Solving financial problems

Seek help and advice

Contact your municipality

The municipality where you live can help and advise you with your financial problems. It does not matter whether you have recently started having concerns about your finances or are already in debt. The municipality is there to help you find a solution. Find your municipality (in Dutch) and contact them directly.

Get free advice from Geldfit

Geldfit (in Dutch) gives you free tips and information about money in your situation. You get tailored advice or Geldfit puts you in touch with an expert who will work with you to find a solution. You can contact them anonymously. Geldfit does not store your data. So you are not tied to anything. Geldfit cooperates a lot with municipalities, businesses, and aid organisations. Call 0800-8115.

Get tailor-made advice from the KVK Advice Team

Call the advisors from the KVK Advice Team. These are experienced people who talk to entrepreneurs facing financial problems every day. They will think with you about the steps you can take. How to solve debts or how to deal with a drop in your turnover. In addition to advice, they will refer you to organisations in the KVK network. Call on 088-5852222.

Tax debts? Contact the Netherlands Tax Administration

Request deferment of payment of your taxes

Are you unable to pay your taxes on time? If so, contact the Netherlands Tax Administration immediately via the Tax Information Line on 0800-0543. The longer you wait, the higher the penalty may become. You may then be able to get a short-term postponement of payment (in Dutch). Or make a payment arrangement (in Dutch). Conditions (in Dutch) apply to this. You must also continue to file your tax returns.

Are you behind with your bills? Make arrangements

Fixed costs are costs you pay every month. For example for rent, energy, water, and insurance. Are you no longer able to pay your fixed costs? And can you no longer make agreements with your creditors or meet them? Then you have several options to solve these debts:

Apply for a debt settlement

Can you no longer pay your fixed expenses due to debts? Then you may be able to arrange a debt settlement. There are 2 types of debt arrangements:

1. A voluntary arrangement

In a voluntary arrangement, the municipality tries to settle your debts with all your creditors. Your creditors must then cooperate voluntarily in this debt settlement. The municipality may also engage a debt relief worker for this purpose. The voluntary arrangement is also called the amicable debt arrangement (Msnp).

2. A statutory arrangement

If the voluntary arrangement fails, you can request admission to statutory debt rescheduling through the courts. You are also eligible if a creditor files for bankruptcy. This arrangement is called the Natural Persons Debt Rescheduling Act (Wsnp).

Read more about the conditions and contact your municipality.

Apply for a suspension of payment

Are you temporarily unable to pay your debts? You can apply to the court for a suspension of payment (surseance van betaling, in Dutch). You get a suspension of payment for up to 1.5 years. During this period, you get a break for existing payment arrangements and can try to resolve the debts. You avoid bankruptcy this way.

Make an arrangement through the WHOA

Is your business threatened with bankruptcy? Through the WHOA (Court Approval of a Private Composition (Prevention of Insolvency) Act), you can make arrangements with your creditors. And have them approved by a judge. You can then avoid bankruptcy. The use of the WHOA is subject to conditions.