Netherlands · Savings
Box 3 in the Netherlands: how savings and investments are taxed
The Netherlands does not tax the interest or gains you actually make on savings and investments. Instead, box 3 assumes a return on everything you own above a tax-free amount, and taxes that assumed return at 36%. Your real return does not matter, unless you prove it was lower.
The 2026 numbers
| 2026 | |
|---|---|
| Tax-free amount (per person) | €59,357 (€118,714 with a tax partner) |
| Assumed return on bank savings | 1.28% (provisional) |
| Assumed return on investments and other assets | 6.00% |
| Assumed cost of debts | 2.70% (provisional) |
| Tax rate | 36% |
The value that counts is what you own on 1 January. The tax-free amount is applied to your total, and the assumed returns are spread over what you hold. The final rates for savings and debts are only set in early 2027.
Examples
| What you own on 1 January 2026 | Box 3 tax for the year |
|---|---|
| €80,000 in a savings account, single | €95 |
| €150,000 in ETFs, single | €1,958 |
| €150,000 in ETFs, with a tax partner | €676 |
Simplified: one type of asset, no debts. Calculated with our savings and ETF engines.
Savings are taxed lightly: €80,000 in the bank costs under €100 a year. Investments are taxed as if they returned 6%, so €150,000 in ETFs costs nearly €2,000 a year even in a year when the market falls.
The counter-evidence scheme
After Dutch court rulings, you can show that your actual return was lower than the assumed one. You then pay tax on the real return instead. This helps in bad market years and if most of your wealth is in a low-interest account. You claim it with a form (opgaaf werkelijk rendement) after receiving your assessment. Real return here includes unrealised price changes, so in a good market year it rarely helps.
What changes next
- 2027: under current law the tax-free amount rises to €60,098 and the assumed investment return to 6.37%. The government had proposed halving the tax-free amount, but that is not law and is being reconsidered.
- 2028: a new system taxing actual returns is planned. Gains on shares, bonds and ETFs would be taxed only when you sell. Parliament must pass the law before the end of 2026 for it to start on time.
Expats and box 3
Until the end of 2024, people with the 30% ruling could choose partial non-resident status and skip box 3 on foreign assets. That option has ended for nearly everyone, so savings and investments abroad now count too. Your home-country bank accounts must be declared, and a tax treaty may prevent double taxation.
Calculate tax on your savings →
Sources
This guide is general information based on the tax rules we could verify for 2026, not tax or financial advice. Rules change and personal situations differ, so check with the tax authority or a qualified adviser before you act. Spotted a mistake? Email contact@expatcents.com.