In this video, we explain in a few steps how to starting a business with an occupational disability.

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Business.gov.nl
Information for entrepreneurs.
Step-by-step plan to starting a business with an occupational disability.

Host Claire King:

Are you disabled or do you have an occupational disability?
If you want to start a business, you can do so while still receiving benefits.
In this video, I'll take you step by step through what you need to know and arrange.

Let's start with step one: Prepare.

Discuss your plans with UWV.
Are you receiving benefits from the employee insurance agency UWV?
If so, first discuss your plans to start a business with a UWV employment expert.
Together you will look at what is possible and agree about your next steps and the conditions such as the consequences for your benefit.

Research the viability of your plan.
Ask your work advisor or employment expert whether you can make use of the UWV provision for a research period of six weeks to investigate whether your plan has a chance of success.
Make a business plan during this time to help you with this.
The plan will also help you calculate how much money you need to start up.
You do not have to apply for jobs during the research period and you keep your benefit.
Are you offered a job during the research period?
Then decide together with your employment expert what is best.
Take the job or continue with your business plan.

Decide whether or not you want to start as an entrepreneur.
Discuss the outcome of your research with your employment expert.
Decide whether or not to start your own business.
Do you decide it is not for you after all?
Then nothing will change.
You will continue to receive your current sickness WAO, WAZ, Wajong or WIA benefit and have the same rights and responsibilities as before the examination period.

Check whether you can get financial help.
Are you starting your own business and do you need money?
And can't you borrow money through a bank, for example?
Then the UWV can help you with a loan or with allowances for disability aids.
Go to uwv.nl for more information on loans and allowances.

Now onto step two: Register.

Register at KVK.
First, choose your legal structure and come up with a company name.
The legal structure of your business determines, amongst other things whether you are privately liable or not. And which taxes you must pay.
You register your business with KVK by first completing the registration form online at kvk.nl
and making an appointment at a KVK office.
After your registration, KVK will pass on your details to the Netherlands Tax Administration.
You will then receive your VAT number and VAT identification number.

Next step three: Laws and regulations.

Apply for tax relief for new companies in the event of disability.
Like other starters, you can get tax relief for new companies.
You then pay less income tax because you can deduct a fixed amount from your profit.
Normally, entrepreneurs must spend a minimum of 1225 hours a year on their business to qualify.
This is called the hours criterion.
Because you have a disability a lower hours criterion applies to you.
Do you spend at least 800 hours a year on your business?
Then you can get tax relief for new companies with an occupational disability.
Make sure you keep good records of your hours for the Tax Administration.

Report your income to UWV and the Netherlands Tax Administration.
As soon as you earn money with your own business your benefit will be affected.
So you must report your income to UWV.
For example, do you receive a WIA benefit and do you make a profit from your business?
If so, this income will be deducted from your WIA benefit.

You will then receive less or no benefit.
You must also report your income to the Netherlands Tax Administration.
UWV and the Tax Administration will later compare what you have reported.
Each year UWV determines your benefit for the previous year using the figures they receive from the Tax Administration.

Did you receive too much?
Then you pay back the overpayment immediately.
Did you receive too little?
Then you will receive the amount still owing as soon as possible.

Now the last step: Things to watch out for.

Comply with your benefit responsibilities.
Are you still receiving benefits as an entrepreneur?
If so, you must still comply with the conditions.
The UWV determines whether you are still entitled to a benefit, the amount and for how long.
Be sure to check the conditions for your benefit.

Ask for a supplement to your income.
Are you earning less income than before you had your own business?
And are you entitled to a higher income according to UWV?
Then you can get an additional benefit to partly make up for your lower income.
This is called income supplementation.
Apply for it within six months of the end of the financial year in which you started.

Ending your business.
Do you decide to stop?
Then you must take a number of measures so that it is clear to UWV that you have ended the business.
One. Take your businesses website offline.
Two. Stop advertising your business.
Three. Discontinue your business insurance policies.
And four. Deregister from KVK.
Then tell your UWV employment expert that you have stopped and ask whether you are still entitled to your old disability benefit.

Follow these steps to discover what you need to do to start your own business, and what this will mean for you.
Want to know more? Visit Business.gov.nl.

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Business.gov.nl 
Information for entrepreneurs.