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0 pointstluyben27y ago0 comments

Netherlands has a lot of issues, but setting up a company is not one of them. And taxes are high, but as a company they are good on an EU scale (and going down) and far easier to deal with than in, say, Spain.

I have no clue what you are talking about with those products though; that's the case in many countries. In the south of Spain I pay more for a fridge or a bath than if I import them from the Netherlands. NL is an expensive country for some things. In the US you can get Bengay cream (i have no idea what that is by the way) for 5.84 but university and healthcare can bankrupt you. Give me NL every day as long as that lasts; these consumer products are not fundamentals while education and healthcare are imho.

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owenversteeg7y ago

It upsets me that this is the highest comment below my post because you completely missed my point.

I specifically said that I prefer the Dutch way in general, and that I don't mind paying higher taxes to support this. Hell, I live here, I hold a Dutch passport, and I vote for the related causes.

However, what I hate is certain aspects of the regulatory environment that choke out startups. That has nothing to do with healthcare or education but rather to do with very restrictive EU + Dutch laws.

Making it difficult to start a business makes the incumbents more powerful, and the incumbents already have high prices and limited selection here in the Netherlands.

[partially copied from a comment of mine below]

Starting a company here in the Netherlands is quite difficult. It involves compliance with every law related to your business, hiring employees, purchasing services for the business, etc etc. All of these things are more onerous, expensive and difficult here.

I've been involved with many startups on both sides of the ocean. In America (for better or worse) you get up and go. In Europe, simple things like creating a contract and paying someone are way more difficult and the barriers are much higher. Everything from the address you register your business at to protecting yourself legally is an issue.

It's difficult to explain exactly how debilitating the regulatory environment is to someone who hasn't experienced it firsthand. Startups are fragile. Many companies that are now unicorns were at some point on the brink of collapse for a good bit of their early life. Just one trigger can kill a startup, and additional regulations can be that trigger.

Sure, there are other things crippling innovation in Europe: a total lack of venture capital and fewer "temporarily embarrassed millionaires" play a big part.

tluyben2OP7y ago

I agree with you on most these things, I just think I misunderstood the ‘rant’ about the more expensive goods.

And yes, some parts of starting companies can be hard, thats what you have an accountant for who does that. Doing it yourself is madness in most/all of Europe I think. Might be easier in the US but I do think many of these think help rather that stifle (I like that you cannot hire/fire people on a whim for instance), however I agree it usually goes too far. And in that regard NL is still one of the easiest; ES, FR, DE are all far worse. Bureaucracy went a few levels beyond there.

I too had companies in a bunch countries, but not the US, and found Spain the hardest and the UK the easiest. HK in between. But after you opened a company and have the employees, I prefer the Netherlands. The tax actually seem to be willing to help you (had many company tax audits over the past 25 years in different countries and different companies and the NL ones seem to be by far the most relaxed).

But sorry for the misunderstanding (still think the product rant was a bit off on this topic as it probably is really not related), and I agree with you. But what is the solution. I would hate to see the NL/EU turn into the US (as it is now) and most of the fixes that countries try are incentives that usually make the rich richer, get companies in power etc. The end game there is bad for humanity in my opinion. But maybe you have actual solutions in mind without (those) sideeffects. In which case; ga in de politiek alsjeblieft!

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