Hilfort insight blog

There's a moment almost every expat in the Netherlands faces. It doesn't happen during the house hunt, or while adjusting to the Dutch weather, or even in the first week of work. It happens when a blue envelop from the Dutch tax authorities (Belastingdienst) lands in the mailbox. It looks like a normal letter, official polite, and very very Dutch. But it;s filled with tax matters that can leave most of the expats feeling overwhelmed.

Hiring employees in the Netherlands can be complex, especially with local tax rules, labor law, and social security obligations. That’s why many companies turn to payroll services—a form of outsourcing where a payroll company becomes the legal employer, while your business remains in charge of daily operations and team management. This approach, also known as payroll outsourcing or payroll administration, is gaining traction with Dutch and international companies alike. Whether you're hiring in the Netherlands or across multiple countries, a reliable payroll solution can streamline operations and ensure legal compliance.

Being an expat means moving to a country where language doesn't come naturally, the food tastes different, and the culture feels completely new. Everyday things that felt simple back home, like renting a place to live, signing a work contract, or understanding tax forms, become challenges when you don't have proper expat legal advice and assistance. But these challenges don’t stop there. As an international especially the legal system can feel unfamiliar and complex, if you didn’t grow up with it. That's why expat legal advice and services can help expats like you undertstand how those laws and jurisdictions affect your situation and what the consequences might be.

Every now and then, you meet someone whose story sticks with you. Not because it's dramatic, but because it's real, filled with challenges, growth, and resilience. That’s how I felt when I heard about Shivraj Sharma’s journey. Originally from India, Shivraj has been working in environmental auditing and greenhouse gas (GHG) accounting for over two decades. When his role expanded, his presence was needed in the Netherlands. He was hesitant to leave the life he’d built, but sometimes life has other plans. Shivraj moved to the Netherlands with his wife and son in June 2023. “Usually, I’ve seen people move to the Netherlands for a new job. In my case, the job moved me here. I didn’t want to come at first. I had my home, my routine, my community. I was settled in India.”

Over the last few months, we've looked at the payroll process from all angles: how it works, how HR and payroll are connected, and even what your Dutch payslip actually says. But as we wrap our heads around the basics, it's time to take a big step toward understanding an automated payroll system. Gone are the days of manually copying data between spreadsheets or double-checking payroll taxes line by line. Payroll is evolving, and it's not just a tech upgrade but a shift in how companies think about time, trust, efficiency, and reliability. It demonstrates the benefits of improved payroll processes through automation, including real-time data processing, which enhances decision-making.

Every end of the month, there's this quiet moment, maybe a few seconds long, maybe a little longer, where you see that notification, email, or digital nudge: your salary has been paid, reflecting the calculations done by hr. You open it, glance at the salary that hits your bank account, and if you're like most people, you feel a brief sense of satisfaction.

As your business grows, so do the responsibilities of the team: hiring new talent, making sure salaries are right, handling contracts, and answering endless employee questions. That’s the reality for HR and payroll teams. They’re the behind-the-scenes departments that keep a company running smoothly, yet they’re often seen as separate worlds. In reality, they’re more like two puzzle pieces: different shapes, but incomplete without each other.

We have spent the past few months writing blogs on topics like 30% ruling, recognised sponsors, salary thresholds, and visa requirements. However, all these topics are connected to one central concept: The Dutch highly skilled migrant scheme. A highly skilled migrant Netherlands, also known as a knowledge migrant, is an employee from outside the EU who comes to the Netherlands for a specialised, high-demand job. These skilled migrants apply to work in the Netherlands, usually in the field of technology, engineering, finance, healthcare, and research. The goal? To bring expertise that is not readily available in the Dutch labor market. But how do the 30% ruling, recognised sponsors, and salary thresholds fit into the picture for highly skilled migrants? Here’s an overview:

In today’s global market, it’s becoming more and more common to receive CVs from foreigners. If they’re from a country within the European Union, you can hire them without any trouble. But what if they’re from Asia? From North America? It suddenly becomes much more complicated to hire them. Even though they might be the best fit for you and your company, you might pass on them because of the difficulties that come with hiring from abroad. This scenario is all too common for Dutch businesses trying to remain competitive in a global market. The highly skilled migrant visa (HSM visa) is the answer to these challenges. It connects companies with highly skilled migrants around the world by breaking down the barriers for employers and providing new opportunities for employees. In this blog, we’ll take you down the path of the HSM visa. By the end, we’re confident you’ll have another look at the international CVs you would normally cast aside.