Ending your company per legal structure

Published by:
Netherlands Chamber of Commerce, KVK
Netherlands Chamber of Commerce, KVK
Checked 22 Feb 2024
3 min read
Nederlandse versie

When you end your business, there is a lot to deal with. A step-by-step plan can help you with this. What you need to arrange differs per legal structure. Choose the legal structure of your business on this page and click through to the step-by-step plan.

Below you can choose which legal structure your company has. After making your choice, click on the link that will lead to the step-by-step plan for your situation.

If you end your sole proprietorship (eenmanszaak ​​​​​​), you deregister your company from the KVK Business Register. Then you settle the tax with the Netherlands Tax Administration. Do not forget to pay your outstanding bills before you close down the business. And check what changes for your liability.

Read the step-by-step plan to end your sole proprietorship.

If you end your private limited company (bv), you have to arrange several things. First, you must dissolve the company. You also pay corporation tax. And you deregister your bv from the KVK Business Register.

Read the step-by-step plan to end your bv.

If you end your limited partnership (cv) altogether, all partners must hand in their notice. You deregister your cv from the KVK Business Register. You also settle taxes with the Tax Administration. And your administration must be in order.

Read the step-by-step plan to end your cv.

If you decide to dissolve your general partnership (vof), you must notify the KVK Business Register. To do so, you must first dissolve the vof. You also settle taxes with the Tax Administration. Keep your business records for at least 7 years.

Read the step-by-step plan to end your vof.

If you decide to dissolve your professional partnership (maatschap), you must first dissolve the partnership. It is also important that you have a good overview of the financial consequences. Check what you need to cancel and settle with the Tax Administration.

Read the step-by-step plan to end your professional partnership.

If you terminate your foundation (stichting), you must check the assets of the foundation. And you must deregister the foundation from the KVK Business Register. Is your foundation a company? Then you also have to settle the VAT and maybe your corporate income tax.

Read the step-by-step plan to end your foundation.

If you end your association (vereniging), you must let the members vote on the dissolution. And you must deregister the association from the KVK Business Register. Is your association a company? Then you must also inform the staff and settle your VAT.

Read the step-by-step plan to end your association.

Video ‘Ending your business’

In the KVK video 'Ending your business', you will see that you can quit in different ways. Depending on your situation, you take different steps. In all cases, ending involves more than just deregistering your company from the KVK Business Register. You need to arrange many things, so proper preparation is essential.

Statistics: how many companies quit each quarter?

The graph shows the number of business endings in the Netherlands per quarter.

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Questions relating to this article?

Please contact the Netherlands Chamber of Commerce, KVK