Managing an overseas company is not easy. Global entrepreneurs face basic but fundamental challenges because of their inexperience and unfamiliarity with local Company and Tax law, as well as (cultural) challenges on how to access a new market. At best these challenges can slow the business down, at worst they result in failures that have a serious negative impact on your success, or even result in personal liabilities for the board members.
At Bolder Launch we ensure that the businesses we help establish are best placed to operate and grow smoothly. As part of our commitment to providing added value to clients, we offer a unique and customized Company Officer Service that helps them run their business.
This service gives non-resident entrepreneurs an experienced Company Secretary to ensure that they satisfy all mandatory compliance responsibilities, have an authorized representative to negotiate and sign necessary service agreements on their behalf, and have someone to assist with a range of administrative duties.
With our Company Secretarial service, you’ll be free to concentrate on managing your core business priorities while we manage the day-to-day tasks.
Dedicated Corporate Secretary
Being appointed as a director also results in important (corporate) responsibilities, and therefore also potential liabilities.
Bank Account Opening
Bolder Launch has assisted hundreds of entrepreneurs to open a Dutch bank account, and has vast experience in opening merchant accounts to allow for online payments on your website.
Who Is Your Company Officer
All our appointed Company Officers are in-house Bolder Launch professionals dedicated to providing a first-class service. They have years of experience handling services and responsibilities for local European businesses, so you can be confident that you’ll always get a representative who knows what they’re doing.
Unlike other representative or secretarial services, Bolder Launch’s Company Secretary are not appointed as nominee directors. Instead they are appointed representatives with a limited Power of Attorney to act on your behalf in a specific set of circumstances. This fixed framework allows us to provide the service at an affordable flat-rate fee while ensuring the company will still be considered local.
A Proven Pathway To Success
We’ve provided Company Secretarial services to hundreds of experienced entrepreneurs in the international market with great success. When launching in a new region, businesses find that having a Company Secretaries allows them to test and operate in a local market without making large upfront investments.
Most of our clients take advantage of our Company Officers until they’re ready to invest in opening a full office with local staff.
With a fixed, annual flat-rate fee, businesses don’t have to worry about any surprises with hidden charges down the road. That’s what sets us apart from other registered agent providers who bring you in with a low formation fee and then ambush you with additional service fees.
What’s In It For Your You
Our Company Secretaries will quickly help you get your business up and running, make sure all your compliance responsibilities are met, your paperwork is in order and much more.
Satisfy Company Compliance Requirements – Keep your Company in Good Standing
Certain legal structures require a formal ‘Secretary’ for the purposes of incorporation. This is not the case when you register a Dutch branch, or incorporate a Dutch BV or NV. As a result, as a non-resident director your are responsible for company formalities, of which you might not have a full understanding. Non-compliance with Dutch regulations can result in hefty fines, or even personal liabilities.
By appointing one of our Company Officers, businesses can satisfy these requirements without needing a local nominee director, and therefore keep full control of the business.
Furthermore, there are several scenarios that are likely to happen within your corporate structure, at any stage. For example, you might want to:- Change your official (correspondence) address (as stated at the Chamber of Commerce)
- Resign/Appoint a new Director
- Transfer Shares ,or issue new capital, etc.
Our Company Officer will assist you with these, and similar situations, without extra charge (except for any third party fees or expenses).
Dealing Directly With Government Authorities
Your Company Officer can be authorized to deal directly with different government authorities. They can contact tax authorities to apply for a VAT number or social security number; deal with immigration authorities for visa applications and more.
Where required, representatives can also be granted authority to deal with the local Chamber of Commerce on behalf of your business. This makes it incredibly simple to arrange for transfer of shares, changes in directors and other organizational changes. So if traveling to the region isn’t convenient for you and where speed is of the essence meaning sending notarized documents by courier isn’t an option, a Company Officer will be your best bet.
