The Netherlands

Legal System	Established the Romano-Germanic (Continental) system of law.
The System of the Common State Registrar	The company records (name, registration date, shareholder, director, address) are kept the public registry. The registering authority is The Chamber of Commerce.
Registration Procedure	The documents certified by a notary are submitted on paper to the Registrar. The share capital must be fully paid. The beneficial owner is not required to be presented at the registration and filing procedures.
E-Registration	Not available.
Pre-incorporation Procedures (statement of compliance, affidavit, etc)	Prior certification of documents by a notary.
Company Name	Prior approval of the name is required. The name can be in any language that uses the Latin alphabet. In some cases, translation may be required. Words associated with governmental or public patronage may not be used.
Incorporation Documents	Memorandum & Articles of Association. Original documents shall be prepared and kept in Dutch. The client receives the English translation, certified by a licensed Advocate.
Share Capital	The minimum share capital is EUR 1. Payment of the share capital may be made "in cash" (bank transfer) or "in kind". Registered shares only; bearer shares are not permitted.
Beneficial Owner	The beneficial owner can be any physical person. Information about the beneficiary is not reflected in the Registrar.
Shareholder	At least one shareholder (physical person or legal entity). Transfer of shares into trust is allowed.
Director	At least one director. The director may be a physical person or a legal entity.
Secretary	Not required.
Registered office	A registered office in the Netherlands is required.
Residency	Is determined by the place of management of the company.
Income Tax	20% on income up to EUR 200.000 25% on income over EUR 200.000
Taxes on Dividends	25%, except: - at least 5% shareholding - the investments are not the portfolio ones
Taxes on Capital Gains	20%, except: - at least 5% shareholding - the investments are not the portfolio ones
Taxes on Interest/Royalties	20% on income up to EUR 200.000 25% on income over EUR 200.000
Tax Withheld at Source	Tax on dividends is 15%, except: - at least 5% shareholding - the investments are not the portfolio ones** Royalties - none.
VAT	21%. VAT is levied on sales of goods and services and on import from non-European countries.
Specific National Taxes and Levies	The annual government fee.
Reporting	Each year is fully reported in accordance with the IFRS.
Audit	Annual audit is required, from which only small companies* are exempt.
Cost Accounting Rules	Costs must be justified and documented.
Tax Administration	Formal, in accordance with the requirements of the law.
Use of Tax Treaties	More than 80 countries.
Terms of Use of Tax Preferences	Tax residency.
Controlled Foreign Corporation in Jurisdictions with Low Tax (CFC)	Releasing on the basis of ownership shares is not permitted.
Disclosure of Information	There are official channels of information disclosure. Information about beneficiaries is revealed by the decision of a Court.
Language	Communication in public administration, courts and banks may be made in Dutch and/or English.
Registration of Company	From EUR 7 000.
Administration of Company	From EUR 15 000 per year.

* A company is recognized as small if it meets two of the following three criteria:

- the amount of net sales per year is up to EUR 8.8 million;

- the value of assets is up to EUR 4.4 million;

- number of employees is up to 50 people.

** From January 1, 2017, the tax on dividends withheld from non-resident legal entities and individuals can be refunded if the recipient of the dividends and beneficiary is a resident of an EU/EEA member state. The amount of compensation is equal to the amount of tax in excess of income tax payable if the recipient was a resident of the Netherlands.