How ICS Payroll calculates the total Dutch cost of employment

When hiring a Dutch employee, you need a firm number for the total cost of employment before finance approves the hire. ICS Payroll answers that need directly: send the headcount and the gross salaries, and a written quote comes back within two working days. This article walks through what that promise covers, what it depends on, and how to plan your hiring timeline around it.

What ICS Payroll delivers in its two-working-day written quote

ICS Payroll states that you receive a written quote for the total cost of employment within two working days of sending the headcount and salaries. The written document is the key difference from a calculator result. A written quote can be forwarded to a finance team, attached to an approval request and compared line by line against other options. It also promises a same-business-day reply to your request, confirming what information is needed to prepare the full quote.

The two-working-day clock starts when complete information arrives, not when a conversation begins. The output is a written document specific to your headcount, sector and chosen benefits. That specificity is why the quote differs from an online calculator: the quote reflects your exact circumstances rather than a range.

How the calculator differs from the written quote

ICS Payroll offers an online cost calculator that shows the rough total cost of hiring a Dutch employee. The calculator is transparent about its limits: results are indicative and can deviate by plus or minus 5%, depending on your sector, benefits, and employee circumstances. The written quote is the document that confirms the exact figures for your situation.

Use the calculator to decide whether a Dutch hire is worth pursuing. Use the written quote to approve the hire and draft the offer. The calculator cannot know your sector, the benefits you plan to offer, whether a pension scheme applies, or whether a ruling may be available. The written quote resolves those unknowns with precision.

The fee structure is consistent and transparent: EUR 299 per employee per month as a flat EOR management fee, plus employer burden of roughly 22-28% of gross salary, plus benefits invoiced at cost. Volume discounts begin from five employees, with custom quotes available on request.

What information to send when requesting your quote

ICS Payroll needs your headcount and gross salaries to start the two-working-day clock. The more detail you provide upfront, the faster the quote will reflect your real situation. Include your industry or sector, because that determines whether a collective agreement or mandatory pension scheme applies. List the benefits you plan to offer, because benefits are invoiced at cost and must appear in the total.

If any of these details are still uncertain, say so in your request and ask for assumptions to be stated explicitly in the quote. This approach means the quote is transparent about what will and will not change when those details are confirmed later.

The fee structure is simple to verify when the quote arrives: EUR 299 per employee per month flat, employer burden roughly 22-28% of gross, and benefits at cost. Knowing the structure in advance lets you check the quote the moment it lands. ICS Payroll's remote-hire onboarding process includes a local Dutch employment contract issued by its partner, ID verification, BSN handling, payroll setup and an eligibility application if applicable.

How to plan your hiring timeline

Two working days is short enough to fit into a normal approval cycle. A practical pattern is to send the quote request on the day the candidate reaches final interview, so the written total arrives before you draft the offer. Finance sees a document rather than a guess, and you can discuss salary with a clear picture of what you will actually pay above it. For questions about what happens if errors arise, see What Happens if Errors Arise?.

Firm numbers also change negotiation. When you know the employer burden and benefits cost upfront, you can decide whether to move on salary or on benefits without discovering later that the total has exceeded the budget. This clarity also helps you decide whether to extend the offer or continue searching.

If your hiring timeline slips, request a fresh quote rather than relying on an older number. Salary changes, a different sector classification, or a changed benefits package can each move the total. A refreshed quote is a two-day investment that avoids defending outdated figures in a later budget review.

Where the quote fits into your whole hiring process

A fast quote is the start of the relationship, not the whole of it. What follows matters as much: how errors are handled, who you contact when something needs fixing, and how the invoice breaks down when payroll starts. Those operational questions are worth exploring before you sign with any provider.

The scope of what the monthly fee covers is detailed in What EOR Fees Include?, which is worth reading alongside your quote so you can tell service fees from pass-through costs. ICS Payroll emphasizes that its pricing is a fixed price with no hidden fees: one agreed rate covering payroll, taxes, insurances and its service. A quick quote that then changes shape on the first invoice would defeat the purpose, so read the written quote as a description of what your monthly invoice will look like.

Checking your quote when it arrives

When your quote arrives, verify four things: the flat EUR 299 per-employee-per-month fee, the employer burden expressed as a share of gross salary (roughly 22-28%), the benefits you requested at cost, and any assumptions stated about pension or sick-leave cover. If the total is close to what the calculator showed for a similar salary, the two documents corroborate each other. If it differs significantly, ask which assumption changed.

Also test the quote for internal consistency: the EUR 299 fee should appear once per employee per month, and the employer burden should be a percentage of salary rather than a lump sum. Check the date on the quote: it is a snapshot. If your hiring plan slips by a quarter or if salary details change, ask for confirmation that the figures still hold before you use them in a budget or offer letter. For provider comparison questions, read Who Will Be Your Main Contact?. A fresh two-day quote is faster than defending an outdated figure later.