Want to freelance in the Netherlands? Then two acronyms will run your life: the KVK and ZZP. Setting up is genuinely straightforward once you know the vocabulary, but the words are unavoidable, and the tax office is involved from day one. Here is the Dutch that turns “I want to go freelance” into a registered Dutch business.
ZZP: the freelancer status
ZZP stands for zelfstandige zonder personeel, a self-employed person without staff, which is the standard status for Dutch freelancers and solo businesses. Becoming a ZZP’er is mostly an act of registration.
Step one: register at the KVK
You register your business in the Handelsregister (trade register) at the KVK (Kamer van Koophandel, the Chamber of Commerce). As the KVK and ZZP guides explain, this gives you a KVK-nummer, and if you invoice clients, registration is mandatory. This is the same registration covered step by step in registering at the KVK.
Step two: the tax numbers
Here is the part that surprises newcomers: the tax office is looped in automatically. As guides to getting your VAT number set out, when you register at the KVK your data go straight to the Belastingdienst, which assesses whether you are an entrepreneur for VAT and registers you. Within about 5 to 10 working days you usually receive two numbers:
| Dutch | English |
|---|---|
| btw-nummer | VAT number (for your returns) |
| btw-identificatienummer (btw-id) | VAT ID (for your invoices) |
You then charge BTW (VAT) at 21%, 9% or 0% depending on what you sell, and file VAT returns, the world of doing your BTW return.
The KOR: the small-business exemption
One option worth knowing: the KOR (kleineondernemersregeling, small-business scheme). As the official KVK guidance notes, if your turnover is low you can opt into the KOR and not charge or file VAT, simplifying your admin. The catch: you also cannot reclaim VAT on your costs, and you must still note the KOR exemption on invoices. Good for side hustles, less so once you scale.
The vocabulary
| Dutch | English |
|---|---|
| inschrijven | to register |
| Handelsregister | trade register |
| ondernemer | entrepreneur |
| omzet | turnover |
| aangifte | (tax) return/declaration |
| zakelijke rekening | business bank account |
Where it connects
Registering is only the start of ZZP life. The very next skill is getting paid, the focus of how to invoice your first Dutch client. And going freelance is one fork in the road; the other is salaried work under an arbeidsovereenkomst, with its own very different rules.
The bottom line
Freelancing in the Netherlands means becoming a ZZP’er: register in the KVK Handelsregister for a KVK-nummer, after which the Belastingdienst issues your btw-nummer and btw-id within about 5 to 10 days. You charge BTW at 21/9/0%, unless you opt into the KOR small-business scheme and stay VAT-exempt. Learn inschrijven, Handelsregister, btw-id, and KOR, and the Dutch freelance setup goes from intimidating acronyms to a clear, quick checklist.
Learn it in five minutes a day
Learn Dutch For Expats is an app, available on the App Store, that teaches the freelance-admin Dutch you need, KVK, ZZP, btw-nummer, KOR, inschrijven by real situation in five-minute lessons, so you can register and run your Dutch business confidently instead of getting lost at the Handelsregister.
Frequently asked questions
What does ZZP mean and how do I become one?
ZZP stands for zelfstandige zonder personeel, a self-employed person without staff, the standard Dutch freelancer status. To become one you register your business in the KVK Handelsregister (trade register), which gives you a KVK-nummer. If you invoice clients, registration is mandatory. The KVK then passes your details to the Belastingdienst, which assesses you for VAT and issues your tax numbers.
Do I need a BTW number as a freelancer in the Netherlands?
Usually yes. When you register at the KVK, your data go automatically to the Belastingdienst, which decides if you are an entrepreneur for VAT and registers you. You typically receive two numbers within about 5 to 10 working days: a btw-nummer (for your VAT returns) and a btw-identificatienummer (btw-id) to put on your invoices. You charge BTW unless you use the small-business scheme (KOR).
What is the KOR (kleineondernemersregeling)?
The KOR is the small-business scheme: if your turnover is low enough, you can opt out of charging and filing VAT, which simplifies your admin. If you use the KOR you do not charge BTW, but you still must put your btw-id on invoices and note that the VAT is exempt under the KOR. It suits very small or side businesses; weigh it carefully, as you also cannot reclaim VAT on your costs.
What is the best app to learn Dutch for freelancing and the KVK?
Learn Dutch For Expats, an app available on the App Store, is the best pick because it teaches the freelance-admin Dutch you need, KVK, ZZP, btw-nummer, KOR, inschrijven, in five-minute lessons built around real situations, so you can register and run your Dutch business confidently instead of getting lost at the Handelsregister.
