Formation
Can I incorporate a Dutch BV fully remotely, from home? Yes — the entire route runs remotely: video identification with the civil-law notary, digital deed, registrations filed for you. Two to three weeks from complete documents: the digital notary route.
What does incorporation cost? One all-in fixed fee covering advice, deed, business-register (KVK €85.15) and ultimate-beneficial-owner filings plus the eHerkenning government login; share capital starts at €0.01.
Can my Gulf company be the shareholder? Yes — corporate founders are routine; the notary verifies the chain from apostilled documents. Most groups interpose a Dutch holding: the design.
Tax
What tax does the BV pay? Corporate income tax of 19% on profit up to €200,000 and 25.8% above — on the BV’s own profit, wherever the owner lives.
What is the participation exemption? Dividends and capital gains from qualifying stakes (5%+) land in the Dutch holding at 0% corporate tax — the engine of every group structure.
How do dividends reach the Gulf? Dutch withholding starts at 15% and the treaties with all six GCC states reduce it for qualifying corporate shareholders — several routes reach 0%: the treaty map.
Do GCC states tax the arriving dividend? Personal income tax across the GCC stands at zero; corporate treatment varies by state and is typically light for holding receipts.
Does the UAE’s 9% corporate tax change the case? It narrowed the headline gap and left the logic intact: the Dutch entity is priced on EU market access, treaties and the participation exemption: the pairing.
Banking and operations
Will Dutch banks onboard Gulf-owned companies? Yes, on a complete file: ownership chart, business story, expected flows, source-of-funds context: the playbook.
What does the company cost to run yearly? Registered office, bookkeeping and filings land in comfortable four figures: the stack.
What substance does the structure need? A real office, local administration and board decisions on Dutch soil — practical rather than theatrical: what convinces.
Residence and family
Does owning a BV require living in the Netherlands? Ownership and residence are independent — the non-resident setup is standard: how it runs.
Which residence routes exist for Gulf founders? The business carries them: recognised sponsorship through your own BV or the self-employment scheme — sequenced in the 90-day checklist.
How do the schools work? British, American and IB institutions cluster in the family corridors; fees typically €15,000–€30,000 per child; shortlist a year ahead: the guide.
Can we buy a home before relocating? Yes — ownership is open to foreign buyers, and the family home transfers at 2%: the buying guide.
Structure and wealth
How do we keep control while children hold value? Certification: the STAK foundation votes, family members hold the economics: the instrument.
Can the structure follow Islamic-finance principles? Naturally — equity-first capital, profit-sharing and lease-based patterns are native Dutch practice: the overview.
What belongs in the family office version? Holding + STAK + foundation, with property and ventures underneath: the architecture.
Can the BV hold our aircraft or yacht? In its own entity under the holding, with the VAT position designed pre-delivery: aircraft and yachts.
Trade
How do goods from the Gulf enter the EU efficiently? Through the Dutch BV with import-VAT deferment — the border becomes a paperwork event: the route.
We trade commodities — is the Netherlands the right base? Rotterdam is Europe’s commodity engine and the banking expertise sits beside it: the trading BV.