As part of our continued investment in the Netherlands, activpayroll has appointed Paul van Gelder as Payroll Operations Manager, reinforcing our focus on service quality, regulatory compliance and operational resilience in the Dutch market. This appointment reflects our commitment to strengthening local leadership and ensuring stability, accuracy and forward planning for clients with Dutch payroll obligations.
Paul brings more than 20 years of payroll experience, with deep expertise in Dutch payroll legislation and operational management. Over his career, he has seen the evolving complexity of compliance requirements and the growing expectations on payroll functions to deliver both precision and strategic insight.
In his role as Payroll Operations Manager, Paul will work closely with the team to continue strengthening and enhancing governance, oversight and the overall customer experience within the Netherlands payroll function. Together with the team, he will strengthen operational discipline across workflows, internal controls and data governance to ensure accurate, compliant and scalable payroll delivery. He will also maintain clear client communication, foster structured governance frameworks, promote continuous improvement initiatives and support team development. By combining strong processes with an engaged and cohesive team, Paul aims to reinforce stability, accountability and client confidence while supporting the Netherlands payroll function in delivering consistent, expert outcomes.
From a compliance perspective, Paul highlights the importance of early and ongoing monitoring of the Dutch Work-Related Costs Scheme (WKR). He advises employers to track WKR registrations from the first month of the year. Quarterly monitoring of the available fiscal free space enables employers to reward employees within legal limits while optimising efficiency and costs. A robust accounting setup helps maximise the use of the annual WKR allowance that can be applied to tax-free employee benefits, delivering value to employees while maintaining compliance. Regular oversight supports a smoother year-end process and allows international employers to manage payroll effectively throughout the year.
For Paul, success for the Netherlands team means delivering proactive support to clients, maintaining high standards of compliance and continuously improving how the function operates. As he notes:
“We aim to support clients proactively, helping them stay compliant and prepared for all payroll matters. By combining strong governance with a capable and engaged team, we can ensure accurate, reliable payroll delivery while strengthening confidence in our Netherlands operations.”
This appointment represents a clear investment in leadership, governance and operational strength in the Netherlands. activpayroll remains committed to reviewing performance, strengthening local expertise and ensuring that Dutch payroll operations continue to meet the highest standards of accuracy, oversight and client service.