Recruiters wanting an effective gateway to Europe where nearly 90% of the population speaks English should consider opening up a subsidiary or a branch in the Netherlands, UK recruiters heard last week at a seminar in London.

The Netherlands provides a business-friendly environment to operate in as long as recruiters remember there are significant differences in employment law and work culture, said a line-up of speakers representing the Netherlands Foreign Investment Agency and the Yellowstone and Bluestone accounting firms which work with recruiters and contractors there.

Compliance, when it comes to having the right legal and tax mechanisms in place, is a major concern for end user clients in the Netherlands because they can ultimately be held responsible if rigorous business requirements aren’t met, the audience was warned.

Among the good news: a forthcoming decrease in the corporate tax rate, from 25.5% to 25%, next year for companies turning over more than £200,000 (£175,000), the speakers said.