Dutch self-employed registrations rise 3% despite tougher enforcement

The number of people registered as self-employed in the Netherlands rose by 3% from the start of 2025 to early October, despite tougher enforcement against false self-employment, the Chamber of Commerce (KVK) says. More than 1.8 million sole proprietorships were on the business register, about 50,000 more than at the start of the year.

The KVK says the increase was concentrated in sectors requiring specialist knowledge, including IT, business services and education. In healthcare and social welfare, the number of self-employed people fell in several municipalities. Rotterdam recorded a decline of 1,451 in those sectors, The Hague 996 and Arnhem 333.

The Netherlands Tax Administration began full enforcement of rules against false self-employment on 1 January 2025. The rules are intended to stop companies hiring people as self-employed contractors when they should be treated as employees.

The KVK figures differ from an analysis published last month by the Dutch central bank, which found that the number of self-employed people had fallen over the period. The difference reflects how the two organisations count: the bank excludes people who also have salaried jobs, while the KVK counts registrations in the business register.

The government is working on a proposed Self-Employed Persons Act intended to clarify when someone can work as a contractor. It is planned to take effect in 2028, but still requires approval from both houses of parliament.