1. Form and register
UK Ltd incorporated in 24–48 hours, London registered office, Corporation Tax registration, year end aligned to your group. Company formation
Netherlands
Setting up a UK company from the Netherlands
Dutch exporters felt Brexit at the border first. A UK subsidiary with its own EORI and VAT number turns a customs-and-import-VAT problem into a domestic sale — and gives UK buyers a UK counterparty.
39UK investment projects from Netherlands in 2025–26, creating 2,142 jobs — DBT inward investment results.
24–48 hrsTo incorporate once directors have verified identity. No UK-resident director is required.
0%UK withholding tax on dividends paid to a Dutch parent. The Dutch participation exemption (deelnemingsvrijstelling) typically exempts the dividend at the BV.
What changes for Dutch businesses
Five things we handle differently for you
01
Goods: the UK company as importer of record
Consignments of £135 or less to UK consumers carry UK VAT at the point of sale, so the seller must be UK VAT registered. Above £135, import VAT and duty are charged at the border. A UK company with a GB EORI imports in bulk, uses postponed VAT accounting, holds stock in a UK warehouse and sells domestically with a UK VAT invoice. Rules of origin under the TCA decide whether duty applies.
02
VAT: first-sale registration and MTD
A UK Ltd managed from the Netherlands is usually a non-established taxable person and registers from its first UK sale, not at £90,000. Quarterly returns under Making Tax Digital; we reconcile marketplace, Mollie or Adyen reports to the ledger.
03
Tax: 25% and no withholding
UK corporation tax 25% (19% small profits, diluted by group size). No UK withholding on dividends to the BV; the participation exemption generally exempts them in the Netherlands. Dutch CFC rules do not normally bite on an actively trading UK company. Your fiscalist confirms the Dutch side; we supply the UK figures and the intercompany documentation.
04
People: A1s and UK hires
Staff posted from the Netherlands can remain in the Dutch social security system for up to 24 months under the TCA with an A1 from the SVB. UK employees go on UK payroll with auto-enrolment. UK dismissal law is more flexible than Dutch, and there is no UWV or kantonrechter procedure — but there is a fair-process requirement.
05
Reporting: Dutch GAAP or IFRS mapping
Year end set to 31 December, monthly close, and a trial balance mapped to your RGS or IFRS chart for consolidation. Filings in English; we annotate for your Dutch accountant where useful.
The route
What we do, in order
2. Bank and VAT
Revolut Business account set-up, VAT and EORI where needed, intercompany agreement in writing. Bank account · VAT
3. Run and report
Monthly Xero bookkeeping, payroll, quarterly VAT, annual accounts and CT600, every deadline tracked. Packages from £750 a month
The full sequence, with timings: how it works.
Common questions from Netherlands
Your FAQs answered
BV branch or UK Ltd?
Usually a Ltd: limited liability, only the UK company’s accounts go public, and a day to set up. A branch puts the BV’s own accounts on the UK register. Early losses usable in the Netherlands are the main argument for a branch.
Can we keep shipping from Rotterdam?
Yes. The UK company imports from the BV under a written intercompany distribution agreement at arm’s length. The BV exports zero-rated; the UK company accounts for import VAT through postponed accounting.
Do we need a Dutch-speaking accountant?
Not for the UK filings — they are in English. We work in English and provide reconciliations your Dutch advisers can read.
Which bank?
Revolut Business is our default route and opens in days for a Dutch-owned UK company. Subject to eligibility. A UK high-street account runs in parallel if you need one.
Fixed quote
Get a fixed quote for your Dutch group’s UK company
Tell us where the parent company is and what the UK operation has to do. You’ll get a written fixed fee — set-up and the first year’s running costs — within one UK working day.
No obligationAnswered by an accountantFee agreed before work starts
Peter Allen — Director, City SolutionAnswers these personally. More than a decade running UK books for founders who aren’t in the UK.
General information about UK company law and tax for businesses based in Netherlands; not advice for your circumstances. Home-country tax and regulatory points are outlined so you can brief your local advisers — they, not we, confirm them. Bank account opening is subject to eligibility; approval cannot be guaranteed. FDI figures: Department for Business and Trade, inward investment results 2025 to 2026.