What is a STAK?

A Stichting Administratiekantoor ( STAK ) is an entity that is increasingly used in the Netherlands to organize employee participation. However, that is not the only reason to choose a STAK. Anyone who sets one up can also guarantee anonymity and protect their company against a hostile takeover.

Why and how do you set up a STAK?

With a STAK, you provide certificates to your best employees, which entitle them to the profits in your company. To set up the STAK, you have to go to the notary once. Because there is no transfer of the legal ownership of the shares, repeated visits to the notary are not necessary. This saves you around €650 with each transfer. Let's be honest: that's nice. 

In addition, the question must be answered who may exercise which voting rights and how decisions about this should be made. Furthermore, it is fiscally not useful to have the STAK own shares on which no certificates have been issued. Simply because the STAK then suddenly has assets that must be declared to the Tax Authorities. 

What are the benefits of having a STAK?

There are advantages in terms of easy trading of certificates and separation of voting rights and economic rights. The STAK also takes an individual position between shareholders. It is rightly a quite practical 'instrument' to facilitate employee participation within your company.