Rules for business correspondence

You must include certain information in your business correspondence. This way your customer knows who they are dealing with. All relevant business correspondence should be kept in your records.

Business correspondence covers:

• letters
• emails
• quotes
• brochures
• fax messages
• website
• invoices (for which additional rules apply)

Advertising is not part of your business correspondence.

What do you need to include?

In your business correspondence you must always include your:

• trade name
• Dutch Business Register number (KVK-nummer, Handelsregisternummer)

Do you run a cooperative, mutual insurance society, private limited company (besloten vennootschap, bv) or public limited company (naamloze vennootschap, nv)? And is your trade name different from the registered name (the name in the deed of incorporation)? Then you include both the full registered name and your trade name in your business correspondence.

For a private or public limited company (bv or nv), you must include the registered office address (place of business) of the company as well.

Compulsory information on your website

You must provide complete clarity about the identity of your business (in Dutch). You must include the information on your website, in a logical place. Among others you must state:

• your full registered name (the name in the deed of incorporation) and trade name
• the address details of your physical address, unless  your visiting address has been shielded in the Business Register
• your contact details, such as an e-mail address and a telephone number or chat option
• name and address of the supplier (if this is not you but a 3rd party)
• information on your complaints procedure, if you have one

Also state your Business Register number (KVK-nummer) and VAT identification number (btw-id) if you provide services or sell products online.

Do you operate an online platform? Then you must also provide information about the sellers on your platform, such as their trading name and contact details.

Not compulsory, but useful

Including the following information in your business correspondence is not compulsory, but it may be useful for your customers:

• address of the premises and address for correspondence, including postcode and town
• your IBAN number (bank account number)