Company formation services

in Amsterdam

Company formation services in Amsterdam

Are you planning to start a business in the Netherlands, or more specific, in Amsterdam?

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Amsterdam is one of the most popular cities in The Netherlands, for global entrepreneurs, to form their new company. INCO has been based in Amsterdam since 2010 when we established an office as part of the Holland Financial Center, which opened its doors in the renowned Symphony Towne.

Since 2010, we have assisted hundreds of companies to start a business in Amsterdam.

In this article, we will describe the formation process of a company in Amsterdam, and how Amsterdam is different than other cities in The Netherlands.

Why should you form a company in Amsterdam?

Amsterdam is popular among certain industries, such as: Fashion (denim capital in the world!)

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• Fashion (denim capital in the world!)

• Marketing/IT/Consultancy

• Logistic services

• Innovation Hubs

• Financial Services (the Zuidas!, where INCO opened its first Amsterdam branch)

• Fintech

• Food

Whereas Amsterdam is less popular for production companies, which are typically based in the South of the Netherlands.
Amsterdam is the capital of the Netherlands and very well developed, with a great infrastructure. Tourism is an important industry in Amsterdam, which also makes Amsterdam interesting to start a retail shop or franchise company, like a restaurant.
Overall, the economy in Amsterdam grows faster than in other Dutch cities.  On the other side, rents and salaries are more expensive, so it’s worth looking into this before deciding to start a company in Amsterdam.

What services do we offer as a Dutch company formation agent in Amsterdam?

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Every entrepreneur in the world has heard about Amsterdam and its liberal (entrepreneurial) climate. Therefore Amsterdam has attracted many foreign companies and investors for decades. With the growth of the Dutch economy, and it’s cities, more and more companies decide to start their business outside of Amsterdam as well.

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Once a business has determined to start a company in Amsterdam, INCO can facilitate in several ways. INCO’s main expertise is focussed on Company Formation packages, which include the following corporate support:

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• Determine the best suitable corporate structure and type of legal entity in The Netherlands

• Formation of the company in The Netherlands, including notarial requirements and registration of the company at the Chamber of Commerce

• Dutch VAT number application, as well as VAT administration and filing services

• Dutch tax advice

• Immigration en expat support (relocation matters)

• And so on...

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In case you like to discuss the company formation services that we provide in Amsterdam, please contact our Company Officers.

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Company Formation in Amsterdam

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INCO Business Groups offers facilitates the opening of a company in Amsterdam, regardless of the type of Dutch company you choose to incorporate.

Our Company Officers can provide detailed information on the differences between legal entities, or the advantages of registering a branch. In any case, it’s also advised to start a local holding company, such as the STAK in the Netherlands.
You can easily start the process of the formation, by completing our Company Formation Order Form.

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In case you are interested in the prices, and all separate services that we offer, please check our Prices & Proposal page.

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How to register a company in Amsterdam

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The company formation procedure in Amsterdam is straightforward and does not even require a visit to Amsterdam. We can set up any kind of legal entity (or branch) remotely in The Netherlands.

In most cases, the company is set up before any visit takes place in Amsterdam, so once our customer arrives, we can visit the bank to open the bank account. For example at ING or ABN Amro. In case of a Dutch branch registration, it might be practical to visit the Chamber of Commerce and finalize the registration of the company there (to avoid legalization requirements on the passport, etc.).

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Once you have decided to move forward, you can consider the following timeline and requirements:

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Step 1: Complete the Order Form (check the online form/instructions here: https://www.incobusinessgroup.com/order-form-2020)

Step 2: Provide the Know Your Customer-documents (of each person involved, as a director or shareholder):

•   A passport copy

•   Proof of residential address

•   Personal Data Statement

•   Extra background info, such as a CV can be requested. See this overview.

•   In case a corporate shareholder is involved, extra documents are required

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Step 3: After we received the payment, we will draft the formation documents, and schedule a meeting with the notary (at least 5 days before your visit).

• In case of a remote formation, a visit is not required.

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Step 4: You will sign the formation deed at the notary in the Netherlands (or remotely, via Video Call).  

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Step 5: The company will be established the same day after we processed the received/signed documents, including the issuance of a Company Number (by the Chamber of Commerce)

• Once the Company Number is issued, you (the director) can visit the bank to open the bank account

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Step 6: We will apply for the tax numbers (as part of our Company Officer Service), which will be issued within approx. 2 weeks.

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While you are awaiting the VAT number or even a bank account, your Dutch company is already ready for business!

Please let us know if have questions, our Incorporation Team is happy to assist. You can schedule a call here.

