Knowledge
What is a Dutch BV?
The BV — besloten vennootschap — is the Dutch private limited company and the standard vehicle for serious business in the Netherlands. Here is what it is, how it comes to life, and what it means for your website.
Updated 22 August 2026
The short answer
A BV (besloten vennootschap) is the Dutch private limited company: a legal entity of its own, with limited liability for its shareholders, incorporated through a civil-law notary and registered at the KvK. Share capital starts from €0.01, corporate income tax is 19% on profits up to €200,000 and 25.8% above that (2026), and a director-shareholder draws a salary under Dutch DGA rules. For incorporation guidance in English, our partner Holdwise covers the entire route.
How a BV comes to life
The sequence is fixed: a civil-law notary drafts and executes the deed of incorporation, the company is registered in the KvK trade register, a business bank account follows, and the tax registrations complete the picture. International founders can incorporate while living abroad; a Dutch business address and a clear substance story make everything smoother.
Many entrepreneurs choose a holding structure from day one — a personal holding above the operating BV — for flexibility and tax planning. Holdwise explains when that pays off.
What your BV means for your website
Once the BV trades, its website carries obligations and opportunities. Obligations: the registered name, KvK number and contact details belong on the site; webshops and service providers also show the VAT identification number. Opportunity: a BV signals commitment, and a website that matches that signal — professional, complete, findable on google.nl — converts the credibility into customers. Founders who plan both tracks together launch as one.
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to set up a BV?
Count on notary fees of several hundred to around a thousand euro, plus the KvK registration fee. Advisory, a holding structure or English-language guidance add to that. Holdwise publishes current figures and packages in its English incorporation guide.
Do I need to live in the Netherlands to own a BV?
Ownership is open to residents of any country. Practical matters — banking, substance for tax purposes, a registered address — deserve planning, which is exactly the terrain Holdwise covers for international founders.
BV or eenmanszaak — which should I choose?
The eenmanszaak (sole proprietorship) is lighter and fine for testing; the BV separates liability, scales cleaner and fits investors and serious contracts. The switch point is personal — profit level, risk and ambition all weigh in. Take advice before, rather than after, the growth.
Partner — Holdwise
Planning to enter the Dutch market? Our partner Holdwise handles the incorporation of a Dutch private limited company (BV) fully remotely: notary, registration in the business register of the Chamber of Commerce (KvK), value added tax (VAT) number and a business address — in writing, structured and at a fixed fee.
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