How do I change a VOF into a new VOF?

Please note: do not deregister your VOF separately if you want to change it to a new VOF. If you do this, your existing contracts may be terminated. Think, for example, of your business bank account and insurance policies. Also, the history from the Business Register will not be included in the new VOF. This could affect, for example, applying for loans from the bank or subsidies from the government.

Which forms do I need for registration?

Download the forms and complete them. Each form states who is authorised to sign it and what additional evidence you need.

• Form 17: Registet the dissolution of a VOF, CV, maatschap, or rederij.
• All partners sign at 2.1.
• At 3.1, tick 'no'.
• At 3.2, enter the date of the continuation and the details of the new owner.
• Form 2: Registering a VOF or CV. At 1.1, indicate that this is a continuation of a business.
• Form 10: Registering partners of a VOF or CV.

How you register the UBOs depends on how you report the change to KVK.

How do I report the change to KVK?

There are 2 situations in which you may send the forms by post. Do these not apply to you? Then make an appointment at a KVK office.

By post

You may send the forms by post if:

1. You are a partner in the current VOF and you will become a partner in the new VOF. And you visited a KVK office after 1 March 2002 to identify yourself in person.
2. You are becoming a partner in the new VOF that is registering as an organisation (such as a BV, CV, coöperatie (cooperative), stichting (foundation), or maatschap (professional partnership)).

In that case, send the completed forms and proof by post to KVK.

Sometimes you will need to make additional arrangements for your situation. For example, for your staff or your permits. We have listed everything you need to consider.

Follow-up steps

• See how long it takes for the change to appear in the Business Register. You will not receive updates in between.
• You will receive confirmation of registration by post at the visiting address of the new VOF. This is also where we send the invoice for the registration fee.
• After registration, you can request a certified extract from the Business Register. You can use this as proof of registration.

Make an appointment

Then make an appointment to visit KVK. You do this by logging in with DigiD at the bottom of this page.

• You can make an appointment at any KVK office.

• Bring valid proof of identity with you, plus the completed forms and proof. After making your appointment, you will receive an email with an overview of what you need to bring.

• You pay a registration fee for the registration of a new company or organisation.

• You can immediately request a certified extract from the Business Register. You can use this as proof of registration.

What else do I need to consider?

The cooperation contract is no longer valid

Does the VOF have a cooperation contract? And are the agreements of this set out in the Business Register? Then these are no longer valid from the start date of the new VOF. Are you drawing up a new VOF agreement? If so, bring this agreement with you to your appointment. Or send it by post to KVK, together with the completed forms and supporting documents.

UBOs are deregistered

We deregister the original VOF's UBOs. You do not have to do anything for that. However, you must register the new UBOs before the new VOF begins. UBOs are the ultimate owners of an organisation. Or the people who are ultimately authorised to make decisions. An organisation can have multiple UBOs. Decide together with the partners who these are. We will not register the VOF without this information.  

• Are you making an appointment with KVK? Then the KVK employee will register the details of the UBOs in the UBO register.
• Are you registering by post? Then also complete Form 32: Registration of UBOs and send it along with the other forms and documents.

Liability

As a partner, you are liable for everything you do in your VOF. Even if another partner is responsible for causing these debts.

Start date

Is this in the future? Then you can already inform us of the change now. You will only see the changes from this date in My KVK.

Secondary establishment(s)

Is there a secondary establishment, such as another office or shop? These must then be re-registered with the new VOF. Use Form 9: Registering a business establishment. Bring this form to the appointment. Or send it together with the other forms and documents to KVK by post.

Authorised representatives

Is there an authorised representative? They must be registered (again) with the new VOF.

• Is the authorised representative a person? Then they must come to the appointment with a valid proof of identity.  
• Is the authorised person an organisation? Use Form 13: Registering an authorised person or authorised commercial agent. Send it, together with the completed forms and proof, by post to KVK. Or bring the completed form with you to your appointment. 

KVK number and VAT number

After changing your legal structure, you will always receive a new KVK number and VAT ID number. We will report this change to the Netherlands Tax Administration. You do not need to do anything for this.

Staff

If you have staff, the payroll tax number will also change. Read what you need to do for this on the website of the Tax Administration.

Changing contracts

Check whether you need to amend any existing contracts for your VOF after the takeover. These could include rental and maintenance contracts, a business bank account, and insurance policies.

Check permits

Permits are often no longer valid if the legal structure of your business changes. You may need to reapply for permits. This can sometimes take weeks and often costs money. Discuss any questions you may have about this with the municipality or the KVK Advice Team.

More information

You will find more information on transferring a company in the articles Final tax return when closing down, selling, or inheriting a business and A guide to changing your business structure on Business.gov.nl.