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Hilfort insight blog

Your go-to resource for industry knowledge, expert tips, and the latest updates. Dive into a wealth of information as we share valuable insights on payroll, consultancy, and more. Stay informed, stay ahead with Hilfort.

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|Legislation

The connection between HR and payroll

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.
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|Legislation

Highly skilled migrants in the Netherlands

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:
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Highly skilled migrant visa in the Netherlands

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.
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Expat Life in the Netherlands: A Conversation with Karsh Patel

In today’s world, we often find ourselves digging through piles and piles of data and forget to look up and see the person sitting across from us. At Hilfort, we look at the person first and the data second. So, to better understand the service we offer from another perspective, we sat down with one of the expats using our employment of record services. Meet Karsh Patel, an expat from India who has been living in the Netherlands for the past five years.
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|Legislation

Highly skilled migrant salary 2025: What you need to know

In a world that’s more connected than ever, the Netherlands has been a magnet for international talent. For those trying to build their careers or employers who have been looking to hire global talent, the Highly skilled Migrant Scheme (HSM) has remained one of the most popular way to work or to hire in the Netherlands. However, like everything else, some rules and conditions must be met and one of the most important one is meeting the annual salary thresholds set by the IND (Immigration and Naturalisation Service).
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|Legislation

What a recognised sponsor can do for your team

In today’s competative job market, finding the right candidate sometimes means looking beyond the borders of the Netherlands and the European Union. But Dutch law makes it so that many companies are unable to hire the perfect candidate when they’re from a country like the United States of America or India. Only companies labeled by the Dutch immigration services as a recognised sponsor are allowed to hire these types of candidates. Being a recognised sponsor with the Dutch Immigration and Naturalisation Service (IND) allows companies to hire skilled foreign nationals while simplifying the visa, work permit, and application procedures.
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|Legislation

The 30% tax ruling in the Netherlands: A benefit for expats

Moving to a new country can be a real challenge. The 30% tax ruling makes it a bit easier for expats coming to the Netherlands. This tax advantage helps to save on the extra costs of living and working abroad. In simple terms, your employer can compensate your so-called ‘extraterritorial costs’ tax-free. The option to apply for the ruling makes the Netherlands an attractive destination for skilled professionals who are interested in a tax-free allowance and it also helps to develop Dutch labour market. Let’s talk about the 30% ruling: when it’s applicable, how it works, and how you can benefit from it.
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|Legislation

From 30% ruling to (20)27% ruling

Recently, we published a post on LinkedIn about the changes regarding the 30% ruling that were expected to be announced on Prinsjesdag (Budget Day). Our expectations, which you can read about in part 1, were confirmed. However, that doesn’t mean that a new law came into existence, that still requires extensive voting. We do expect these changes to the 30% ruling to make it through the voting and be implemented in the next few years, possibly with some minor adjustments here and there.
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Dutch employment law for expats

Renowned for its progressive labor laws, the Netherlands sets a global benchmark for worker rights, balancing economic growth with social welfare. At the heart of its employment philosophy lies a commitment to fairness, work-life balance, and inclusitivity. This makes employment in the Netherlands highly desirable.
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