13,000 businesses toppled despite getting corona support

Over 13 thousand companies that received coronavirus support from the government between April 2020 and March 2021 ended up closing down. That amounts to just over 2 percent of the 586 thousand companies that made use of one of the Dutch government's multiple coronavirus support measures, Statistics Netherlands reported on Friday.

Of the larger support measures, the TOZO scheme for self-employed entrepreneurs who saw their income fall due to the pandemic was used most. Over 300 thousand businesses used the TOZO scheme. 1 percent, or 2,800, were closed.

Of the companies that used the option to defer their tax payments, 3 percent closed down. That is nearly 7 thousand companies, more than half of the companies that closed down despite getting coronavirus support. 

Of the over 129 thousand companies that used the NOW regulation to subsidize their wages, 1,900 closed down. Less than 100 thousand companies made use of the TVL scheme to get compensation for their fixed costs. 1,200 of them closed down.

The hospitality industry saw the most closures, both in companies that received government support and companies that didn't. 3 percent of hospitality companies that got support closed, and 17 percent of companies that didn't get support. The hospitality industry is also the sector with the most companies claiming support at 73 percent. 

In agriculture, forestry and fisheries, the share of companies that closed despite government support was smallest at 1 percent. About 18 percent of companies that closed despite support was in the trade sector.