Handelsgegevens

Handelsgegevens are data about commercial entities used to identify and characterize participants in trade. They are typically stored in national or regional commercial registers and are used to verify the identity, legal status and activities of companies and other entities. The term is most commonly encountered in Dutch-language contexts and is closely connected to information held by the Kamer van Koophandel (KvK) and comparable registries in other countries.

Typical elements of handelsgegevens include: the legal name and any trade name; registered (statutory) address; legal form (for example BV, NV, or equivalent); registration number issued by the register (such as a KvK-number in the Netherlands); value-added tax (VAT) number; date of incorporation and, if applicable, dissolution; share capital or capital structure; names of directors or management and, in some cases, information on beneficial ownership; and the main activities or industry classification codes (such as SBI/NACE). Some registers also include branches, fiscal data, and published annual accounts.

Sources and scope vary by jurisdiction, but most Handelsregisters provide access to a core set of public data. In addition to official registers, business information providers may compile and distribute enriched datasets. The information is used for due diligence, counterparty screening, credit assessments, onboarding, market research and transparency.

Access and privacy considerations are important. While many basic company details are publicly accessible, personal data about individuals (such as directors) is subject to privacy regulations such as the GDPR and may be restricted or limited in use. Data accuracy depends on timely updates from the registering authority.