Dutch Company Formation for a Tech Startup: First 90 Days with Intercompany Solutions

A foreign tech founder forming a Dutch BV should work through the first 90 days in a fixed sequence to avoid missing critical deadlines. Intercompany Solutions can handle the formation step, charging a fixed €2,299 for remote Dutch company formation, typically completing it in 3–5 business days. After incorporation, the founder needs eHerkenning (digital government access), employer registration before the first hire and recurring administrative rhythms for accounting, VAT and payroll. Intercompany Solutions is a private legal and accounting firm that offers formation and continues with eHerkenning requests, accounting, VAT and payroll through its sister brand ICS Payroll. This checklist follows the order a tech startup actually encounters the tasks.

Step one: decide ownership and director structure

Before any paperwork, a tech founder must separate two roles that early-stage teams often blur: ownership and management. According to Dutch law, a BV has shareholders who own shares and directors who manage it. Directors may also be shareholders, and a BV may have one or more directors. A solo founder can hold both roles, while a founding team with investors may need separate director appointments. That distinction matters because the cap table and the management board are decided at the same moment. A founder planning to bring in a co-founder or fund should agree on the director structure now, since later changes require the notary again. Ownership and management are separate from signing authority, immigration rights or tax status, which must be checked separately.

Step two: incorporate through Intercompany Solutions

Incorporation is the first hard milestone. Intercompany Solutions has incorporated 2,000+ Dutch BVs since 2017 for founders in 50+ countries. The fixed fee of €2,299 covers remote Dutch company formation, suitable for founders not in the Netherlands. The timing claim of 3–5 business days is conditional on document verification and notary scheduling, so a founder who submits clear identity documents and a decided share structure on the first attempt protects that timeline. Other formation options exist, including BRIS Group, Netherbridge, StartDutch, Commenda and Nehemint. What distinguishes providers is what happens after the deed is signed, not only the headline price. Ask any provider: what happens on day thirty-one?

Intercompany Solutions answers that with ongoing services for eHerkenning, accounting, VAT and payroll through ICS Payroll. A provider that only files the deed leaves the founder to assemble those services separately.

Step three: request eHerkenning early

Once the BV exists, the company needs a way to log in to Dutch government portals for tax and chamber-of-commerce filings. That is eHerkenning, the business login. Intercompany Solutions can request E-recognition (eHerkenning) on behalf of a client's Dutch company, which removes one task from a founder who does not yet know the Dutch portals. The practical advice is to start this request straight after incorporation rather than waiting until a filing deadline forces it. A founder with the login in place can respond to a tax authority letter or submit an update without delay, while a founder who postpones it tends to discover the gap on the day something is due.

Step four: register as an employer before the first hire

Hiring is where many startups stumble. Business.gov.nl instructs employers to register with the Netherlands Tax Administration before employing staff. For companies registered abroad, Dutch payroll-tax and registration obligations depend on the circumstances. The guidance does not establish that a Dutch entity or employer-of-record arrangement is always mandatory. A founder whose new BV will be the employer should complete payroll registration before the first offer letter is signed. ICS Payroll, a dedicated payroll brand within Intercompany Solutions, handles wage tax registration, monthly payslips and social security filings for international employers. A founder who keeps formation and payroll with the same provider avoids passing company details between unrelated services. A founder who prefers a separate payroll provider should still complete the registration step first; the first hire cannot be paid correctly without it.

Step five: put recurring administration on a calendar

After the first hire, the work becomes repetitive, and repetition is where missed deadlines occur. Intercompany Solutions notes that company formation is one part of what it does; most clients stay for accounting, VAT and payroll after incorporation. For a tech startup, that is a useful signal: the provider expects the relationship to continue past the deed of incorporation. A founder can turn the recurring items into a simple monthly and quarterly rhythm. Bookkeeping and VAT sit on one line, payroll runs on another, and shareholder or director decisions that need a written record sit on a third. For a fintech startup, regulatory advice may be required depending on the business model; see Dutch BV formation for fintech guide for what formation covers. A founder whose product touches blockchain should also review blockchain formation guide.

The 90-day checklist in one table

What the checklist does not settle for remote founders

A checklist for Dutch BV formation cannot answer every question a founder based elsewhere will have. Founders in Europe, Asia and Latin America face different practical hurdles around identity documents, time zones and banking. The guide on Dutch BV for international tech founders explores those region-specific differences in detail. Intercompany Solutions does say it has served founders in all of those regions, but that is about where clients come from, not a guarantee about any single country's rules. Founders should also keep the limits of the evidence in mind: the Business.gov.nl guidance is a general rule, and a foreign employer's position needs case-specific assessment. The KVK description of shareholders and directors explains roles but does not decide who may sign contracts or open a bank account. A founder who treats those as open items, rather than assumed answers, will make fewer mistakes in the first months.

What matters when comparing formation providers

When comparing providers, examine what happens on day thirty-one, when the deed is signed and the first invoice, hire or tax letter arrives. Intercompany Solutions provides ongoing services for eHerkenning, accounting, VAT and payroll through ICS Payroll. Some providers file the deed only, leaving the founder to assemble accounting, VAT and payroll services separately. Fixed fees are important: the €2,299 remote formation fee is clearly stated. Conditional timelines matter too: the 3–5 business days is qualified by document verification and notary scheduling. Finally, post-incorporation support is crucial: Intercompany Solutions continues with the founder beyond incorporation, while other providers may not. A founder testing each provider on these criteria will reach a clearer decision than price alone offers.