Checklist: Managing your finances when self-employed and pregnant
Do you have your own business and are you pregnant? You are entitled to maternity benefits for self-employed professionals. The ZEZ benefit. You must apply for this yourself at the Employee Insurance Agency (UWV). Read what you need to know about, for example, maternity leave, insurance, benefits, and taxes.
The ZEZ (Zelfstandige en Zwanger, Self-Employed and Pregnant) is a benefit for pregnant self-employed professionals. The ZEZ lasts a minimum of 16 weeks. If you have a multiple birth (twins or more) the benefit lasts for 20 weeks. You apply for it at the Employee Insurance Agency (UWV)
Amount of the ZEZ benefit
Did you work at least 1,225 hours on your business in the year before you became pregnant? Then the amount of the ZEZ benefit is equal to the legal minimum wage. If you worked less than 1,225 hours, the amount depends on that year's profit. Can you resume work during the benefit period? This does not affect your benefit. Even if you have only been working for a short time or are a part-time entrepreneur, you can apply for ZEZ.
Read more about the conditions, the amount of the benefit, and how to apply for ZEZ.
With a ZEZ benefit, you will receive a minimum income during your leave. You are not insured against illness with the ZEZ benefit. Not even if your illness is the result of your pregnancy or the birth of the child. Do you want to insure your income in case you become ill? This is possible with occupational disability insurance (arbeidsongeschiktheidsverzekering, AOV). An AOV provides an income if you are unable to work due to illness. You take out an AOV from a private insurer. The rules and conditions differ per insurer. You can also opt for alternatives, such as a donation circle or crowdsurance.
Read more about the options for insuring yourself against illness.
AOV and maternity leave
You can also take out an AOV that pays you during pregnancy and maternity leave. This does not affect the amount of your ZEZ benefit. However, your insurer can choose to adjust your AOV payment if you receive a ZEZ benefit.
Check your AOV insurer's conditions
Many insurers only pay out if you give birth after a certain period has passed since you have taken out the insurance. For example, your due date must fall at least 52 weeks after the insurance is taken out. Read your AOV insurer’s conditions carefully.
Voluntary insurance against illness with UWV
Are you voluntarily insured for the Sickness Benefits Act with UWV? Then you will receive a maternity benefit of 100% of the insured daily wage. Is your insured daily wage lower than the legal minimum wage? Then you may be able to receive a supplement to the statutory minimum wage with a ZEZ benefit. Read more about pregnancy benefit and the voluntary Sickness Benefits Act insurance (in Dutch).
If you make use of the private business ownership allowance (zelfstandigenaftrek), you must meet the working hours criterion determined by the Netherlands Tax Administration. When you are a self-employed professional and take maternity leave, the hours you did not work still count as hours worked (in Dutch). You can count the hours you would normally have worked.
As a self-employed person, you are also eligible for childcare allowance. You get childcare allowance for the months you work for your business. You will receive the allowance based on:
- your annual income (including your partner's income)
- the number of children
- the number of hours of childcare.
Read more about childcare allowance for the self-employed.
Frequently asked questions
You keep your childcare allowance if you take leave. As long as you can show that you still work on your business.
If the number of childcare hours does not change, your maternity leave will not affect the number of childcare hours for which you can get childcare allowance.
Are you permanently leaving your business because of your pregnancy? Then you are entitled to 3 months of childcare allowance (in Dutch). Or longer if your maternity leave starts within these 3 months. In that case, you may add your maternity leave to the 3 months.
Can you no longer work as an entrepreneur due to an illness or disability? Then you are still entitled to childcare allowance for up to 2 years if your business continues to exist.
Will your situation change after pregnancy?
For example, your income (or your partner's income) changes, or the number of hours you need childcare? Make sure to change your information to avoid receiving too much or too little allowance. Use the Toeslagen app (allowance app, in Dutch) or arrange things in Mijn Toeslagen (in Dutch).
Are you a self-employed professional and receiving a maternity benefit from UWV or an insurer? You do not declare this benefit as profit from your business.
- Do you receive a maternity benefit from an insurer? You do not need to declare this.
Disability insurance benefits
Do you receive benefits from an occupational disability insurance policy due to illness? You state this benefit in your tax return as periodic benefits due to incapacity for work (in Dutch).
If you are temporarily unable to work, you need to think about the consequences for your company. Do you want the company to remain partially or completely active? Or do you want to temporarily pause your business activities?
If you want to keep your company (partially) running, you could consider outsourcing some work. You can do this in different ways. You can hire a self-employed professional, you can work together with another company, or you can hire permanent or flexible staff.
If you are temporarily pausing your business, ensure clear communication with your business relations and customers.
You cannot put your company on hold
It is not possible to put your company on hold. If you need to stop working for less than 6 months on your business, you can keep your business registration. But if you stop for longer, you must deregister from the Business Register. If you want to resume your business later, you need to register again. You will then get a new KVK number, VAT identification number, and VAT tax number.
Read more about the options if you are temporarily unable to work on your business.