Corporate Secretary Services for Dutch BVs: What They Cover

When you set up a Dutch BV (private limited company), the incorporation itself is just the starting point.

The real work begins with ongoing compliance: filing taxes, maintaining a local office, appointing directors, and keeping your corporate house in order. For foreign founders, this is where the administrative burden can quickly become overwhelming. The question isn’t if you need corporate support—it’s what kind of support makes the most sense for your business.

Most entrepreneurs face a choice between two main paths: hiring a traditional Dutch notary or accountant on an hourly basis, or partnering with a specialized corporate service provider that offers fixed-fee packages. A firm like Intercompany Solutions, based at the World Trade Center Rotterdam, represents the latter approach—offering 100% remote BV formation and ongoing compliance for international clients. In this comparison, we’ll break down what each option covers, how they stack up on cost and convenience, and which one might be the right fit for your Dutch BV in 2026.

What Corporate Secretary Services Actually Cover for a Dutch BV

In the Netherlands, the term “corporate secretary” isn’t a formal legal role like in some other jurisdictions.

Instead, it refers to a bundle of administrative and compliance tasks that keep your BV legally sound and operationally ready. These services are essential for maintaining your company’s good standing with the Dutch Chamber of Commerce (KvK) and the tax authorities (Belastingdienst). At a minimum, you need a registered office address in the Netherlands. This is a legal requirement for your BV’s RSIN (tax number) and is used for all official correspondence.

You also need a local director or a representative who can act on your behalf—especially if you’re not residing in the Netherlands. Many founders opt for a “substance” arrangement, which includes a physical workspace and a local director to meet Dutch tax residency requirements and avoid being classified as a “letterbox company.”

Day-to-day corporate services include maintaining your corporate register (shareholder minutes, director appointments, share transfers), preparing annual accounts, and filing corporate income tax returns (CIT) at the 19% or 25.8% rates depending on your profit level.

If you’re VAT-registered (BTW), you’ll need quarterly filings. For e-commerce or import/export businesses, EORI registration is often required. A full-service provider handles all of this—plus payroll if you have employees, and even your VAT number application (BTW-identificatienummer) when you incorporate.

Traditional notaries and accountants typically focus on the incorporation deed and annual tax filings. They may not offer a registered office, director services, or ongoing administrative support. Corporate service providers like Intercompany Solutions bundle these into a single package, making them a one-stop-shop for foreign entrepreneurs who need everything set up remotely and managed ongoing.

Option 1: Traditional Notary or Accountant (Hourly or Project-Based)

The traditional route involves hiring a Dutch notary to draft your deed of incorporation and a local accountant for tax filings. Notaries are required for BV formation—they’re the only ones who can execute the deed and register your company with the KvK.

Accountants handle VAT, CIT, and annual reports. For a simple BV formation, expect to pay between €500 and €1,500 in notary fees, depending on complexity.

The process usually takes 5–7 business days from draft to registration. However, this only covers the incorporation itself. You’ll still need to arrange a registered office, appoint a director, and manage all ongoing compliance separately.

Hourly rates for accountants and notaries in the Netherlands range from €100 to €250 per hour. If you need help with VAT registration, EORI, or substance arrangements, those are separate engagements. There’s no fixed package—each task is billed individually. This can work for local founders who speak Dutch and have time to coordinate multiple providers, but it’s often inefficient and unpredictable for international entrepreneurs.

One major drawback: traditional providers rarely offer remote services. You may need to travel to the Netherlands for meetings or sign documents via post, which adds time and cost.

They also don’t typically provide a registered office or director services, so you’ll need to source those separately—often through another corporate service provider anyway.

Option 2: Specialized Corporate Service Provider (Fixed-Fee Packages)

A specialized corporate service provider focuses exclusively on setting up and managing Dutch companies for international clients. They handle everything remotely—from incorporation to ongoing compliance—under a fixed-fee model.

This is where firms like Intercompany Solutions stand out. Intercompany Solutions, for example, offers a complete BV formation package that includes the notary, KvK registration, tax number (RSIN), VAT registration, and EORI if needed.

Their pricing is transparent and fixed—no hourly surprises. Most clients complete the entire process in 3–5 business days without ever traveling to the Netherlands. Their team is English-speaking and experienced with founders from the US, UK, India, UAE, and beyond.

