AI & Software

Launching your AI product from the Netherlands: the checklist

Updated: 21 July 2026 Holdwise editorial team Checklist Launch Founder

To launch an AI product from the Netherlands, set up the company, VAT, US tax forms, IP and bookkeeping in a fixed order. If you follow this order, you deal with each point before it becomes expensive to fix.

Short answer

Start as a sole trader. When your profit or risk grows, set up a BV (besloten vennootschap, the Dutch private limited company) plus holding. Register with the KVK, the Dutch chamber of commerce, and register for VAT and the OSS for EU consumers. File the W-8BEN-E with every US platform before the first payout. Put the IP in the holding and license it to the operating company. Apply for WBSO declarations from your first year. WBSO is a Dutch tax benefit for research and development. Set the director salary with care, and start the monthly bookkeeping routine. Each step takes about an afternoon. After these steps, your project is set up as a company.

At Holdwise, we keep this answer up to date and change it when the rules change.

Legal form, registration and salary

Start as a sole trader if profit is small and risk is low. Switch to the BV when the MRR calculator shows that it is worth it, or when your liability risk grows. Set it up right away as a solo holding. Register with the KVK, the Dutch chamber of commerce (€85.15), and open a business account. Then choose the director salary with care. The norm is €58,000. A lower salary is allowed only in a few cases, for example for up to three years while a new company is still unable to pay the full amount. You need evidence for it. A prior consultation with the Tax Administration gives certainty in advance.

VAT, platforms and the US tax form

Activate VAT and the OSS registration before EU consumer sales grow. Quote prices including VAT and let your checkout software apply the rate per country. If you sell through app stores, check the tax section of every developer account. If you sell outside the EU, set up the quarterly threshold check. At every US platform, file the W-8BEN-E before the first payout and put its expiry date in your calendar.

IP, WBSO and the innovation box

Transfer code, brand and domains to the holding early, while they are still easy to value. License them to the operating company for a business-like fee, as described in the IP guide. Apply for WBSO declarations from your first serious development period. With them, you pay less now, and later you can use the 9% innovation box. With these three steps, you build a company you can sell.

You can set up the company by power of attorney, from any country. This usually happens within one week once all documents are complete. See setting up a BV in the Netherlands from abroad.

The VAT return is due every quarter, the payroll every month and the annual accounts once a year. Read more about this work, and how the monthly amount is calculated, on bookkeeping in the Netherlands.

Protection, and the monthly routine

Write terms with a liability cap and an exclusion of consequential loss. For agents, add the clause that the customer controls the permissions, as described in agents as a service. Take out insurance up to the cap. Use contractor agreements with an IP assignment, as in hiring worldwide. Then keep up the monthly bookkeeping routine: export, reconcile and archive. With ten minutes a month, your records stay accurate. For a second opinion on your own order of steps, use the contact form on this page. Asking is free of obligation.

Free advice

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We help you set up your company or holding in the Netherlands, from the notary to your tax numbers. Tell us where you stand or what you are planning. You get free advice on your next step.

Part of Doing Business in the Netherlands, the complete 2026 guide.

Frequently asked questions

What is the single most common mistake in this list? +

Timing. People do the right things too late. Transferring IP after growth is expensive, a W-8 filed after the payouts is beyond repair, and WBSO only counts forward. Complete the list early, even if you do it imperfectly.

Can I complete this whole checklist remotely from abroad? +

Mostly yes. You can do the incorporation, registrations and filings remotely. One condition always applies. The BV must be managed as a Dutch company in practice (substance). You can read more in running your BV from anywhere.

How much recurring admin does the finished setup cost? +

A few hours per quarter, if your exports are complete. The work is a small monthly payroll run, quarterly VAT and OSS returns, the ten-minute monthly routine and the annual accounts. Software agents can prepare most of it, and you sign.

Sources Belastingdienst · KVK · wetten.overheid.nl Last updated: 21 July 2026