A Dedicated Company Secretary
Bolder Launch will appoint a dedicated Company Secretary in the Netherlands, who will be available at any time, and will reply to your emails and phone calls within 1 working day. In a fast-paced economy it’s extremely important to get a fast-track service at all times, and you should not have to rely on ‘hotlines’ or ‘customer service desks’. You need somebody who knows understands your corporate structure, and knows what you are talking about. Our Company Officers manage a limited amount of companies in in their portfolio, so they can provide you the attention that your company needs.
Provide An Authentic Local Image
As the Company Secretary in the Netherlands can represent your company in different scenarios, having a Company Officer gives your business a real presence in the country. Local representation, or presence, can be very important in instances where your customers, potential partners, or even new landlord, want to ensure that your business has legitimate local substance.
Not to mention that being represented by a local who speaks the language and knows the intricacies of the business culture, your business can ensure that customers and partners legitimately view your business as a local one.
And if needed, your Company Officer can be presented as the face of your regional operations in local marketing campaigns.
Growing Your Business in the Netherlands
As your business grows, you’ll need to start thinking about expanding your team and possibly investing in real estate.
When looking for a new office, your Company Officer can take charge of finding and negotiating leases. In some instances it can be beneficial to have your representative actually sign the lease on your behalf as some landlords will be hesitant to lease to non-residents.
With their local knowledge and business experience, they’ll also be perfectly placed to take charge of creating and publicizing job posts for your business. That way you can get a head start on hiring the right talent when you’re ready.
The (First) Priorities of your Company Officer
As soon as your company has been incorporated, certain legal and tax formalities kick in. As discussed, the Company Officer will focus on:- Making sure your company remains in Good Standing at the Chamber of Commerce & Tax authorities, including corporate support ‘on demand’, such as in case of a required change of director, or other corporate changes
- Provide legal and tax advice on incidental administrative matters (not on the operational matters), such as the tax requirements on directors of the Company, how to arrange outgoing dividends, guidance on bank questionnaires or VAT application forms, etc.
- Ensure you satisfy (and are fully informed!) all mandatory legal and tax compliance requirements for your business, such as filing the annual report at the Chamber of Commerce (bookkeeping itself is a separate service), or other agencies. It also includes the preparation of the Annual General Shareholders meeting in which the Annual Report needs to be approved.
- Deal directly with relevant government authorities, such as change of (company) address; or even updating the Chamber of Commerce (at reduced rates, notary fees not included)
- Provide assistance in obtaining/maintaining a multi-entry Schengen-visa by providing business invitation letters, and dealing with the embassy when required.
The first priorities of the Company Officer are to:
- Assist with the opening of the Bank Account
- Apply for the VAT number
- Assistance in translation and processing of any (official) incoming letters at the registered office address
Bank Account Opening
Our Company Officers have facilitated in over 250 bank account openings in Netherlands, and over 500 bank account openings worldwide. And even still, each application stands on it own, and require its own approach. Banks are becoming more strict on Client Acceptance Protocols on a ongoing basis, and prefer to deal with companies with local staff, or customers, especially if you are a non- EU national.
At this stage, Bolder Launch is able to open bank accounts for Dutch companies managed by EU nationals, as well as non-EU nationals, but the outcome will vary on each specific situation.
We will inform you about the exact procedures, the considerations to be made (for example, did you know that a Dutch bank account is not legally required?), and can inform you on the possibilities of working with a non-Dutch bank, or with a payment service provider instead, until your company gets a local presence in any kind.
We can’t guarantee the outcome of each application, but we can guarantee the best possible service you can get in Netherlands, as well as fair management of your expectations.
VAT Number
The application of a VAT number might be an important requirement for your company. Especially if your company is involved in import of goods, or sales of goods within Europe.
Bolder Launch has assisted in the application of (non-resident) VAT numbers for more than 200 non-resident companies, and our Company Officers are familiar with art. 23 exemptions (on VAT), EORI number applications, and can connect you to Indirect Tax experts when necessary.
We can inform you upfront about the exact procedure concerning the VAT number, based on your specific situation.