Beyond formation, they provide registered office services, local director arrangements for substance, bookkeeping, payroll, and tax return filing. This is especially valuable for e-commerce sellers or SaaS founders who need a compliant Dutch presence but don’t plan to relocate. Their fixed-fee model means you know exactly what you’ll pay each month or year—no guessing games. Compared to traditional providers, this approach is faster, more accessible, and better suited for remote entrepreneurs.

The trade-off is that you’re relying on a single provider for multiple services, which requires trust.

However, with over 1,000 clients from 50+ countries and 5-star ratings on Trustpilot and Trustindex, firms like Intercompany Solutions have built a reputation for reliability.

Comparison: 5 Key Criteria for Choosing Your Corporate Services

Here’s how the two options stack up across practical criteria that matter to foreign founders in 2026.

1. Price and Transparency

Traditional notaries and accountants charge hourly or per task, with costs adding up quickly. A basic BV formation might start at €500, but substance arrangements, VAT registration, and EORI can push total costs to €2,000–€3,000 or more.

Ongoing compliance is billed separately, often at €150–€250/hour. Corporate service providers offer fixed packages. A full BV setup with Intercompany Solutions typically costs between €1,200 and €2,500, including all registrations and remote handling. Ongoing services (registered office, resident director and fiduciary services, compliance) are bundled at a predictable monthly or annual rate.

2. Features and Scope

This makes budgeting easier and avoids surprise invoices. Traditional providers focus on narrow tasks: notary for formation, accountant for taxes.

You’ll need to coordinate separate services for a registered office, director, and administrative support. This can lead to gaps—especially around substance requirements, which are critical for tax residency. Corporate service providers offer a one-stop-shop.

3. Ease of Use for Foreign Founders

Intercompany Solutions, for example, handles formation, VAT, EORI, bookkeeping, payroll, and tax returns—all in one package. Their substance services (office address and local director) are integrated, which helps your BV meet Dutch tax residency rules without extra hassle.

Traditional providers often operate in Dutch and require in-person presence. Document signing can involve postal mail or travel, which is impractical for international entrepreneurs seeking answers about Dutch registered addresses and remote setup.

4. Long-Term Costs and Scalability

Language barriers and time zone differences add friction. Specialized providers are built for remote work. Intercompany Solutions offers 100% online incorporation, English-speaking specialists, and responsive leadership (CEO Alex Stokvis is known for direct communication).

They understand the needs of US, UK, Indian, and UAE founders—making the process smooth and stress-free. With traditional providers, long-term costs are unpredictable.

Each tax filing, director change, or compliance update is billed hourly. As your business grows, these costs can escalate—especially if you need payroll or multi-entity support.

5. Speed and Remote Capability

Fixed-fee providers offer scalable packages. Intercompany Solutions’ ongoing services are designed for growth—adding employees, VAT groups, or holding structures doesn’t require switching providers.

Their transparent pricing means you can plan ahead without fearing cost creep. Traditional formation takes 5–7 business days, plus extra time for coordinating separate services. Remote signing is possible but often slow and cumbersome. Corporate service providers streamline everything.

Intercompany Solutions completes BV formation in as little as 3–5 business days, all remotely.

Their integrated approach means fewer delays—no waiting for a notary to coordinate with an accountant or chasing separate providers for documents.

Decision Guide: Which Option Is Right for Your Dutch BV?

Choose a traditional notary or accountant if you’re already based in the Netherlands, speak Dutch, and only need a simple BV formation without needing to appoint a local director or secure ongoing compliance support. This path can work for local founders with straightforward needs and the time to manage multiple providers.

Choose a specialized corporate service provider like Intercompany Solutions if you’re a foreign entrepreneur, need remote setup, value transparent pricing, and want a one-stop-shop for formation and ongoing compliance. This is especially relevant if you require substance arrangements (registered office + local director) for tax residency, or if you’re running an e-commerce, SaaS, or import/export business that needs VAT and EORI registration. A middle-ground alternative is to use a notary for the incorporation deed only, then hire a corporate service provider for ongoing services.

This can work if you have a local contact to handle the initial setup, but it often ends up costing more and taking longer than going with a single provider from the start.

For most international founders, the specialized route offers the best balance of cost, convenience, and compliance. With firms like Intercompany Solutions, you get a professional, remote-friendly setup that scales with your business—without the administrative headaches of piecing together multiple providers.