Applying for a KVK number? Here's how

When do you need a KVK number?

You need to register with the Chamber of Commerce if you offer services or products outside your circle of family and friends for more than a symbolic price. You must have a KVK number no later than 8 days after you start your business. Have you already registered your business, but you are not starting right away? Then you get your KVK number later. The number only becomes active and known one week before you start. You can register your business up to three months in advance. You sometimes also need a KVK number for business transactions, such as leasing a company car or taking out business insurance.

If you set up a company through Firm24, the affiliated notaries make sure you automatically receive your KVK number.

How long does applying for a KVK number take?

You get a KVK number automatically after you register your business in the trade register. Once you have chosen your legal form and business name, you fill in several forms in the secure online environment of the KVK to prepare for an appointment in person. During this appointment you go through the forms with an employee, you can ask all your questions and you pay the registration fee of €85.15 to complete the process. After the meeting and the payment, your application is complete and you receive your KVK number straight away. So it depends entirely on how fast you want to go through the process. If you want to arrange it as quickly as possible, it can be done within a few days to weeks.

Do I need a KVK number for a webshop?

When is a webshop a hobby and when is it a business? Both the Chamber of Commerce and the Dutch Tax Administration have set a few conditions for this. The main factors are profitability, the degree of independence, the importance of continuity and the number of customers you have. This means you must register with the KVK as an entrepreneur if you make a profit outside your circle of family and friends. If you do not, the Tax Administration can still decide after your tax return whether your income counts as 'profit from business'. Promoting your business (online) or setting your own prices are also conditions for registering with the KVK.

A legal form test can help you get clarity on this.

Difference between a KVK number and a VAT number

The KVK number and the VAT number are two different numbers that people often mix up, but they really are different. You get a KVK number from the Chamber of Commerce when you register your business. You get a VAT number after the KVK has passed your registration on to the Tax Administration. You receive your VAT number (VAT ID) within two weeks. The big difference: a KVK number is an eight-digit code and a VAT number consists of fourteen characters.

Finally

Do you sell your product or service to more people than your family or friends? Then the Tax Administration sees you as a business. In that case it is useful to register in the trade register. You get a KVK number automatically after you register as an entrepreneur in the trade register. You use this eight-digit number together with your VAT number for business activities or when you enter into business transactions. You get your VAT number from the Tax Administration and it has 14 characters.