LIMES International

What LIMES International does

LIMES International is a Dutch professional advisory firm specialising in cross-border tax, global mobility, immigration, social security, payroll, and legal services for companies and expatriates operating internationally. Founded in 1994 and headquartered in Valkenburg ZH near Leiden, the firm employs a Team LIMES Method that integrates specialists from five disciplines (business taxes, global mobility tax, legal, social security, and immigration) into unified client teams and follows a three-step approach of analysis, strategy, and compliance.

The firm's core offering is professional services rather than software; however, it has built a proprietary digital suite branded LEAN LIMES Tooling, which includes a portal-based 30%-ruling application tool with automated processing and live status tracking, an interactive Social Security Map covering European countries plus the USA, China, and Japan at three salary tiers, personalised cloud-based client portals for secure file exchange, and bespoke video introductions for incoming expats. Sub-brands include MILES (an Employer of Record service enabling companies to hire international talent in the Netherlands) and LIMES Academy (a free seminar and workshop programme used for thought leadership and lead generation). The firm operates from five offices — Valkenburg ZH and Amsterdam in the Netherlands, Dendermonde in Belgium, and Aberdeen and Edinburgh in the United Kingdom — and extends its reach into 120+ countries through memberships in Geneva Group International and the European Relocation Association.

LIMES generates revenue through project-based advisory engagements and ongoing retainer arrangements for compliance services, billed under multi-year contracts with quote-based pricing tailored to engagement scope. It is part of the activpayroll Group, which provides access to global payroll infrastructure across 140+ countries. The firm maintains nine wholly-owned Dutch subsidiaries covering tax, immigration, payroll, HR, pension, legal, VAT, VAT representation, and Dutch tax returns, and serves a customer base that includes enterprises such as Kuehne+Nagel, Leiden University, Aon Risk Solutions, and Stucomm. LIMES holds SNA certification under the Dutch Authority for the Labor Market and is positioning for the new WTTA admission regime covering placement of workers in the Netherlands.

Name

LIMES International

Legal name

LIMES international B.V.

Website

https://limes-int.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1994

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

LIMES International is a Dutch cross-border advisory firm founded in 1994 that provides integrated tax, global mobility, immigration, social security, payroll, and legal services to companies and expatriates operating internationally across 120+ countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Cross-Border Tax & Global Mobility Advisory

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYTHACAKAG

Global Mobility & Cross-Border Tax/Immigration Advisory

Travel & Hospitality/Business Travel & Corporate Travel Management/Visa, Immigration & Work Permit Services

SECONDARYTHACAKAM

Immigration Outsourcing & Managed Services (BPO/RPO for Immigration)

Travel & Hospitality/Business Travel & Corporate Travel Management/Visa, Immigration & Work Permit Services

SECONDARYBPACAKAM

Global Mobility, Immigration & Relocation Administration Outsourcing

Business & Public Services/HR, Staffing & Recruitment Services/HR Outsourcing (HRO) & Shared Services

SECONDARYHSAKAJAF

Immigration, Visa & Work Authorization Support

Home & Personal Services/Moving, Storage & Relocation Services/Corporate & Employee Relocation Management Services

SECONDARYTHACAKAF

Immigration Legal Services & Representation (Law Firms)

Travel & Hospitality/Business Travel & Corporate Travel Management/Visa, Immigration & Work Permit Services

Keywords

• Cross-border tax advisory
• Global mobility services
• Immigration advisory
• International payroll services
• Expat tax compliance

Headquarters

HQ city

Valkenburg

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Professional Advisory Services: LIMES generates revenue through professional advisory and compliance services including tax advice, global mobility consulting, immigration services, social security advisory, payroll processing, and EOR+ services. Revenue is generated through project-based engagements and ongoing retainer arrangements for compliance services.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

LIMES International provides cross-border advisory and compliance services in international tax, global mobility, immigration, social security, payroll, and legal matters for companies and expatriates operating across borders. Its integrated "Team LIMES Method" deploys specialist teams across business tax, global mobility tax, legal, social security, and immigration to deliver a three-step analysis, strategy, and compliance approach. The firm also operates MILES (Employer of Record+ services) for hiring international talent in the Netherlands, supported by proprietary LEAN LIMES digital tooling.

