Your first BV. Solo, without the noise.
For founders setting up a BV for the first time. One shareholder at the start, no co-founders, no investors. Done quickly, with a low maintenance fee.
You've built a business, or you're about to start one. Maybe you're a freelancer (ZZP'er) and this is the first year your profit tops 70,000 euros. Maybe you've launched a product and your accountant thinks it's time for a BV. Maybe you're employed but want a vehicle for consultancy work.
In all of these situations the BV is a tax and legal step, not a status symbol. It protects your personal assets from business risk, it makes your tax bill more predictable, and it gives you a container that isn't tied to your personal citizen service number (BSN). That last point matters as soon as you sell something, take out a loan or hire someone.
Starter is built for exactly this situation: one founder, one BV, no co-founders, no investors in sight. A low monthly fee, clean articles of association that can grow with you, and KvK registration in 4 to 7 working days. If your situation changes tomorrow, you add co-founders, a holding company or an investor later, without starting over.
Who this route is for.
- Solo founders setting up a BV for the first time
- Existing sole proprietorships switching to a BV (profit typically above €70,000 a year)
- Freelancers with growing revenue who want to limit their liability
- Consultants who want a professional vehicle for assignments
- Founders who don't yet expect outside investors or option plans
What's included.
- Full notarial BV incorporation through a designated notary partner
- Smart articles of association, ready for future share issues if your situation changes
- Digital shareholder register via Nxchange, from day 1
- eIDAS signing and KvK registration without an office visit
- One fixed point of contact at Digital Notary throughout the process
- Timeline: 4 to 7 working days from first click to KvK number
Step by step, what happens.
Every incorporation follows the same structure; only the order of the waiting differs per situation.
- Day 1
Account and details
You create an account, fill in the basics (BV name, objects clause, registered address) and choose the Starter package. You can pause along the way; your progress is saved automatically. Expect around 20 minutes.
- Day 1 or 2
Wwft identification
Via Sumsub you complete an identity check: a photo of your passport or ID card, a liveness check (a short video selfie), and automatic sanctions and PEP screening. This typically takes 5 to 10 minutes and works on your phone.
- Day 2 or 3
Articles of association and power of attorney
Our standard articles of association are already set up for later growth (multiple share classes, pre-emption rights, optional ESOP pool). You sign a notarial power of attorney digitally with eIDAS QES, legally equivalent to a handwritten signature.
- Day 3 to 5
Notary executes the deed
The designated notary partner reviews all documents, verifies the Wwft check is in order, and executes the deed of incorporation. No office visit, but a formal notarial act.
- Day 4 to 7
KvK registration and register live
The notary registers your BV with the Chamber of Commerce. Your KvK number appears in your dashboard. The digital shareholder register (you, 100%) is ready in the platform.
- After that
What if your situation changes?
Adding a co-founder later, bringing in an investor or wanting a holding company? All possible from the same dashboard, €199 per issue or transfer. No new incorporation needed.
Common mistakes in this situation.
No marketing. This is what we see founders run into every month.
- 01
Setting up a BV too early
Below €50,000 profit a year, a sole proprietorship is often more tax-efficient (self-employed deduction, starter's deduction, SME profit exemption). The BV only becomes attractive from €70,000, or when there's real liability risk. Discuss this with your accountant before you book an incorporation.
- 02
Waiting too long to incorporate
The reverse happens too: founders who work in a sole proprietorship for years while they've long been in BV territory. Every month costs you income tax you wouldn't have paid in a BV. A Starter incorporation often pays for itself within one quarter.
- 03
Not planning for a later holding company
Many solo founders think: "I'll do a holding when I'm really making money". The problem: adding a holding later requires a share-for-share exchange, which is more complex for tax purposes and more expensive than choosing Pro + Holding straight away. If you foresee an exit within 5 years, consider the holding from the start.
- 04
Cheap online templates for articles of association
Some providers sell generic articles of association for a few hundred euros. They often lack provisions for share classes, pre-emption rights or ESOP pools. When you get an investor a year later, you have to amend your articles anyway (€499 plus legal fees). Better to get it right from the start.
- 05
Forgetting that a BV requires a DGA salary
As a director-major shareholder (DGA) you're required to pay yourself a customary salary (in 2026: at least €56,000 or the market rate, whichever is higher). Payroll tax applies to it. Factor this into your decision to incorporate, not just the incorporation costs.
What it costs, honestly broken down.
Included and not included, side by side. We keep nothing out of view.
