Blog

The Dutch American Friendship Treaty (DAFT) visa is a work and residence permit for American immigrants to the Netherlands, which is tied to a self-owned business in the Netherlands. It is a very accessible version of the regular Dutch Self Employed visa. In fact, the Dutch American Friendship Treaty visa is one of the easiest ways to migrate into Europe for Americans. In this article we explain how to obtain the Dutch American Friendship Treaty visa in 2025 in 5 simple steps.

On the third Tuesday of September, the Dutch government traditionally organizes Princes day and publishes its economic plans for the coming year. Expats around the Netherlands pay special attention to the new rules around the 30% ruling. Or should we say 27% ruling? In this article we explain the new rules as set out in the "miljoenennota 2025".

In this article we give an in-depth explanation about the Dutch VAT system and what you should watch out for. We will give examples about the VAT rate applicable, and how to obtain a VAT number if one is not automatically granted to you.

In this article we give an in-depth explanation about the Dutch tax situation involved with setting up a Dutch business under the Dutch American Friendship Treaty ("DAFT").

If you want to freelance in the Netherlands, you need to choose what structure you want to use for that. The Netherlands has one or two basic company forms to choose and work from: the ZZP and the BV (which allows for the 30% ruling). In addition to this, there is also the option of using an umbrella company (or “Employer of Record” or Payroll Company). In this article we will explain the basic differences between the three approaches.

Businesses worldwide usually take the form of a Limited Liability Company. Most countries have their own version and in the Netherlands it is called a “Besloten Vennootschap met beperkte aansprakelijkheid”, or BV in short. Setting up a BV in the Netherlands is not as easy as, for example, setting up an LLC in the United States. But we have you covered here : in this article we explain how it works.

If you find yourself in a situation where your current HSM employment or the subsequent grace period ends, and you do not have a new HSM employment lined up, your visa situation could be salvaged by entering into a so-called HSM payroll construction at an Employer of Record (EOR) or “umbrella company”. In this setup you would enter into the employment of the payroll company, where you are a salaried employee under the HSM visa. In this article we explain how this works.

The EU Blue Card for the Netherlands is a work and residence permit for highly skilled non-EU employees. This visa does not require special IND sponsorship status. The high skills need to be proven with a diploma and a high salary to match it, coming in at € 5,331 per month (2024). In this article we will explain the details of how to obtain this visa.

If you want to work self-employed in the Netherlands without an EU passport, your options are rather limited. The most accessible visa options out there are for regular employment. But there are still some options open to you. In this article we explain 7 ways for you to work self employed in the Netherlands as a non-EU business owner.

In this article we will explain how to get a 30% ruling in the Netherlands as a self-employed person, a freelancer or a contractor. If there’s only one thing to remember about this article, remember this: you need to be hired from abroad, in order to qualify for the 30% ruling. Getting this right is all about sequence. That’s why we will explain the whole process as an 8 step timeline, so you can visualize what you need to do.

Lots of Americans move to the Netherlands to live and work here, and some of them end up setting up their own business. For example as a freelancer. It’s also possible for Americans to start working in regular employment in the Netherlands. Any company in which you own at least 25% of the shares, however big or small, will work for this visa so that includes freelancing companies. In this article we will explain the basics for Americans switching into freelancing from regular employment.

The Netherlands has two partner visa options for non-EU citzens: the Dutch partner visa (if the other partner has a Dutch passport) and the Verification Against EU law procedure (if the other partner has an EU passport). In this article we will explain the difference between the two procedures.

American business owners or investors can emigrate to the Netherlands on the basis of the Dutch-American Friendship Treaty (“DAFT”). Under this agreement, American business owners or investors can start a business in the Netherlands. This permit (also known as DAFT Netherlands visa) is valid for two years and the holder can apply for permanent residence after five years. In this article we will explain some practical tips when obtaining this visa.

The DAFT visa is an interesting option for Americans with an entrepreneurial spirit and a desire to relocate to the Netherlands. While they are at it, applicants would be wise to look into the tax breaks available.

On October 26th, 2023, at the very last moment, the Dutch House of Representatives managed to squeeze through a number of very important changes for expats. These changes will be included in the Tax Plan 2024, which have been approved by the Dutch Senate in December 2023. The 30% ruling will undergo a metamorphosis, after which it will in effect become a 20% ruling (over the course of 5 years, that is). In addition to this, the rules regarding the partial non-resident tax status will change. In this article we will fill you in on what you need to know.

In this article we provide a step-by-step guide for expanding your business to the Netherlands. We touch briefly on topics such as business registration, taxes and employment.

Moving to the Netherlands with DAFT is a major life decision. And not only for yourself as the main applicant. You also have the position of your family members to consider. In this article we will dive into a couple of topics that you need to specifically take note of when you take long your family under DAFT to the Netherlands.

The Netherlands is an excellent place to set up your business as a freelancer, and serve clients from all over the world. But freelancing also means going into business, and that means making some business choices. In this article we will zoom into the difference between either the ZZP/Eenmanszaak or the BV + 30% ruling setup.

When setting up a company in the Netherlands, you will be asked the question : do you wish to set up a regular BV, a holding BV or a holding BV structure? It is useful to get the vernacular straight first. The BV is the Dutch version of the American and British Limited Liability Company. A holding is a BV just as well, with some additional sidenotes (see below). A holding BV structure is a combination of a holding BV as a parent company, holding the shares of a regular BV company.

Once you have set up your BV, you can start doing business in the Netherlands. But a BV also entails certain responsibilities in terms of tax and accounting. As a non-Dutch speaker you will almost certainly hire an accountant to do this work for you. But in the end these are your obligations so you need to know what’s going on. In this article we will briefly touch on all aspects in a chronological sequence.

