Selling through Bol without a Chamber of Commerce: is it at all possible?

Perhaps you have already read up on it and would like to start selling through Bol.com. After all, you can make a nice penny, but don’t want to give up everything for it just yet.

In that case, you may be asking yourself if you can sell through Bol without a Chamber of Commerce registration. Indeed, registering yourself with the Chamber of Commerce can be a barrier to starting to sell on Bol.com

So we get questions about it regularly and are going to tell you all about it on this page. In fact, there are some conditions when you want to register yourself as a business seller on Bol.com.

Can I sell on Bol without a KVK registration?

To get right to the point, we can tell you that it is not possible to sell on Bol without a KVK registration. This is simply because you make sales on Bol.com as a seller.

You will have to pay sales tax on this turnover and eventually income tax on the profit. As a private individual, it is not possible to pay sales tax so a Chamber of Commerce registration is mandatory.

When you register yourself at the KVK (Chamber of Commerce) you will receive a KVK number and a Dutch VAT number. The Chamber of Commerce number shows that your company is officially registered in the commercial register, while the VAT number serves to identify a VAT-registered entrepreneur.

You need both the Chamber of Commerce number and VAT number to sell products through Bol.com. Moreover, you also need to provide such company information when you register yourself as a seller.

Why do you need a KVK registration to sell through Bol.com?

When you start selling products through Bol.com, you start a business by law. Indeed, the purpose of sales is to make a profit by netting a profit margin on top of the purchase price of the products.

To start a business in the Netherlands, you must have a KVK number. This will therefore require registration with the Chamber of Commerce.

You will then also receive a VAT number that makes you liable to pay sales tax as a Dutch entrepreneur. However, you may also reclaim VAT on business expenses.

What business information do you need to sell through Bol?

To sell through Bol, you need a Chamber of Commerce and VAT number. When registering as a business seller, such company information is requested by the Bol.com.

Without this information, it is not possible to open a business sales account. Registration with the Chamber of Commerce will therefore be necessary to sell through Bol.com at all.

What other data do you need?

In addition to company information, such as the Chamber of Commerce and VAT number, you need other information to open a business sales account on Bol. In addition, you must also meet some conditions. Check out the checklist below to see if you are already ready to start selling through Bol.com:

• Are your account details correct and up-to-date?
• Do you already have experience selling in both the Netherlands and Belgium?
• Want to link your own sales system to your bol.com sales account?
• Would the offer you have be suitable for the platform?
• Do you have the required sales rights for your items?
• Are the EAN and/or ISBN codes you are using correct?

Can I sell as an individual on Bol.com?

Since it is not possible to sell on Bol.com without KVK registration, we also regularly receive questions about selling privately on Bol.com.

In 2007, Bol.com launched a program that allowed individuals to sell products through the platform. Consider products such as used (school) books, DVDs, CDs, LPs and Blu-ray movies and series.

Bol.com’s program was a great service for individuals to sell books, movies and music through the platform, but came to an end as of May 3, 2021.

Although Bol.com has discontinued its private sales program, it is still possible to sell such products. However, this should then be done through a business sales account.

Why did Bol.com stop private sales?

The reason Bol.com stopped selling used products privately is the rapid development of business sales through the platform. In fact, today more than 60% of the offerings are sold by Bol’s business sales partners.

Since private and business sellers have different requirements in terms of functionalities within the sales account, Bol.com has decided to focus only on offering business sales options.

Register with the Chamber of Commerce to sell through Bol.com

Despite the fact that you cannot sell through Bol without a KVK registration,you may still want to go ahead. In that case, you will have to register your company with the Chamber of Commerce (KVK).

To register with the Chamber of Commerce, you will first have to come up with a business name and choose a legal form. Most businesses often start as sole proprietorships or general partnerships.

Then you can make an appointment online at the Chamber of Commerce. Then you go by an office of the Chamber of Commerce to complete the registration. For this you pay a one-time fee of €50.

After a few days you will receive a KVK number and Dutch VAT number. From then on, you can open a business sales account on Bol.com. Need more help registering with the Chamber of Commerce? Then click on the link!

Start selling through different sales channels

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Would you like to discover more about the functionalities of e-tailize? Then you can schedule a demo with one of our “Growth Experts. Together we can discuss how e-tailize can add value to your business.