Following the announcement of the new Dutch government, the coalition has laid out its plans for the coming years — here are a few financial changes to look out for.
The new government outlined their plans in a 26-page document, and we’ve sifted through their most notable plans for your finances.
1. Income tax will decrease
In 2024, taxpayers under retirement age pay 36.97% tax on their income up to €75,518 and 49.5% on anything above that.
The coalition has some new plans for wealth tax and income tax as an individual, namely:
- They want to reduce wealth tax, which jumped from 32% in 2023 to 36% in 2024,
- They want to add a third tax bracket for “middle incomes” to reduce the burden.
However, exactly how this will work is still unclear.
2. Rent allowance increases, childcare allowance remains
The new coalition has made €500 million available for increased rent allowance in 2025 — but there is a setback for people who receive childcare allowance.
In 2026, the maximum hourly rate of childcare (which determines how much you pay) will not be indexed for a year, meaning you won’t receive an extra allowance to compensate if childcare companies increase their hourly rates.
3. Own-risk deductibles decreased
Eigen risico, or own-risk deductibles, is the amount of money you have to pay yourself before your basic health insurance provides coverage.
Every foreign info website: "The Netherlands has universal healthcare!"
— Marcy 🌈 (@vickivampiress.bsky.social) (@VickiVampiress) September 12, 2019
Me, having to pay like €200 a month on insurance on top of a €500 deductible just to have access to basic healthcare but still not getting the therapy and medication I need: pic.twitter.com/OYMchCAFaI
Some appointments are always reimbursed by insurance and aren’t covered by the deductible.
READ MORE | How to choose a health insurance plan in the Netherlands for 2024
As of 2027, the new coalition wants to reduce the standard deductible from €385 per year to €165. Now, that’s something we can get behind!
4. Extra tuition fees and costs for university students
Students will also have to deal with some potential financial burdens.
University students who are more than a year delayed on their bachelor’s or master’s degree must pay an extra €3,000 in tuition fees, which will take effect in the 2026/2027 academic year.
READ MORE | Studying in the Netherlands: the ultimate guide
Long-term students (although we’re not sure who this includes yet) must also pay extra tuition fees.
5. Energy tax on gas decreases
The Rutte IV cabinet pursued policies that increased energy taxes on natural gas and electricity, with the intention of making greener alternatives like heat pumps more attractive — but this new cabinet is heading in the opposite direction.
They aim to reduce the natural gas tax by €0.028 per cubic meter in 2025 and then raise it again to €0.048 per cubic meter in 2030.
This could save many woners (residents) money in energy taxes, but the government is estimated to foot the bill of €357 million.
6. Minimum wage stays the same
There were plans to increase the minimum wage by July 1, 2024, but these plans were snuffed out by the Dutch Senate.
The coalition will likely not attempt to increase the minimum wage by this time.
7. Tax increase on flights
The new coalition will cut out most environmental measures from the Rutte IV cabinet, but they plan to introduce a differentiated air travel tax depending on the distance of the flight, as they have more emissions.
They haven’t indicated exactly how this tax will work and how much it be.
Of course, this isn’t (yet) a comprehensive list of financial changes coming from the new cabinet.
Many of the plans are still unclear, so we have yet to see whether they’ll come into effect.
Will these financial changes affect you? Tell us in the comments!