The Chamber of Commerce calls on organisations to check whether their activities are correctly described in the commercial register.
SBI codes updated
The reason for this call is that many SBI codes are being updated this year. This happens (roughly) once every 15 years at European level, as business activities disappear and new ones emerge.
SBI stands for Standard Industrial Classification. The SBI codes are used for (international) reports and statistics. The Dutch SBI codes must therefore be consistent with the European ones.
From 5 to 8 September inclusive, the Chamber of Commerce will replace the current SBI code(s) with one (or more) new ones. This will be done on the basis of the activities recorded in the commercial register. Information about the SBI codes (and any changes to them) can be found on the website from Statistics Netherlands (CBS).
Risk of using the wrong SBI code
Various organisations use SBI codes in the course of their activities. For example, your SBI code may be relevant to whether you are entitled to a government grant (this became particularly clear during the coronavirus pandemic). Banks use the SBI code when assessing whether (and under what conditions) to grant financing. Insurance companies often take the SBI code into account when determining the amount of the insurance premium to be paid. Pension funds look at the SBI code, amongst other factors, to determine whether a company should join the fund.