about your ambitions, to figure out whether a foreign company is really something you can handle. For example:

• Why do you want to expand your business overseas? Do you already have a potential client base in a certain country? Is your vision realistic?
• What kind of success do you hope to achieve by expanding internationally?
• Will you need staff for your foreign offices? If so, how do you plan on recruiting employees, and how do you want to hire them?
• What type of legal entity would suit your company, and do you know of all the benefits and pitfalls of choosing a certain company type?
• Do you want to manage your business locally, or will you be doing this from afar? Or will you hire people locally?
• How will your foreign company be related to a possible current company? Would you like to establish a foreign subsidiary under a holding company? Or do you want to establish a completely new company?
• Do you have any potential business partners? Or will you need to find third parties to cooperate with?

These are just some key questions that can put your goals and ambitions into perspective. The Netherlands can really be seen as an ideal location for businesses seeking a supportive and transparent regulatory landscape. But you will need to do most of the work yourself! The country provides you with all the basics, but it’s you who will create the company. So make sure you have everything figured out before you start the incorporation procedure, to avoid taking unnecessary risks and failure.

Establishing a Dutch company in just a few business days

One of the benefits of establishing a company in the Netherlands, is the rather fast business establishment process. If you can provide all documents on time, this generally only takes up a few business days if you outsource the process to us. Please keep in mind that going through the process yourself might be very complicated, especially if you are not acquainted with the Dutch language and culture. Additionally, we have a vast network of professionals that work within all related sectors, which means we can handle almost any type of request very swiftly. Without this network, some tasks take weeks to finish, if not months.

The incorporation procedure itself requires that you provide us with some standard information and documents:

• Your full name and address, as well as the names and addresses of business partners
• A valid form if ID for every business partner that will be registered
• A preferred company name that is unique
• A valid Dutch business registration address

We have streamlined the registration process and cut it up into a few simple steps. During the first step, we collect and assess all documents and information you have sent us. Some of these documents might require you to verify them at a local notary, before you send them to us. After verification, we will go to a notary public to incorporate your Dutch company, after which you will have to deposit the minimum share capital required. Once this is finished, we go to the Dutch Chamber of Commerce and register your newly found company in the Trade Register. You will receive your unique company number and VAT number, and you are ready to start doing business from the Netherlands right away!

What can we offer you?

Intercompany Solutions has assisted hundreds of foreign entrepreneurs from over 50 different nationalities. Our clients range from small one-person startups to multinational corporations, and everything in between. Our processes are aimed at foreign entrepreneurs and, as such, we know the most practical ways to assist with your company registration. We can assist with the full package of company registration in the Netherlands:

• Company establishment in the Netherlands
• Opening of a local bank account
• Application for VAT or EORI number
• Application for a variety of permits
• Application for a visa or start-up permit
• Startup assistance
• Financial services
• Administrative services
• Secretarial services
• Legal assistance
• Tax and financial services
• Media
• General business advice

We are constantly improving our quality standards to continually deliver impeccable services. 

Contact us to establish your business in the Netherlands

As you might see, the Netherlands offers a lot of very lucrative and interesting opportunities for any type of business. If you are a motivated and hard-working individual, success can almost be guaranteed when doing business here. The business climate is very friendly and inquisitive towards foreigners overall, as diversity is fully being embraced in the Netherlands. This will allow you to become aware of many chances to grow, expand and thrive with your company. You can use the Dutch infrastructure and its EU membership to easily ship goods across borders, or offer specialized services internationally. Furthermore, you have access to a huge pool of qualified employees from many different backgrounds and countries, who are generally bi- or trilingual and own a degree. 

At Intercompany Solutions, we aim to assist you as an entrepreneur in any way we can. We offer full Dutch company establishment packages at fixed competitive rates. We can also assist you with many other services, that might make your daily workload more manageable and easier to plan ahead. In the end, you probably want to focus mostly on your core business and achieving success, instead of having to work through endless extra tasks. We are here to help you with this issue, by taking some of the work off your hands.

Would you like to know more about our services, or would you be interested in receiving a quote for the services you desire? Please feel free to request a free consultation, and we will get back to you with more information as soon as possible. We are always happy to help in any way we can.