How much can you earn on the side without registering with the KVK?
There is no euro threshold for earning money without a KVK registration in the Netherlands. The KVK applies three criteria instead: do you supply products or services independently, do you charge a price that earns you an income, and do you do so regularly for people other than family and friends? Meet all three and you must register, however small the turnover. Fall short, and you usually still declare the money to the Tax Administration as "income from other work".
When does side income become a business for the KVK?
The KVK's three criteria must all be met before you have a business (kvk.nl, do you need to register):
- You provide products or services independently, or are preparing to.
- You charge a price or fee that generates an income, not just cost recovery.
- You regularly supply people other than family and friends.
When in doubt, the KVK adds four questions: are you investing time or money, or hiring staff; do you work in the business regularly and for a longer period; do you have several clients or actively look for them; do you decide how, where and when you work? The more often the answer is yes, the sooner you are an entrepreneur. No turnover limit and no maximum number of jobs appear anywhere in the KVK's rules.
When is it a hobby?
A hobby, in the KVK's description, earns little or nothing, or takes a lot of time for hardly any money. Its example is a photographer who occasionally shoots for friends and only gets expenses reimbursed: a hobby, not a business. Flip the picture, with a price list, several clients found online and monthly revenue, and the same photography belongs in the Business Register. The question is never "how much may I earn" but "do I earn from it structurally and do I look for clients beyond my own circle".
How does the Dutch Tax Administration treat side income?
The Tax Administration decides separately from the KVK whether you are an entrepreneur for income tax, and distinguishes three kinds of work income: business profit, wages, and income from other work (belastingdienst.nl). Factors it weighs: whether and how much profit you make, how independent you are, whether you invest capital, how much time you spend, whether you have several clients, whether you present yourself to the market, and whether you bear business risk. Activities in the hobby or family sphere make you no entrepreneur, and structural losses or a tiny profit mean there is no source of income at all. Again, no amount is named.
| Situation | KVK registration | Income tax return |
|---|---|---|
| Occasional favours for friends, expenses only | No | Hobby: nothing to declare |
| Incidental paid work such as a guest lecture or a one-off job | No | Income from other work; costs deductible, no self-employed deduction |
| Regular paid work for clients, also next to a job | Yes | Business profit, with the self-employed deduction from 1,225 hours |
What is "income from other work"?
Income from other work is money earned by someone who is neither an entrepreneur nor an employee; the Tax Administration's examples include postal delivery, childminding, taking part in a medical study or giving a one-off lecture (belastingdienst.nl, income from other work). You declare the proceeds, may deduct some costs, but get none of the entrepreneur schemes such as the self-employed deduction. Anyone with turnover but no KVK registration reports to the Tax Administration with the form "Opgaaf Startende Onderneming" and may owe VAT without holding a KVK number.
What if you should have registered but did not?
Registration is a legal duty once you have a business. The KVK can register you after the fact and the Tax Administration can assess you as an entrepreneur for past years. In practice the pressure comes from clients and platforms: business customers want a KVK number and VAT ID on the invoice, and banks will not open a business account without registration. At €85.15 one-off (kvk.nl, 2026), tax-deductible, the barrier is low; see Registering with the KVK as an expat.
Side income next to a job, studies or a permit: what to watch
- Next to employment: check your contract's clause on side activities. Once you meet the criteria you register; the self-employed deduction (€1,200 in 2026) needs at least 1,225 hours a year.
- Turnover under €20,000 a year: the small businesses scheme (KOR) frees you from charging VAT and filing VAT returns; apply once you have your VAT ID.
- On a residence permit: check with the IND whether your permit allows self-employed work; a highly skilled migrant permit, for instance, is tied to an employer.
- On benefits: report every hour worked to the UWV; a 6-month start period with 29% less benefit exists for starting a business from unemployment.
If the side project turns into a business and you would rather not register at home, compare virtual offices in Amsterdam from €73 a month or coworking in Amsterdam from €96.