Why Branch Registration in the Netherlands is Important to consider as option to enter a new market
Registering a branch is an efficient, cost-effective way to expand your business into a foreign market. The Netherlands, with its robust...
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When you own or manage a business in the Netherlands, you will find that many official matters can be dealt with online. This is convenient for you, and allows you to deal with numerous company affairs remotely, without even sending hard copies.
Examples of such matters include:
Filing your VAT or Corporate Tax Return
Application of business licenses
Request Corona subsidies/incentives
Etc etc.
Because confidential information is processed on the portals of the Tax and Customs Administration, it is therefore important that you can securely log in to these portals(without any privacy risks).
The EU member states have jointly implemented the eIDAS regulation, which contains the requirements to ensure the protection of your data.
The portals of the Tax Authorities and Customs must be secured with highly reliable login methods, such as eHerkenning (eRecognition). Which is comparable to DigiD, but unlike DigiD, the eHerkenning login is solely used by companies.
It is safe and easy to use. With 1 personal eHerkenning login-key you can contact over 400 organizations.
On this page you can read why you need eRecognition, who can use it and how to request it. In addition, we will explain more about the costs of eHerkenning.
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Do you require eHerkenning to manage your Dutch business?
Probably yes, all Dutch companies will require to apply for a eHerkenning login, because it will be required to log in to Mijn Belastingdienst Zakelijk (MBD-Z), the successor to the old entrepreneur portal.
As an employer, you can only file your 2020 tax return via MBD-Z.
This also applies to corporate tax for 2019 and later. No transitional moment has yet been determined for MBD-Z for turnover tax. For the VAT return, you can therefore still log in to the old portal for entrepreneurs. Do you file your declaration via commercial accounting software? Then you will not need eHerkenning.
You also need eHerkenning to log into the EU Trader Portal or the EU Customs Trader Portal. You use these portals to request or change certain customs licenses and Binding tariff information.
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Who can use eHerkenning in the Netherlands?
To be able to apply for an eHerkenning account, your business must be registered in the Trade Register of the Chamber of Commerce (KVK).
In some situations it is not immediately clear whether you can request eHerkenning. Or should you do this in a specific way.
Therefore you will find a schedule with the most common exceptions and what you can do further on this page.
Are you unable or unwilling to register with the Chamber of Commerce? When filing tax returns you can choose other software. Or you can have your affairs arranged by an advisor. Unfortunately, this does not apply to arranging your customs matters. To be able to log in to the customs portals, you must always be registered at the Chamber of Commerce and have an RSIN number.
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Which reliability level does your business require for it’s eHerkenning account?
The short answer is that you are likely to need at least a level 3 reliability for your eHerkenning.
eHerkenning has different levels of reliability: eH1, eH2, eH2 +, eH3 and eH4. The higher the level, the more reliable you can log in. Do you log in to the tax authorities or customs? Then you need at least level eH3.
Do you already have eHerkenning, but of level eH1, eH2 or eH2 +?
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How to prepare your eHerkenning application
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House of Companies provides a full tutorial in our Dashboard, on how to apply for an eHerkenning account. You will be able to apply for eHerkenning yourself in the Netherlands.
Before you apply for the eHerkenning, you should consider the following steps:
Follow the steps below to request eRecognition.
Find out what you need eHerkenning for (and determine the highest level of reliability. In general, this is eH3 for companies).
Determine who will use eRecognition (Which employees you also like to authorise to deal on behalf of the company)
Choose a supplier (In our experience ‘We ID’ is the best)
You will also have to consider;
• Print: Print the application, all pages (PDF) on A4 paper size. Please do not use staples.
• Sign: Have the authorized representative (s) sign the agreement. ◦ The signatures must be handwritten, so no copy or scan. ◦ Please note that it is checked whether the signature matches the signature on the copy of ID.
• Add copy of identity document (s):
◦ The following are permitted: passport, identity card, driving license or Dutch foreign national document.
◦ If you choose to send in an identity card or a driver's license, you must make a copy of the front and back of the document.
◦ Make sure that the copies are legible and that the documents are valid for at least 1 month.
◦ Include copies of IDs of the legal representative (s) signing the agreement (as indicated in the agreement).
◦ Include copies of non-salaried administrator (s) / user (s) ID (as indicated in contract).
◦ The copy of your identity document will only be used to validate your application for eHerkenning and will be destroyed after validation. We advise you to write down the purpose of the copy on the copy of the identity document, for example “request eRecognition”.
• Send: Send all pages of the agreement in hardcopy to the service provider
If you request eHerkenning, it can take several weeks before you can use it. You can read more information on the site eHerkenning.
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eHerkenning used in different scenarios
In some scenarios it is not immediately clear if (and how!) to apply for eHerkenning. In the overview below you will therefore find the most common exceptions and an explanation of what you can do.
For which organization do you want to apply for eHerkenning? What can you do?
A sole proprietorship: Or you are a self-employed person.
You can log in to Mijn Belastingdienst Zakelijk with eHerkenning. But you can also log in with DigiD. You can request this via digid.nl/aanvragen.
You cannot apply for customs licenses with DigiD. Use an application form for this.
A discontinued company: You can request eHerkenning from 1 of the suppliers. The application goes through a separate procedure. Please contact the helpdesk of the suppliers by telephone or e-mail.
