Self-employed

If you are self-employed, you work for yourself. You have your own business and you do not get wages from a boss.

Self-employment

If you work as a self-employed person or freelancer, you work for yourself. You do not have a boss and you work for one or more clients . You are registered with the Chamber of Commerce (KVK). You carry out temporary assignments and you send the client a bill for your work. Your client does not deduct tax from your wages.

You have to handle many things yourself

If you are self-employed or a freelancer, you have to keep records, pay taxes and take out insurance. This means you have to keeping accounts, file VAT returns and complete an income tax return. You also have to make your own arrangements when it comes to your pension and disability insurance. You decide what your hourly wage is and when you work.

False self-employment

Make sure you really are self-employed. If you appear to be self-employed but you are in fact an employee, we call this false self-employment. You are falsely self-employed applies if your client decides how you do your work, when you work or the materials you use. False self-employment is prohibited in the Netherlands and can lead to fines.

Frequently asked questions

  • Do I have to register with the Chamber of Commerce (KVK) if I want to be self-employed? Yes. You must do this. If you are not registered, this creates the appearance of false self-employment. That means you are actually working as an employee even though you appear to be self-employed. This is not allowed in the Netherlands. You and your client could both be fined.
  • Do I have to keep records? Yes. You need to keep accounting records for the purpose of paying VAT, income tax and other taxes. Your records must be retained for at least seven years.
  • Can I keep my benefit if I start my own business? Yes. This is sometimes possible. If you get unemployment benefit, you can agree with UWV that you will have a start-up period. During that period you work on your own business and still get some of your unemployment benefit. In order to do this, you need to get permission from UWV and make a business plan. You must also register with the Chamber of Commerce (KVK) before you can officially start being self-employed.