Starting next year, savers and investors in the Netherlands could pay wealth tax from a much lower threshold, under a new budget plan the Dutch government unveiled this Tuesday.
In a joint letter to the Tweede Kamer (the Dutch House of Representatives), Prime Minister Rob Jetten, Finance Minister Eelco Heinen, and State Secretary for Finance Eelco Eerenberg spell out some of the changes currently on the table.
At present, the plan is an offer to opposition parties, as Jetten’s minority cabinet can’t pass a budget reform without their votes.
Though none of this is finalised yet, here are some of the key changes outlined in the letter:
Lower Box 3 tax threshold from 2027
Box 3 taxation is part of the Dutch income tax system that covers personal wealth, such as savings, investments, and second homes.
According to this system, you only pay tax on wealth above your tax-free allowance. In 2026, the Belastingdienst (Dutch tax office) has set this threshold at €59,357 per person, or €118,714 with a tax partner.
In an earlier budget plan, the tax-free allowance was set to be raised to €61,000. Sadly, this plan might just be scrapped.
Should the government’s amended budget plan move ahead, your tax-free allowance in 2027 could be cut to €30,846 — the same level as in 2020. In other words, if you have savings or investments exceeding €30,846, you could very well be required to pay taxes on these funds.
€1,000 tax-free allowance on returns
And, in two years, the interest you earn on investments or your savings could also face additional taxation.
As the letter states, “a tax-free allowance of €1,000 will apply” from 2028; anything above this threshold could be taxed.
Higher assumed returns on investments and property
Currently, Box 3 taxes wealth based on the returns that the Belastingdienst assumes you make. For shares, bonds, crypto, second homes, and rental properties, the tax office assumes a 6% return — taxed at 36% of your assumed return per year.
According to the joint letter, the Dutch cabinet now wants to raise that assumed return by 1.5 percentage points in 2027.
Even if your investments or rental income don’t earn you a cent more, you could be looking at a higher tax on your capital. Money in savings accounts, on the other hand, won’t be affected by this particular change.
However, this change is intended to be temporary, and would apply only in 2027. As stated in the letter, it’s one of the ways the cabinet plans to cover the cost of the new system, which it estimates at around €3 billion a year in 2028 and 2029.
Good to know: If your investments earn less than the Belastingdienst’s assumed return, you can report your actual return on your tax return and pay less.
Tax on investment gains only when you sell
Under the new plan, gains on shares, bonds, options, and other financial instruments from 2028 onwards will only be taxed when you actually sell.
As a result, the letter notes, “capital gains tax will apply to the vast majority (approximately 90%) of assets in Box 3 that appreciate in value”.
Other assets that fall under Box 3 taxation and appreciate in value will switch over to this new system by 2030.
More measures to boost purchasing power
It’s not all doom and gloom, however.
The cabinet also wants to raise the income level for Bracket 3, where the top income tax rate kicks in. In 2026, the threshold sits at €78,426, with any income above this amount incurring 49.50% tax.
From 2027, this threshold could rise to €80,578. In other words, your income would need to exceed €80,578 to be taxed in Bracket 3 in 2027.
As a downside, the arbeidskorting (employed person’s tax credit, or a discount for workers that lowers the amount of tax payable) would go up by €133, instead of the planned €173.
Several changes for BV owners
Running your own private limited company (BV)? As the letter outlines, your Box 2 tax rate on income from shares could drop from 31% to 29.2% in 2027, for up to four years.
Meanwhile, the amount you can borrow from your own BV before extra tax applies would be cut, falling from €500,000 to just €100,000.
Taking effect from 2027, this change is intended to be staggered over five stages, each with a decrease of €80,000 — until the lowered borrowing limit of €100,000 is reached.
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