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Relocate to Amsterdam

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If you are planning to start a business in Amsterdam, you might also plan to stay longer periods of time in The Netherlands. This could be required to supervise and build your Dutch operations. But in case you are a  non-EU national, you might experience difficulties in this. Travel visas allow you to stay in The Netherlands for max 90 days out of 180 days. This would also apply to your staff members. INCO Business Group can assist you to apply for a residency permit in Amsterdam, or arrange work permits for your staff. Conditions apply, and you can read all about this in our Support Pages, or you can contact our Incorporation team to discuss.

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Assistance in opening a firm in Amsterdam

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When you plan to open a firm in Amsterdam, there are several formalities to consider, as part of our company formation services. As soon as you decide to set up the company in Amsterdam, we will involve a notary to draft the statutory documents (such as the formation deed) and will prepare Legal Opinion in case an overseas corporate entity is involved as shareholder or director.
In case you are planning to visit Amsterdam, for the finalization of the formation procedure, we will also work with a notary in Amsterdam. Alternatively, INCO works with notaries throughout The Netherlands. 

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The notary will assist us to determine if your desired company name is available (and allowed) and will also handle the registration at the Amsterdam Chamber of Commerce, once the Dutch company is fully incorporated. 

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The final step is to visit a Dutch bank, such as ING or ABN Amro, which have many branches throughout Amsterdam. Since the banks have strict client acceptance procedures you could also consider opening a bank account outside The Netherlands.
In case you have opted for high share capital, you might need to transfer money from your private (overseas) bank account to the Dutch BVM in order to pay up the share capital of the company. When the share capital is lower than 100 EUR, this is typically not required by the notary in Amsterdam.

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Selecting a registered office address in Amsterdam

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A registered office address in Amsterdam is required in order to start the company. This means you are required to have a signed rental agreement for the registered office in Amsterdam in place before the notary can finalize the formation procedure. For such registered office services, you should consider a budget of approx. 65-100 EUR per month. 

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A real Flexi-desk is not required, but if desired, the costs are a bit higher. Around 150-250 EUR per month. The registered office service in Amsterdam is an ideal alternative to opening a fully-fledged office. It’s completely legal, as long as your business center provides full reception services during office hours, and you can access your desk whenever necessary.

If desired, a Dutch company can add multiple locations or branches to its company registration at the Chamber of Commerce. This also applies to multiple trade names, which are allowed without any extra charges.

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Accountants in Amsterdam

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INCO provides accounting services in Amsterdam, especially focussed on global entrepreneurs and SME companies.
Our corporate services do not stop once the Dutch company is set up. We can provide all sorts of the ongoing company officer, or accounting services, to keep your company in good standing
Our accounting services in Amsterdam consist of: 

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Most of our clients hire us for the following Dutch accounting  services, which are required by law in the Netherlands;

• VAT Admission (Monthly) €125 (charged every 2 quarters in advance)

• Corporate Tax Filing (Yearly) From €750

• Preparation of the Financial Statement (Yearly)  >€750

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The VAT admission is invoiced as a retainer every 6 months. We ask a €500 compliance fee for setting up the administration.

Please find our brochure for bookkeeping here: Bookkeeping Brochure

Please find our rates for these services here: Bookkeeping Fee List (which also shows the extra fees for example for payrolling (450 EUR per year, per employee)

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Dutch Startup’s and the Startup Visa

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As mentioned above, Amsterdam is an ideal hub for innovative entrepreneurs.
The Netherlands even provides the so-called Startup Visa, to attract talent, and innovative entrepreneurs and companies. INCO Business Group has assisted several startups to start their business in Amsterdam, and we are happy to discuss the possibilities with you.
if you can find a way to innovate your business (or industry) and make your business scalable, then we might be able to get you the startup visa. But you need a 'problem' and describe the 'solution', and that solution needs to be innovative in some way, and scalable (by building a platform for example, etc.)

Please let us know if you need more information (About INCO, or other info), and feel free to contact our Incorporation Team to discuss the details. You can schedule a call here.

YOUR BUSINESS TOOLKIT

FREE ACCESS TO ALL THE THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW

Our experts have combined their knowledge and strengths to create a tool we call the Business Toolkit. 

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The Business Toolkit will help you and entrepreneurs from around the globe to truly understand the Dutch market, regulations and laws. And will enable you to take a deep-dive the many business-related topics.

This way you will easily get up to speed with our Company formation process, Dutch Tax & Accounting and our corporate services. 

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Make sure to check out our handy checklists, explainer video's and extensively written Whitepapers too!