How do I register my business with the KvK?
Short answer
You register a sole proprietorship or general partnership (VOF) by filling in an online form and then making an appointment at a Chamber of Commerce (KvK) office, bringing your ID. A BV is registered via a civil-law notary. In 2026 you pay a one-off €85.15. You then automatically receive your VAT number from the Belastingdienst.
Updated on · Reviewed by the tax advisers at Boekhoudvriend
Registering with the KvK is mandatory as soon as you start a business. You are only officially an entrepreneur once you are listed in the Trade Register (Handelsregister), and the KvK passes your details on to the Dutch Tax Administration (Belastingdienst).
What to decide in advance
- Your legal form: sole proprietorship (eenmanszaak), general partnership (VOF), professional partnership (maatschap) or BV
- Your trade name: check that it is still available
- Your business activities, which the KvK records as an SBI code
- Your business address, even if it is your home address
After registering
Within a few weeks, you receive your VAT identification number and your VAT tax number (omzetbelastingnummer) by post. With these, you can send invoices with VAT. From this moment, your record-keeping obligation applies: keep all invoices and receipts from the start.
The registration fee is tax-deductible as a business cost.
Sources
This answer is general information, not personal advice. Your own situation may work out differently, so feel free to ask our team.