Are you thinking about becoming a freelancer in the construction industry? We have listed all the ins and outs for you that you, as a starting freelancer, should take into account. Think about the possible costs, the pros and cons, and the most frequently asked questions.
Literally, ZZP stands for Zelfstandige Zonder Personeel. A self-employed person is someone who, as a self-employed person with his own company, works for a boss. This self-employed person is not on the employer's payroll. In this employment contract, the employer is the principal and the self-employed person carries out the assignments.
In the past, people sometimes spoke of a freelancer or self-employed person, which is the same as a zzp.
As a self-employed person, you are no longer employed by your employer. You are self-employed, which means that you decide for yourself how much you work, what your hourly rate is and where you work. As a self-employed person, it is even possible to have several employers/clients. In the Netherlands, approximately 1.5 million people are currently working as self-employed persons.
In recent years, we have seen a sharp increase in this field. More and more people are discovering the advantages and more and more employers are open to self-employed people.
So many good reasons to start as a self-employed person!
If you are going to start as a self-employed person in the construction industry, there are additional costs involved. We have placed these costs in a handy overview for you. Some costs are self-evident, but there are also costs that are less easily taken into account. After reading this chapter, you will know exactly which costs you will have to face as a self-employed person.
Everything starts with an entry at the KVK. You cannot start a business without being registered here. You pay €65 for a registration, €50 for the registration and €15 for a physical extract. This serves as proof of registration. If, for example, you choose to start a BV, you will also have to pay a notary fee.
A business bank account is optional, but can be useful.
This allows you to keep your private and business affairs better separated. This also saves costs with regard to the accountant. With a business account, you keep things clear. Often the costs of a business account are around €10 per month.
If you are a self-employed worker in the construction industry, you have to pay various taxes to the tax authorities. You will also have to pay a small amount for the Health Insurance Act. We have made an overview for you with all the taxes you have to pay as a self-employed person.
The most important form of your tax as a self-employed person is the turnover tax. In popular speech, this is also referred to as the VAT return. VAT stands for 'value added tax', which you, as a self-employed person, pay on your turnover. Normally, you have to file this VAT declaration every quarter. Did you have to make purchases for your business? Then you may deduct the VAT charged on these purchases from your turnover tax.
If you are self-employed, you pay income tax on the profit you make. During the first year of your career as a ZZP'er, you do not pay any income tax yet. You only have to do this after one year. Your turnover from 1 January up to and including 31 December will then be looked at. The following tax year, you have to file your tax return. This is between 1 March and 1 May. You must file your tax return with the tax authorities, using the entrepreneurs' portal. Note: if you are employed, you use the private individuals portal. If you are a self-employed person, you cannot use the portal for private individuals.
Every year, every working citizen in the Netherlands contributes to the budget required for healthcare. By paying the health insurance premium, you contribute to this. As a self-employed person, you have to calculate these costs yourself. This is different from an employee who is in paid employment. In the case of an employee, this is done by the employer. As a self-employed person, you pay the healthcare insurance contribution once a year. At the moment, your contribution depends on your income and will always be between 5% and 6% per year. You will receive an assessment notice for this, which you will receive once a year. You can also pay monthly for this, but you will have to arrange this yourself with the tax authorities.
Zzp stands for: "Self-employed without staff", previously the term self-employed or freelancer was often used. Nowadays, zzp'er is more common. All 3 terms have the same meaning.
If you work in construction or engineering, it is often required that you own your own tools. Take this into account in the costs. A good starting capital will make your start as a self-employed person a lot easier.
Don't forget that your own transport also involves costs. You can claim the travel costs from your employer or pay for them yourself. Most freelancers adjust their hourly rate accordingly. In addition to the travel costs, you will also have to pay any lease costs, maintenance and tax.
Marketing tools can give your start as a self-employed person a good helping hand. After all, you are the owner of your 'company', and therefore responsible for brand awareness. Think for example of your own Facebook page, Website, or business cards etc. A corresponding house style also involves costs. Nowadays there are many possibilities to increase your brand awareness. You can either use an external party or develop the necessary skills yourself. You can find numerous tutorials on Youtube for every marketing skill you can think of.
It is wise to be in possession of various insurances as a self-employed person. As an entrepreneur, you are not automatically insured for everything you are insured for as an employee. We have listed the three most important insurances for you.
It is wise for a self-employed person to have a safety net in case of incapacity for work. In case of long-term disability, for example until retirement, the costs can be high. Up to hundreds of thousands of euros!
With a business liability insurance, you are covered for damage you cause to your client or employer. Think, for example, of a situation in which damage is caused to an electronic device through your actions. For example, a laptop that you accidentally knock over, or a virus-infected e-mail that you download into your client's network.
A legal assistance insurance for Work & Income is a good thing to have as a self-employed person. As a self-employed person, you never know in what situation you might end up with a legal conflict. With a legal assistance insurance you are covered for legal help in that case.
As a self-employed person, you can choose to make use of the fiscal old age reserve (FOR) in order to free up extra pension funds. This allows you, as a self-employed person, to deduct a part of your gross profit. You only pay tax on this later. The tax authorities impose a number of conditions to be able to use the FOR. You have to meet the 1225-hour standard per year, you have not yet reached the AOW pension age and you are an entrepreneur for the income tax.
As a self-employed person, you can opt for an annuity. You can take out an annuity at an insurer, investment fund or bank. With an annuity, you pay a fixed premium during the term of the annuity. This premium can be deducted from your box 1 income. Choosing an annuity is a nice addition to your state pension.
Investing can be an interesting option if, at the end of the day, you have money left over that you could reinvest.
With this, you can build up a nice buffer in the future, and also build up your assets.
If you want to invest, you can do so in two ways: with your permanently surplus liquid assets or temporarily surplus liquid assets.
Please note that business investment is only possible with temporary excess cash.
If you want to work as a self-employed construction worker, you need the following:
One of the advantages of becoming a self-employed worker in the construction industry is that you can arrange your own time. You are your own boss, so you decide when, where and how you do your work. This means that you can also choose when you take leave or go on holiday. As a self-employed person, you can even continue your work on holiday, or during a long trip, if possible. There are many 'digital nomads' working abroad.
In addition, as a self-employed person you have many different clients, which makes your work varied. But it also offers opportunities to expand your network. You get to know many new people and can thus expand your activities and grow in your profession. This may even lead to new assignments in the future and a higher rate.
The disadvantage of being a self-employed construction worker is often mentioned. Nowadays, however, more and more employers/clients are employing freelancers. Also, more and more tools become available to take your administration out of your hands. If you choose to work as a self-employed person with Valento, you will always have work to do and we will take care of all your administrative tasks. Are you a self-employed person or do you want to become one in the construction or technique sector? freelance contracts in the construction industry.
Zzp stands for self-employed without staff. Previously, the term self-employed or freelancer was often used. Nowadays, zzp is more common.
All these terms have the same meaning.
