Regularly check your registration with KVK

The registration of your company in the Dutch Business Register at the Netherlands Chamber of Commerce KVK must correspond to the actual situation. Information such as the business address, business activities, persons authorised to sign, and trade and domain names must be correct. Incorrect or outdated information can cause problems for you and your customers and suppliers. So, check your registration regularly and report changes to KVK.

The Business Register is the public Dutch base registry (basisregistratie) in which all companies and legal entities must register. The Business Register tells you whom you are dealing with, who is authorised to sign, and whether a company is bankrupt. This way, you have up-to-date information and legal certainty when doing business. Other authorities also use the data from the Business Register: to assess your application for a permit or a subsidy, for example. 

Risks of incorrect information

Customers, suppliers, and the authorities must be able to rely on the data in the register. If a company has not communicated changes, then legally, the (outdated) data registered in the Business Register applies. It is therefore important that you keep the details of your company in the Business Register up-to-date. Incorrect or outdated information can cause problems with, for example, liability. Incorrect data can also confuse new customers or suppliers. So, it is important to pass on changes immediately.

Are your details still correct? 

Via My sole proprietorship* you can immediately check and change the details of your sole proprietorship. You log in with your DigiD. Changes for other legal structures such as general partnerships or bvs can also be reported online to KVK.

Data

What data is in the Business Register, why is it there, and what can you do with it? An explanation.

1. Business Activities

A description of business activities is a short, clear description of what your company does. You are responsible for the text of this description. For example,  “wholesale in kitchens and kitchen equipment, advice on kitchen design”. KVK codes these activities via the Standard Business Classification (SBI).

Why?

The correct registration of the activities of your company is important for your customers, your suppliers, and your company insurance. But also, for example, for the collective labour agreement (CAO) and pension agreements that you must meet. Institutions such as Statistics Netherlands, the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (NVWA), the Netherlands Tax Administration (Belastingdienst), and the municipality use the SBI code of your main activity to classify your company in a sector. If this SBI code is correct, you will receive the subsidy, or the support that suits your situation.

2. Premises

Are you renting an extra building or is your company moving? Then notify KVK of this change. If it concerns an address that is not your private address, you must demonstrate with, for example, a rental agreement and/or written permission from the property owner that you may register your company at that address.

Why?

Without registration of your visiting address, your company cannot be found by others at that address. You need a company address to apply for permits from the municipality. For example, for your parking space, outside seating area, or renovation. You also need the registration of your company premises if you want to make use of subsidy arrangements. In certain situations, you can shield your business or visiting address. Your business address is then no longer public. Private addresses are always shielded in the Business Register.

3. Signing authority

Who represents your company? Who is authorised to sign certain documents or contracts on your company's behalf? This person(s) must be registered as authorised to sign in the Business Register. It may vary according to their position for which parts of the company a person is authorised to sign. For example, an export employee may only be authorised to sign export forms. Recently authorised representatives need to make an appointment with KVK for identification.

Why?

If someone signs documents on behalf of a company without being authorised, this is not legally valid. If the signatory does this on behalf of your company, you can hold them personally liable. If your contract is not legally signed, the customer or supplier may be able to get out of the contract. So, check whether the person with this authorisation is registered. Also, think about who can manage things if that person is on a business trip or is absent due to illness.

4. Trade name

Your company can use other trade names in addition to the company name. That allows you to develop separate marketing strategies for specific products, services, and customer groups for each trade name. You can register all your trade names and domain names in the Business Register.

Why?

Anyone can easily find trade names or websites in the Business Register and find out which company it belongs to. This way, people who have contact with a fake provider that abuses your name can quickly find the real company and check your details, such as websites, address details, and contacts. In addition, starting entrepreneurs who search for a company name in the Business Register can see whether their favourite name is still available.

5. Employed persons

The number of employees per company is registered in the Business Register. The employed persons consist of the cooperating owners, partners, and employees.

Why?

Arrangements for, for example, subsidies, filing annual accounts, or the obligation for a works council are based on the number of employees. Many bvs register '0 or 1 working person' at the start. Such a small bv can grow into a SME with dozens of employees. Anyone who consults the Business Register may start to doubt whether this is really the company they are in contact with. So, take the time every year to check the number of employed persons in your registration and update the data if necessary.

6. What else? WAADI, UBO

The Business Register contains more information that you should check regularly. Things like: telephone number, email address, yes/no non-mailing indicator. Do you hire out staff? Then think of WAADI registration. Also, most companies have to register their important stakeholders as Ultimate Beneficial Owners (UBOs) in the UBO register.

Fight against fake companies

Correct registration ensures that business partners can do business safely. Before working with someone, you want to know more about the company and the authorised person. Business is increasingly done digitally. Criminals capitalise on this by setting up fake websites, email spoofing, and corporate identity theft (in Dutch). To reduce the risk of fraud, it is important that others can find your business addresses, persons authorised to sign, and the trade and domain names used. This allows suppliers and customers to check whether they are doing business with the right company and the right people.

KVK helps

KVK regularly checks the information in the Business Register. If KVK suspects that the company registration is incomplete or outdated, they will contact the company by email, letter, or telephone.

Inaccuracies in other company's data?

Do you think that the registration of a company or organisation in the Business Register is incorrect, for example, because your mail was returned? Then report this to KVK.