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Purchasing a Company in the Netherlands

Purchasing a Company in the Netherlands

The Netherlands has many business opportunities for investors who want to open a company here. More so, those who do not want to start a new business have the option to purchase a company in the Netherlands. There are several options to be taken into consideration and foreign investors can request the help of our Dutch law firm that will be able to oversee the purchasing process and make sure that the investment is the best choice of business.

Investors can purchase a ready-made Dutch company or they can acquire an existing one. Another business option that can be taken into consideration is merging one company with another existing one. The experts at our law firm in the Netherlands will be able to offer you detailed information about the process and costs for each type of company purchase option in the Netherlands.

We invite you to watch a short video about purchasing a company in the Netherlands:

Buying a ready-made company in the Netherlands

A shelf company or a ready-made company in the Netherlands is essentially a legal entity that has been incorporated but has not performed any commercial activities. It does not have any debts and gives the investor the advantage of starting the business activities fast, without having to go through the entire company formation process.

If you want to purchase a ready-made company in the Netherlands, our Dutch lawyers can help you choose the best business type.

Other options for purchasing Dutch companies

Company mergers and acquisitions are other options in the Netherlands. The merger is not essentially a company purchase, instead, it is the combination of two existing legal entities, usually by allowing the stockholders of the company being overrun to purchase securities in the acquiring company in exchange for their stock. This is done voluntarily and business owners who take this option into consideration will also have to deal with additional issues concerning the company management after the merger, such as keeping the Dutch employees.

Company acquisitions in the Netherlands offer the acquiring company full ownership, meaning that it clearly establishes itself as the new owner. When deciding to purchase a company in the Netherlands, business owners are advised to perform a company due diligence. This is done to make sure that the buyer knows everything about the purchased company and that the acquisition is a good investment.

When buying a company, the Netherlands VAT registration process would have already taken place, due to the fact that all companies which are subject to this tax are required to register. Thus, if the company was previously involved in the provision of goods or services that fall under the scope of this tax, it was registered. Our team can help you with additional information about this tax, as needed.

For any questions regarding company purchases in the Netherlands, please feel free to contact our Dutch law firm. We offer a wise range of legal services, suited for any business needs.