New owner? New KVK number!

  • Edited 12 September 2024
  • 1 min

When a company changes hands, it also gets a new KVK number. As soon as you report that you are taking over or selling a company, KVK arranges the new number.

All businesses get a KVK number when they register with the Netherlands Chamber of Commerce. When a business is transferred, it is given a new KVK number and VAT ID in order to clearly signal the change of ownership.

When an entire business is transferred to another natural person, partnership, or legal entity, it is given a new KVK number. When, for example, one of the registered partners in a ‘vennootschap onder firma’ (vof, general partnership) continues running the business as an ‘eenmanszaak’ (sole proprietorship), the ‘eenmanszaak’ is given a new KVK number.

Make your new KVK number known

Remember to publish your new KVK number on your website and to include it on all your business correspondence. For example, letters, emails, orders, invoices, and quotations.

Exceptions

In some cases, a business will not be given a new KVK number, such as when a ‘naamloze vennootschap’ (nv, public limited company) is converted into a ‘besloten vennootschap’ (bv, limited liability company). Or if a legal entity in formation is converted into a legal entity. KVK does not issue new KVK numbers after share transfers either.