A foreign company: Do you have a Chamber of Commerce registration? Then you can request eHerkenning. Please note that some suppliers may want to make an appointment with you for physical identification. You can find more information about the registering a branch in the Netherlands in our dashboard.
Are you unable or unwilling to register with the Chamber of Commerce? In the case of the tax filing requirements, you could consider to use different accounting software. Or let an advisor take care of your affairs.
Do you want to apply for a customs authorization? Then you log in with the login method that is valid in the Member State where your business is established.
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The procedure and costs to apply for eHerkenning
eHerkenning is not a free tool, and requires several days to get activated (although same day service is available, it will be hard for global entrepreneurs to get it activated in 1 day).
eHerkenning is issued by suppliers that are recognized by the government. These suppliers must adhere to strict rules, and obviously spend money (and prefer to earn some) on innovation on their platform, and simplifying the application process. Therefore, annual fees apply to use the tool.
To apply for eHerkenning you have to go through some important steps. The processing time of your application depends on what is included in the Trade Register about your organization:
Are you the director or natural person of the applicant organization and fully authorized to act on behalf of the organization? Then the delivery time for requesting eHerkenning is approximately 0 - a few days;
If your organization has a complex board structure (with many and / or jointly authorized board members), or if it concerns several Chamber of Commerce for which eHerkenning has to be applied for, then provide all the necessary information for your application and also take delivery times into account.
An application must be correct and complete and include the correct documents and signatures. For example, your organization must be registered with the Chamber of Commerce in order to purchase eHerkenning. When processing applications EH3, the suppliers of eHerkenning must perform all kinds of checks on these data, such as identification and determining the authority. The processing time of your application depends, among other things, on what is included in the Trade Register about your organization.
Digidentity
QR code
1 year - € 41
2 years - € 69
3 years - € 89.95
(including face-to-face identification via mobile)
0 - several days
yes
We-ID
Username and password + SMS code or OTP via token
1 year: € 45, -
3 years: € 90, -
0 - several days
yes
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Our Services
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What is House of Companies?House of Companies is in first instance a new concept in offering flexible office solutions and registered office addresses, covering more than 4.000 locations. Aside from full service office facilities (from dealing with your mail, to answering the phone) , we offer a ‘branch out membership’ which provides you the tools to start a new business, or keep your business running, at the lowest costs possible. House of Companies is located at an amazing mansion, on a 50.000m2 estate in the Netherlands offering room for hundreds of companies. But we also offer +4.000 locations in cooperation with partners.
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Can anybody use the services of House of Companies?Yes, basically anybody can use the services of the House of Companies. Even if you are not an entrepreneur yet! Our services are very low-key which allows companies of any sizes to expand overseas. We do have a strict onboarding process in place, and don’t deal with companies focused on tax avoidance, or who have operations in sanctioned countries, as well as certain sensitive industries.
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Is using a registered office address legal?Yes, 100% legal! Our team has over 10 years experience in providing registered office services, and our locations meet the standards of the Dutch Chamber of Commerce. Our locations provide a full time reception, and our locations are always able to provide you a working space when need be.
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Do I pay taxes when I use a virtual office in the Netherlands?A ‘virtual office’ typically does not pay taxes (yet). This is not due to a special tax status, but simply because a virtual office has no actual operations (or substance) yet (or has not started to make a profit, doing sales, or employing staff). In fact, a ‘virtual office’ is typically considered a ‘representative office’ and is not required to be registered at the Chamber of Commerce. Such requirements might change, once you perform any actual services from the Netherlands, or goods are stored and processed here. In case of doubt, it might be necessary to discuss your situation with a lawyer or accountant, but much information on this topic is available in our Dashboard.
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Does a Dutch company require a local address?In many cases a local company registration requires a local business address. Especially in (Western) European countries this is very common. There are some exceptions, especially in case of a branch registration (or a representative office). A registered office address is required to receive official government letters, and in come cases also to open a local corporate bank account.
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Can my Dutch business open a bank account?Yes, a business dealing on the Dutch market can also open a corporate bank account. However, this is becoming more challenging. House of Companies can inform you about European banks that can open bank accounts for any kind of European entity, without a visit to the bank required.
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When is a registered office address convenient for me?A registered office address is convenient for any kind of business, that is planning to expand to a new market, and is taking it step by step. A registered office address (or virtual office) allows you to explore a new market, while limiting your expenses. It’s not about being ‘virtual’, but it’s about avoiding as much bureaucracy and legal expenses as you can, while your business is not yet at its full capacity. Our tools allow you to get an understanding of the legal framework of a country, so you are able to make the decisions for yourself, rather than having to rely on an accountant or lawyer.
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Can I really submit my corporate tax return myself, without any charges?"Yes, anybody can submit their corporate tax return themselves, without any help from an accountant. Our Dashboard provides you the detailed information, step by step, on how to login to your online Tax Portal, and to file your tax return. Obviously, the more complicated your company activities (and transactions) the more complex your tax return will look like. But if you have almost no operations, then you can save thousands of euros in accounting fees, without requiring any accounting skills! Once your company grows, we offer more detailed information, so you can learn along the way. Or you can decide to involve an accountant at that stage.
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