Your First-Year Plan: Set Up Your Dutch Company for Low Tax from Year One

Your first-year plan for a strong start

Choices in the first year of your Dutch company affect your tax for years. Before you start trading, our team looks at everything you plan to do. You receive a written plan, with the applications you choose to file. So your company is ready before it sends its first invoice.

Short answerThe first-year plan is a review of your company before it starts trading. It covers your registrations and licences, your salary and dividend, the tax schemes you are entitled to and your numbers for the first year. You receive it in writing. The applications you choose are filed for you, with the fee agreed in advance.

What the plan covers

Registrations and licences. VAT, EORI for customs, the business login for the tax portals, payroll, and the licences your activity needs. See business licences.
Your structure. One company or a holding with an operating company, and who owns what. See holding structure.
Your income in year one. The mix of salary, dividend and a loan from your company, within the rules.
Your first financial year. The start and end date, set for your plans and your first tax return.
Tax schemes and deductions. The schemes your company is entitled to, with the applications.
Your numbers. Tax, salary and what stays in your company in the first year, on paper.

Schemes we check for you

Scheme	What it does
A lower director salary	The tax office expects a customary salary for a director who owns 5% or more of the shares, €58,000 in 2026. In the first years, a lower salary is possible when the facts support it.
The 30% ruling	Part of the salary of a qualifying employee from abroad is paid tax-free: 30% in 2026 and 27% from 2027.
The Article 23 licence	Importers report import VAT in the VAT return. The cash stays in the company.
Research and development (WBSO)	A reduction of payroll tax for staff who work on research and development.
The innovation box	Profit from your own innovations is taxed at an effective 9%.
The small-scale investment deduction	An extra deduction from profit when your company invests in business assets.
The participation exemption	Your holding receives dividends from your operating company tax-free.

The schemes for your company depend on your activity and your numbers. The plan shows the ones that apply to you, with the amounts.

How it works

Intake. You tell us what you sell, to whom, with which people and from where. You send the figures you already have.
Review. The team checks your plans against the Dutch rules and the schemes.
Written plan. You receive the plan with the choices, the numbers and the order of the steps.
Applications. We file the applications you choose. Further work is invoiced separately, with the fee agreed in advance.

The price of the plan depends on your company and is in your written proposal. Your first advice is free.

Company formation

Your company in the Netherlands

One package for the full setup. You sign a power of attorney in your own country. The notary in the Netherlands does the rest.

Swipe to see all four options →

Your Dutch BV

from €2,950

excl. VAT

The notary deed, signed for you with a power of attorney
Registration at the Dutch Chamber of Commerce (KVK)
The identity check the law requires
Registration of the owners in the register of ultimate owners (UBO register)
Your tax number and VAT number
The list of documents from your country, and how to legalise them (apostille)
Advice on the setup that keeps your tax low from year one: one company or a holding, your first financial year and your salary
Personal support during the setup and the start of your company

Holding and operating company

from €4,950

excl. VAT

Set up for growth of your company and your wealth.

Two companies, set up together, with everything from the BV package for both
You can pay profit to your holding tax-free (participation exemption)
In your holding, you keep your profit apart from the risks of daily business, and you can invest it
If you sell your operating company later, your holding receives the profit tax-free

What you can add

Made for your company. The price is in your proposal.

Business bank account: the complete file your bank asks for
eHerkenning: your login for the Dutch tax portal
EORI number: your number for import and export
Article 23 licence: you settle import VAT in your VAT return, so you keep that cash in your company
One VAT return for all your online sales in the EU (One Stop Shop, OSS)
Payroll tax number, so your company can pay you a salary
A lower director salary, prepared and submitted to the tax authority
The 30% ruling for you or your staff, when you relocate to the Netherlands
Bookkeeping, VAT returns and annual accounts
Licences and EU rules for your sector

Your first-year plan

Before you start trading, the team looks at everything you plan to do. You get a written plan, and the applications are filed for you. See the first-year plan →

The registrations and licences your company needs
Your salary, dividend and loans from your company in year one
The tax schemes and deductions you are entitled to
Your numbers for the first year: tax, salary and what you keep in your company

Your written proposal shows the exact amount before you decide. Owners from some countries need extra checks.

Want our team to have a look? →Free advice on your next step

Frequently asked questions

Who is the first-year plan for?

For founders who set up a Dutch company, or have just done so, and want to start with the right registrations, salary and tax schemes from day one.

What does the first-year plan cost?

The price depends on your company and your plans. You receive it in your written proposal before we start.

Can I get a first-year plan for an existing company?

Yes. For a company that already trades, the plan looks at the coming year and at what you can still arrange.

Is the first-year plan part of the BV package?

The BV package includes advice on a low-tax setup from year one. The full first-year plan, with the applications, is an extra service that you can add.