The US LLC is popular among creators online, because it is cheap and fast to set up. Whether it helps you depends on where you live.
Short answer
For a creator living in the Netherlands, a US LLC solves little. The LLC is transparent, so its profit is taxed here anyway, while banking and EU VAT get harder. The Dutch BV (besloten vennootschap, the Dutch private limited company) taxes profit at 19% up to €200,000 (2026), and suits the EU VAT system. The US-Netherlands treaty already reduces the American withholding on platform income to 0% with the right form. The LLC makes sense for genuine US operations. It also suits a life based in the US.
At Holdwise, we keep this answer up to date and change it when the rules change.
Where is the LLC taxed?
A default US LLC is transparent. The LLC itself pays zero tax. Its owner pays the tax, in the country where the owner is taxable. For Dutch tax, an LLC is often treated like a BV. If you live in the Netherlands and run the LLC from here, it then pays Dutch corporate tax, and you pay tax on what you take out. You also have American paperwork, and Dutch banks and platforms find the structure hard to work with. The result is more paperwork and the same tax bill.
What the BV gives a Dutch-based creator
A BV is a separate taxpayer. It pays corporate tax at 19% up to €200,000, it can keep profit for growth, and the company is liable for its own debts. It also has direct access to the EU VAT system, with one EU VAT return for cross-border sales (OSS) for your EU memberships and products. Dutch rules apply to payouts, payroll and dividends. Read more about creator income in a Dutch BV.
US withholding on platform income
Many creators set up an LLC because of the 30% American withholding on platform income. Under the US-Netherlands tax treaty, the withholding on business profits is 0%. You claim this with a W-8BEN or W-8BEN-E form on each platform. See stopping the US withholding for the steps. A Delaware company is optional.
When two entities make sense
Real US operations can be a reason for an LLC or C-corp next to the BV. Examples are a warehouse, US employees, or US-only brand deals that need a US counterparty. If you relocate to the US, make the whole analysis again. For the same comparison for founders, see US founders and the Dutch BV.
Frequently asked questions
My agency says US brands prefer paying a US entity. Is that true? +
Partly. Some procurement teams find it easier. With W-8 forms, US companies can pay foreign businesses for services free of withholding. This is common practice.
Is an LLC ever cheaper on tax for a Dutch resident? +
If you run the LLC from the Netherlands, the profit is taxed in the Netherlands either way. The Netherlands often treats an LLC like a BV, with Dutch corporate tax on its profit. If you choose US corporate treatment, you get a US-taxed company owned by a Dutch resident. That adds complexity, and the tax stays at least as high.
I am a US citizen living in the Netherlands. Does that change the answer? +
Yes. The US taxes citizens worldwide, so both systems apply to you at the same time, and any structure has to work for both. Look at the US founders page before choosing an entity.