- Starter incorporation (one-off)€599Including notary fees, KvK registration, Wwft check, smart articles of association
- Monthly€9.99Digital shareholder register, storage of deed and articles of association
- Adding a co-founder later€199Share issue or transfer via the platform
- Amendment to the articles (optional)€499For example to add a share class
- Adding a holding company laterfrom €750Via a share-for-share exchange, more complex than choosing Pro + Holding straight away (€1,899)
- Not included—Bookkeeper or accountant (typically €100 to €300 a month), annual accounts (typically €500 to €1,500), corporate income tax return
What if you did it differently?
Sometimes Digital Notary isn't the best route. Below are the alternatives we come across most often.
- Alt 01
Staying a sole proprietorship
Below €70,000 profit, a sole proprietorship is more tax-efficient thanks to the self-employed deduction (€3,750 in 2026), starter's deduction and SME profit exemption. You do have unlimited personal liability. For low-risk services (consultancy, writing, design) that's often fine. For riskier activities (selling products, services with liability, software) the protection of a BV quickly becomes valuable.
- Alt 02
Hiring a notary yourself
A notary's office charges €750 to €1,200 for a solo BV incorporation. You don't get a digital register with it, so you track your shareholding yourself in a document. For one founder with 100% of the shares that works for a long time, but as soon as anything changes (new shareholder, option, holding) you have to go back to the notary (€400 to €800 per act).
- Alt 03
Competing online provider
A few Dutch providers offer online BV incorporation for €295 to €500. There's no digital shareholder register, no Nxchange infrastructure, and often generic articles of association. For the simplest situation that can work, but you pay later for migration or upgrades as you grow.
The package that fits.
No subscription to everything. Only what belongs to your situation.
- Package
Starter B.V.
€599 one-off + €9.99/month
For solo founders who don't expect share transactions, this is the best-fitting package. The lower monthly fee reflects that the register stays simpler.
View package
Questions that often come up here.
Answers in plain language, not legal jargon.
01Can I add co-founders or investors later?
Yes, always. Our articles of association are suitable for future share issues and transfers by default. Each transaction is a separate notarial act (€199 each) and is processed straight into the digital register. You don't need to incorporate again.
02What if I want to convert my sole proprietorship?
Then we incorporate a new BV and you can transfer the assets, contracts and goodwill of the sole proprietorship to it. There are two routes for the tax treatment: a taxable contribution (taxed as cessation profit) or a tax-free contribution (deferred tax, stricter conditions). Discuss with your accountant which route fits. We facilitate the notarial incorporation; the contribution itself is a separate act.
03Do I need a holding company?
Not necessarily from day 1. A holding company is valuable for tax at an exit (participation exemption) or when substantial profit accumulates (no box 2 tax until you distribute to yourself privately). For a typical solo founder with €100K to €200K profit a year and no exit in sight: a holding can wait. For a founder with growth ambitions or exit plans within 5 years: better to choose Pro + Holding straight away, because adding it later costs more (see the cost breakdown).
04What's the difference between Starter and Pro?
Starter is optimised for solo founders without transactions: a lower incorporation price (€599 vs €1,599) and a lower monthly fee (€9.99 vs €24.99). Pro includes up to 5 shareholders at incorporation, advanced cap table management, priority support, and is prepared for later share issues. For a true solo founder with no co-founder in sight, Starter is the logical choice.
05Which notary handles my incorporation?
Your incorporation goes to Berger Notariaat, our affiliated Dutch notary's office in Amsterdam. The notary there reviews the file and executes the deed. You get one fixed point of contact per file, no lost emails.
06Can I claim a specific company name?
During onboarding you check availability in the KvK trade register. We don't do a trademark check (for that you need to look at the Benelux Office for Intellectual Property). Until the deed is executed the name can still change; after that, a name change in the articles is a separate notarial act.
07What about minimum capital?
Since the Flex-BV Act (2012) there is no minimum capital any more. You can set up a BV with 1 cent of issued capital. In practice founders typically issue €100 to €1,000. The amount is stated in the deed of incorporation and is paid in by you (bank transfer or cash, depending on the notary).
08Does this work for me if I don't have a business address yet?
You need a registered address during incorporation. Many solo founders use their home address (allowed, and it becomes public in the KvK trade register). If you'd rather not make your home address public, you can rent a virtual office address from a provider (€20 to €60 a month). We don't arrange the office address, but you can always change it later.
09What do annual accounts and a tax return cost?
Not included with Digital Notary. A typical BV's annual accounts cost €500 to €1,500 with an accountant, plus the corporate income tax return (€300 to €500). Many solo founders can file the annual accounts themselves with simple bookkeeping software and a check by an accountant. Our monthly fee covers only the register, not the bookkeeping.
Ready to start this process?
Twenty minutes to fill in your details.
We and our notary partners take it from there. No office visit, but a genuine notarial deed at the end of the road.