The Netherlands is a top-three tax haven for multinationals and the super-rich

The Netherlands is one of the world’s biggest tax havens, third only to the Cayman Islands and the United Kingdom. 

The findings come from a new report from the Tax Justice Network. The study found that tax havens are forcing the global economy to miss out on $427 billion USD (€359 billion) every year.

The Netherlands is directly responsible for around $36.5 billion USD (€30.6 billion) of this. To put that into perspective, that money could hire almost 2.9 million nurses worldwide, estimates Tax Justice Network.

The “axis of tax avoidance”

Of this, $245 billion USD (€206 billion) is lost from multinational corporations shifting profit to tax havens — like the Netherlands — allowing them to sidestep their tax obligations on profit made in countries where they actually do their business.

The remaining loss is from wealthy individuals hiding income and assets offshore.

The Netherlands, the UK, Luxembourg, and Switzerland together make up the “axis of tax avoidance,” says the report. The axis is responsible for almost half of all avoided corporate profit tax.

The Dutch also take a hit

Despite companies and individuals flocking to take advantage of Dutch tax structures, the country is also losing out to other countries.

According to the report, the Netherlands is losing out on around $10.6 billion USD (€8.9 billion) each year. With this money, the Netherlands could pay the salary of nearly 161,000 nurses.

Do you think the Netherlands needs to shape up their tax laws? Tell us your thoughts in the comments below!

Feature Image: Pixabay/Pexels

Samantha Dixon 🇦🇺
Samantha Dixon 🇦🇺
Sam isn’t great at being Dutch. Originally hailing from Australia, she came to study in the Netherlands without knowing where the country was on a map. She once accidentally ordered the entire ice-cream menu at Smullers. She still can’t jump on the back of a moving bike. But, she remains fascinated by the tiny land of tall people.

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Related posts

Latest posts

7 types of cyclists found when biking in the Netherlands

We can guarantee that if there is one element of Dutch culture that's bound to inflict some form of culture shock on the unsuspecting...

A day trip to Dordrecht: the perfect day out

Dordrecht is perfect for a day trip from Rotterdam. It's just a quick 14-minute train ride and it's accessible even by ferry. It's not...

The Netherlands ranks fifth happiest country in the world (and we couldn’t be more proud)

Someone call Pharell Williams because we’re happy! The 2023 World Happiness Report finds that the land of bikes and canals ranks as the fifth...

It's happening

Upcoming events

The latest Dutch news.
In your inbox.