Introduction

I am pleased to present the 2022 edition of PwC’s publication Doing Business in the Netherlands. Doing business internationally expands a company’s horizon and offers unique opportunities for being able to contribute to society, growth, innovation and trust. When doing business in the Netherlands, a company enters one of the most open economies in the world. It offers an outstanding infrastructure – including Europe’s largest port – a competitive business climate and a strong workforce. The Dutch tax system features several incentives to stimulate innovation and business activities. And as an internationally oriented country, the Netherlands is home to many – most of them highly educated – foreign workers.

The world is experiencing constant change, and the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic is unprecedented for almost everyone. We are lucky to realise that even during the worst pandemic the modern world has ever experienced, the Netherlands has proven to remain a relatively stable and resilient country. This is even more important, considering other uncertainties such as the recent Brexit, international trade disputes, the mitigation of climate change effects and a strong rise in cybercrime. These are but a few of the challenges that businesses face and despite these uncertainties, the Dutch financial, economic and social climate remains stable and the government is keen to keep it that way. Hence, the Netherlands remains a great place to invest in and can surely be seen as a gateway to Europe and as a solid basis for a successful business on the EU internal market.

This guide is intended to provide a broad understanding of the key aspects of doing business and investing in the Netherlands. We answer many questions that foreign businesses and entrepreneurs have when making their first venture into the Dutch market, leveraging on our extensive experience in regard to establishing businesses in the Netherlands.

You will find all the key aspects of doing business in the Netherlands in this publication: the economic climate, big industries and business segments, what it is like to live in the Netherlands and different workforce aspects. It describes the most popular legal forms of businesses in the Netherlands and the key aspects of tax, human resources, employment law, audit and accountancy.