Utrecht, December 15, 2025 – In the third quarter of 2025, 38,268 entrepreneurs stopped their business, according to new figures from the Chamber of Commerce (KVK). Are you also planning to stop your business soon? For example, because you are going back to paid employment? Don’t forget to arrange a number of things. You can read what these are below.
When you started your business, you had a lot to deal with. It’s the same with quitting. Anyone who stops doing business must take several steps to close this chapter properly. The correct order is important. For example, many entrepreneurs think that they must first deregister from the Chamber of Commerce, but that is actually one of the last steps. Are you doing this too early? Then you can no longer complete important matters properly.
Step 1: Arrange financial matters
Before you deregister from the Chamber of Commerce, you must first complete your financial affairs properly. For example, what do you do with your company assets, such as a laptop, stock or company car? You can sell company assets, keep them for yourself or get rid of them. If you keep them yourself and take them over privately, you may owe VAT on them. The value also counts towards the strike profit.
Other financial matters to arrange include your pension and old age provision. Also check whether you are entitled to benefits. And don’t forget to take out your business bank account and insurance. “But don’t close your business account too early”says Christiaan Hazelaar, business advisor at KVK. “After deregistration, you can sometimes no longer access it, even though you still need the account for the last payments. Have they been made? Then close your account and pass on your new account number to, for example, the tax authorities.”
Step 2: Deregister from the Chamber of Commerce
Step 2 is deregistration from the Chamber of Commerce. How you do this depends on your legal form. Do you have a sole proprietorship? Then you can easily arrange deregistration online via kvk.nl. Please note: some entrepreneurs with a sole proprietorship are not registered with the Chamber of Commerce, but do file a tax return as an entrepreneur. In that case, you report the discontinuation of your business by letter or email My Tax Authorities Business. Do you have a BV? Then you must first dissolve and liquidate your BV. You then send a final balance to the Tax Authorities. In all cases: keep your administration for at least 7 years. For real estate this is 10 years.
Step 3: Complete tax matters
Chamber of Commerce will pass on your deregistration to the Tax Authorities. It may take a while before the tax authorities have deregistered you as an entrepreneur and you receive a confirmation letter about the expiration of your VAT number. Have you received a message from the Tax Authorities to file a tax return? Then you have to file that declaration. Even if you had no turnover.
Another point of attention is declaring your discontinuation profit in the last income tax return. The discontinuation profit is the difference between the book value of your company and the actual value at the time of discontinuation. In addition, the discontinuation profit also includes the tax reserves that are released if you stop.
Melvin Kerr, account manager at the Tax Authorities: “We know from experience that this is quite complicated for entrepreneurs. Therefore, have this calculated carefully by an advisor or accountant. This way you know exactly where you stand.”
Learn more about quitting
For more information, see www.taxdienst.nl/stop. There you will also find useful links, for example to the Chamber of Commerce’s Stopping a Company checklist. Would you like to speak to an employee? Then call the Tax Line (0800 – 0543) for questions about your taxes or the Chamber of Commerce advisory team (088 – 585 22 22).
Or watch the webinar from the Tax Authorities and the Chamber of Commerce about “stopping entrepreneurship”. Belastingdienst.nl/stop.
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