Product overview

LIMES International is a professional advisory firm, not a software company — its core offering consists of cross-border advisory services in international tax, global mobility tax, immigration, social security, payroll, and legal matters. These services are supported by a suite of proprietary digital tools under the LEAN LIMES Tooling brand, which includes the 30% Ruling Application Tool (a portal-based automation tool for Dutch expat tax rulings), the Company Individualised Video Introduction, the Social Security Map interactive tool, and Personalised Client Portals. The firm also operates LIMES Academy (a free knowledge programme) and the LIMES International Desk (a coordination function), while MILES provides Employer of Record (EOR+) services. The LEAN LIMES Tooling products are purpose-built to support the firm's advisory workflow and are not offered as standalone software products to external buyers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• MILES: Employer of Record (EOR+) services for hiring international talent in the Netherlands. MILES is described as powered by LIMES international and enables companies to hire beyond borders.
• LIMES Academy

Products and services

• Tax + Global Mobility Advisory and Compliance Cross-border international tax and global mobility advisory and compliance service for companies and individuals, covering business tax, global mobility tax planning, and tax compliance across multiple jurisdictions.
• Immigration Advisory and Compliance Immigration advisory and compliance service for companies and expats relocating internationally, handling visa, residence, and work permit processes across multiple jurisdictions.
• Social Security Advisory and Compliance Social security advisory and compliance service that coordinates cross-border social security positioning, totalization, and contribution compliance for internationally assigned employees.
• Payroll Advisory and Compliance Multi-country payroll advisory and compliance service delivered under the LIMES international payroll brand (via activpayroll Netherlands B.V.), supporting compliant payroll processing across jurisdictions.
• 30% Ruling (Expat Ruling) Service Specialist advisory service for Dutch 30% ruling (expat ruling) applications, supporting companies and incoming expats in obtaining and managing the ruling.
• Business Taxes Advisory Cross-border business tax advisory and compliance service for companies with international operations, supporting structuring, compliance, and tax risk mitigation.
• Legal Advisory Legal advisory service covering employment law and other legal matters relevant to cross-border assignments, delivered through LIMES international legal B.V.
• Dutch Tax Returns Personal Dutch income tax return filing service for expatriates and individuals, delivered through Dutch Tax Returns B.V.
• MILES (Employer of Record Plus) Employer of Record+ (EOR+) sub-brand of LIMES International that enables companies to hire international talent in the Netherlands through a compliant employment arrangement, supported by SNA certification.
• LIMES International Desk Coordination and information desk that guides clients, partners, and colleagues through complex international tax and mobility questions, connecting them with the appropriate LIMES specialists.

Quantifiable outcome

• Faster processing through automated 30% ruling applications
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Geneva Group International (GGI)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLIMES is a member of Geneva Group International, a leading international alliance of professional service firms. This membership provides access to local knowledge and expertise in more than 120 countries, enabling LIMES to serve clients with international operations through trusted local partners.
• EuRA (European Relocation Association)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLIMES is a member of EuRA, the European Relocation Association. This membership provides access to relocation and global mobility expertise across Europe and beyond, supporting LIMES's service delivery for international assignments.
• activpayroll GroupcoreOthersLIMES is part of the activpayroll Group, a global payroll and HR services organization. The group includes entities like activpayroll Netherlands B.V. (trading as LIMES international payroll). This affiliation enables LIMES to leverage global infrastructure and share best practices across the organization.
• Leiden International CentreminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Leiden International Centre for expat services and support in the Leiden area.
• The Hague International CentreminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with The Hague International Centre for international services in the The Hague region.
• The Hague Business AgencyminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership with The Hague Business Agency for business development and local enterprise support.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Vialto Partners: Spin-out from Deloitte focused exclusively on global mobility, immigration, and tax services for internationally mobile workforces. Most direct head-to-head competitor for LIMES' cross-border tax, immigration, and social security advisory stack.
• BDO Global Mobility: Mid-tier professional services network with global mobility and immigration practices; overlap with LIMES in serving mid-market multinationals with cross-border expatriate populations.
• Fragomen: Leading global immigration law firm with owned operations in 50+ countries; competes directly with LIMES' immigration + legal subsidiaries for corporate immigration mandates.
• SD Worx: European HR and payroll services provider with strong Benelux presence; competes with LIMES on multi-country payroll and HR advisory for SMEs and mid-market firms with international staff.

Broad incumbents

• EY Global Mobility (People Advisory Services): Big-4 practice providing integrated global mobility tax, immigration, and HR advisory across 100+ countries. Competes with LIMES on enterprise mandates while offering broader consulting scale and technology platforms.
• Deloitte Global Employer Services: Big-4 mobility and immigration tax practice operating globally; directly addresses LIMES' client base of multinationals with expat populations, especially relevant in the Netherlands market.
• PwC People & Organisation: Big-4 global mobility tax and immigration advisory; offers co-sourced service models that compete with mid-tier Dutch specialists for global mobility outsourcing deals.
• KPMG Global Mobility Services: Big-4 mobility practice; competes with LIMES particularly on large enterprise frameworks and on integration with broader tax/legal advisory mandates.
• TMF Group: Global provider of compliance and administrative services including payroll, tax, and HR advisory across 80+ jurisdictions; competes with LIMES on multi-country compliance mandates for international employers.

Others

• activpayroll: Parent/group company operating global payroll and HR services in 140+ countries; LIMES' EOR+ (MILES) offering is positioned as a specialist in-country Dutch tax/immigration complement to activpayroll's payroll stack.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/werkenbijlimes

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles27 records

Subsidiaries9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about LIMES International