A lot of Australians are looking for ways to migrate to Europe, and work from there as a sole trader. Living the life as a so-called “digital nomad” means you can work from Europe and keep on serving your existing clients from a different time-zone. The Netherlands is one of the top destinations for Australian digital nomads, and in this article we will be zooming in on the situation “up there”.

So you have decided to come to the Netherlands and work from your own company. If you’re lucky, you have been able to obtain a very beneficial 30% ruling along the way. Now you have everything in place, your mind starts to wander off: how much exactly will you be earning when you are here ? At the end of the day you want to know how many groceries you can buy each month. So in this article we will be painting you a (very) simplified picture of what that looks like.

If you start your work in the Netherlands as a self employed person, you basically have two choices of company forms: the BV or the ZZP (or "eenmanszaak"). In this article we will explain the basic differences between these two company forms.

The Netherlands is a very hot destination for Americans, and rightly so. The Netherlands has some very good things going for it: a thriving economy, a world beating transportation system and a safe environment to raise a family. In this article we explain the basics of visa application for US citizens in the Netherlands. In order to work and live in the Netherlands you need to have either Dutch permanent residency or a valid visa.

US business owners and investors setting up a business in the Netherlands are usually not first-timers. They tend to have one or more pre-existing businesses in the United States or elsewhere. While this makes their tax situation a bit more "interesting" than usual, this should never serve as a deterrent to go down that path. Clear national and international tax rules serve to clarify the situation beforehand.

Nowadays it’s quite easy to register a company in the Netherlands as a foreigner. Subsequently getting a business account at a Dutch bank? Not so easy at all. In this article we will explain some of our findings after helping out hundreds of clients with registering their companies in the Netherlands.

The Dutch American Friendship Treaty (or “DAFT”) visa is an excellent way for Americans to get a residence and working permit in the Netherlands, as this DAFT article will explain in 5 easy steps. This continues to be the case in 2023. The Dutch American Friendship Treaty visa is of course also subject to rule-changes and in de-facto handling by the Dutch authorities. In this article we will explain some of the major changes we have encountered as of 2023.

When you have decided to move to the Netherlands using the DAFT visa, you will notice there may be a major tax break available for you : the 30% ruling. It is possible to get a DAFT visa and a 30% ruling in your own business, but you will need to do some prepping. Luckily for you, we’ve got you covered. In this article we will explain the entire process from choice of company form to actually receiving your DAFT, in practical steps.

If you found a BV in the Netherlands, you will become both its shareholder and its director. Dutch law states that DGAs need to pay themselves a minimum salary for their work as directors. In addition to this, employer’s taxes are levied over the salary to cover for incapacitation and unemployment insurances. In this article we explain shortly what’s going on here.

Taxes are always a burden. But in business, tax laws can also provide significant benefits. It is therefore important to know what rules apply, and where the pitfalls or benefits are before you commit yourself to setting up a business. In this article we will explain what’s going on.

If you want to register a new company in the Netherlands, you cannot actually do this at the Company Register. In this article we will explain why this is, and what the role of the Netherlands Company Register is.

Lots of foreign people in the Netherlands want to set up a business. And why not? There are very attractive markets here for anything ranging from commodities to specialized services, there are some interesting tax benefits to be had, and the best part: starting up is easy and affordable. If you know where to start, of course.

Starting your business in the Netherlands is one thing, but expanding it to new levels is quite another. Expansion sometimes involves taking a new shareholder on board, like an investor, a business partner or an important employee. If you do this after you set up your company (as opposed to doing it directly at the beginning) you’re going to need to transfer shares in your company. How this process works, we explain in this article.

The holidays are here and most people either want to take up free time or send their employees on a well earned break. But, some people don’t want to take up their holidays and work as much as possible. They intend to cash these in for payments later on. On the other hand, some employers want their employees to continue working during a busy season. How does this work?

You came to the Netherlands to work, not to find yourself redundant. But due to the COVID-19 situation a lot of healthy employment relations are hitting the rocks for lack of business. During the first period of governmental subsidies, employers were forbidden to let employees go. As of October 1st, 2020, NOW 3.0 allows employers to gradually let go of their employees. If you’re unfortunate to be one of them, or you’re facing unemployment for other reasons, we briefly explain what you can expect.

The Dutch tax man wants a share of your dime, one way or the other. But on the other side, this system is also used by the government to incentivize business in the Netherlands by offering discounts and breaks. The only difference is: the former happens automatically, the latter you need to work for yourself. In this article, we will dive into the options you have.

If you start a BV in the Netherlands, sooner or later you will be confronted with dividend tax. Already have? Great! That means business is going well! Not yet encountered? Read on: sooner or later you will. In this blog we will explain.

Ahhh, the 30 % ruling … We’ve all heard about that one! It is a large tax discount for lucky expats in the Netherlands. Receivers of it are viewed with understandable envy by those who didn’t: for 5 years you receive 30% of your salary tax-free. This can easily amount to € 15,000 extra in your pocket at the end of each year. In this article we explain how this works.

Registering a trademark can be a very good idea. To many starting entrepreneurs, a trademark sounds like something reserved only to the big boys. It is not. In this article we will explain how this legal tool can be used to your advantage.

Are you looking to migrate to Europe from the United States? There is no European country where an American can get a permanent work and resident visa easier than in the Netherlands. The main requirement is: you need to become self employed. In this article we explain why this is such an attractive option.

Lots of freelancers, private contractors, digital nomads and other small business owners flock to the Netherlands to work from here. Some choose to come alone, others are joined by their partners, spouses or children. Sometimes a couple consists of two freelancing individuals, and in those cases it may be worthwhile to work together from the same Dutch freelancing entity. In this article we will be diving into that particular situation.