What changes for your money
Texas taxes income at 0%, but its property tax is high. In the Netherlands, the numbers are different. A BV pays corporate tax of 19% on profit up to €200,000 (25.8% above). As director-shareholder, your salary is based on the €58,000 benchmark. Dividends are taxed in box 2 at 24.5% up to €68,843, only when you choose to pay them out. Property tax on a Dutch home is a fraction of a Texas bill. Healthcare costs roughly €150 per adult per month, with children free. Public schools are free as well. If you calculate all household costs, the total is usually closer to your Texas total than you expect from the headline rates. See LLC or BV: the tax comparison.
Your residence permit: the treaty
Under the Dutch American Friendship Treaty (DAFT), you get residence for running your own business with €4,500 of equity. You first get two years, and you can then renew the permit. Your family is included, and your partner has full work rights. See the complete DAFT guide and the application steps.
Where Texans settle
People from the Houston energy industry often choose Rotterdam and The Hague, close to the North Sea energy sector. See the energy guide. Tech founders from Austin choose Amsterdam or Eindhoven. Service companies from Dallas settle anywhere on the rail network and serve the whole EU from one office.
Compare the Netherlands with Ireland and Germany on tax, substance, running costs and time. See setting up a Dutch subsidiary for a foreign parent company.
The first 90 days
In week one, you arrange a registration address. In week three, you file with the IND. The registration in the Dutch trade register (KVK), the bank account and the €4,500 follow within six months after the decision. In month two, you get the residence card, choose schools and look for a home. By month three, your business is fully active and your family has settled in. See DAFT costs and timeline for the costs of each step.