Working as a freelancer

When you set up your own business you have to deal with a number of issues which are relevant for every new entrepreneur. For more information see the section setting up your own business.

The terms 'freelance' and 'zzp' ('zelfstandige zonder personeel' or self-employed without staff) are used interchangeably with little difference between the two. When this site talks about 'freelancers' the term automatically also refers to 'zzps'.

More and more people are working as freelancers. While freelance work used to be associated with journalists and photographers for example, these days freelancers also work in sectors such as construction and IT. If you go freelance, you should pay extra attention to your situation, because the term 'freelancer' is not a definition recognized by law. Freelancers operate somewhere in between being self-employed and being in paid employment.

Your freelance situation is defined on the basis of a number of factors: