Do you need a Chamber of Commerce number to sell tickets?

Updated on 10 September 2026.

To sell tickets through Tickable you do not need a KVK number from the Netherlands Chamber of Commerce. You can sell as an individual, an association, a foundation or a company. Whether you have to register with the KVK is a different question, and the answer depends on who you are and what you do.

In practice that question gets mixed up with two others: whether you are an entrepreneur for income tax, and whether you have to charge VAT on your tickets. Those are three separate tests, at two different authorities, each with its own rules.

1. Do you need to be in the Business Register?

For the KVK it depends first on your legal form.

• A foundation (stichting) or an association with full legal capacity (with articles drawn up by a notary) is always in the Business Register, whether it sells tickets or not.
• An association with limited legal capacity (without notarial articles, like many neighbourhood associations, festival committees and choirs) does not have to register as long as it does not run a business. It may register, and that limits the personal liability of the board.
• An individual only registers if there is a business. According to the KVK you are an entrepreneur if you independently supply goods or services to others with the intention of making a profit.

No fixed threshold in hours or turnover is given there; the whole picture is assessed. A one-off party for friends and acquaintances is not a business. Someone who organises a series of paid events every year, aiming to make something from them, probably has one.

If you have to register, you can do so from one week before until one week after you start. Anyone who should have registered and has not is in breach of the Business Register Act (Handelsregisterwet); register as soon as possible.

2. Are you an entrepreneur for income tax?

This is the test of the Belastingdienst, the Dutch Tax Administration, and it does not look at your KVK registration but at what you actually do. For an individual there are three outcomes:

• Business profit. You are an entrepreneur for income tax. You pay tax on your profit and, if you meet the conditions, can use schemes such as the self-employed deduction and the SME profit exemption.
• Income from other activities (resultaat uit overige werkzaamheden). You earn something on the side, but there is no business. You pay income tax and a health insurance contribution on the difference between your income and your deductible costs. The entrepreneur deductions do not apply. You do not have to keep formal accounts, but you must be able to show your figures if the Belastingdienst asks.
• Neither. A one-off event where the takings just cover the costs usually produces nothing taxable.

An earlier version of this article mentioned an amount you could earn tax-free. That was wrong: there is no fixed amount. Whether you pay tax on side income depends on your total income and your tax credits.

A foundation or association does not pay income tax. If it runs a business, it may owe corporate income tax; small profits are often exempt. Check this for your own organisation with the Belastingdienst.

3. Do you charge VAT on your tickets?

VAT has a test of its own. For VAT you are an entrepreneur if you regularly supply goods or services for payment. Whether you want to make a profit does not matter, and even an annual concert can count as regular. An association that has no business for the KVK may therefore still have to charge VAT.

There are routes to avoid that, such as the small business scheme (KOR) for turnover under €20,000 a year and the exemption for fundraising activities. Which rate applies and when you charge no VAT at all is explained in VAT on event tickets (in Dutch).

What this means for your situation

The table is a rule of thumb, not a ruling on your case. If you are close to a line, put your situation to the KVK or the Belastingdienst before you open sales.

What Tickable asks of you

Tickable does not ask for a KVK number. You create an account, set up your event and start selling, as an individual or on behalf of an organisation. Whether you must register and how you handle tax and VAT is a judgement that sits with you; the tests above help you make it.

Frequently asked questions

Can I sell tickets through Tickable without a KVK number?

Yes. Tickable does not ask for a KVK number, so you can sell as an individual or as an association without registering.

Does our association need to register with the KVK?

An association with notarial articles is always in the Business Register. One without notarial articles does not have to be as long as it runs no business, but registering does limit the board's liability.

How much can I earn tax-free from ticket sales?

There is no fixed amount. Whether you pay tax on your takings depends on your total income, your tax credits and the costs set against it.

Is a one-off event a business?

Usually not. The KVK looks at whether you independently supply goods or services to others with a profit motive, and a single occasion rarely meets that. For VAT it can be different: there, regularity counts, not profit.

What if I should have registered but did not?

Then you are in breach of the Business Register Act. Register as soon as you realise it is needed.

This article is an overview, not legal or tax advice. If you are unsure about your own situation, check with the KVK, the Belastingdienst or your accountant.

Sources: KVK, registering an association or foundation · KVK, association with limited legal capacity · Ondernemersplein, registering in the Business Register · Belastingdienst, income from other work