Dutch Tax Plan 2027: what changed in parliament

On 12 November 2026, the Dutch House of Representatives approved the 2027 Tax Plan and related legislation, including further changes to the proposed Box 3 system. Several amendments change what the government originally proposed.
If you invest, run your own company as a director-shareholder (DGA), employ staff or are building a startup, some of these changes may affect your planning. The Senate still has to approve the package, and the measures have different intended starting dates. Here is what you need to know.

The main points

For investors: Box 3

• New system from 2029: the intended starting date for the new Box 3 system is 1 January 2029. Capital gains taxation would extend to financial instruments such as shares, bonds, and options. Changes in their value would generally become taxable when realised, for example through a sale. Regular income, such as interest and dividends, would remain taxable annually.
• Until then, the current rules apply: the current Box 3 system continues until the new one starts, including the opportunity to demonstrate that your actual return was lower than the calculated return.
• Not every asset moves yet: certain assets, including direct cryptocurrency holdings, would initially remain subject to taxation of annual changes in value. The House also approved a motion requesting legislation for a fully developed capital gains system by 2030. That motion sets a political objective; it does not itself introduce the remaining changes.
• Two Box 3 rates from 2029: 35.5% on the first €60,000 of taxable Box 3 income, and 38.5% on taxable Box 3 income above €60,000. The €60,000 threshold concerns taxable income from your assets, not the value of the assets themselves. A separate motion asks the government to proceed with differentiated rates only if they are workable for the Belastingdienst, so implementation remains a point to monitor.
• Possible cost deduction for property owners: an amendment would allow certain property-related costs to be deducted when calculating your actual return under the existing Box 3 counterevidence rules. This concerns qualifying costs of earning and maintaining property income, subject to conditions and exclusions. It is not a general deduction for every expense connected with an investment property. The starting date will be set by Royal Decree, and the amendment’s explanation states that implementation would not be feasible before 2028. Do not assume you can already deduct these costs in your current returns.

For DGAs: Box 2 and company loans

• Temporarily lower Box 2 rates: for 2027 through 2030, the proposed rates are 23.5% in the lower bracket and 29% in the upper bracket. From 2031, they would return to 24.5% and 31%. This may be relevant when you plan dividend distributions, although the overall outcome also depends on your circumstances.
• Lower borrowing threshold: the threshold under the excessive borrowing rules would fall from €500,000 to €100,000 in five annual steps. If your borrowing from your own company exceeds the applicable threshold, this can result in a taxable Box 2 benefit. The assessment generally takes place at year-end. Amendments to keep the €500,000 threshold or to slow the reduction were rejected.

• Pension in your company: the House approved a motion requesting a scheme that would let DGAs convert an existing pension held in their own company into an old-age obligation (ODV) on a tax-neutral basis. The government has been asked to inform Parliament before 1 July 2027. This is a request to develop legislation; it does not reopen the conversion option now.

For everyone: income tax and bracket thresholds

• Lower first two rates than proposed: one amendment reduces the first two income tax rates by 0.14 percentage points compared with the government’s proposal, reverses the proposed €100 reduction in the elderly person’s tax credit and limits the proposed increase in the employment tax credit. Another reduces the first bracket rate by a further 0.25 percentage points, and a third provides for a further 0.03 percentage point reduction in the first two brackets from 2028.
• Compared with the proposal, not with today: these are adjustments to the government’s proposed package. They should not automatically be read as equivalent reductions compared with the rates currently in force. The effect on your net income depends on the final rates, bracket thresholds and applicable tax credits.
• Frozen bracket thresholds: the bracket threshold in Box 2 and the inheritance and gift tax bracket thresholds are frozen for 2027 through 2031. Without annual indexation, a larger share of income or a taxable acquisition can move into the higher bracket over time.

For estate planning: gifts on paper

• New valuation rules from 2028: one amendment modernises the valuation rules for inheritance and gift tax, including the calculation interest rate and life expectancy assumptions. It uses a proposed calculation rate of 3%, replacing the longstanding 6%, with future adjustments set through a statutory formula.
• Overlapping amendments: another amendment contains broader restrictions on gifts on paper. The House also approved a motion asking the government to implement only the valuation modernisation and interest rate changes from the first amendment where the proposals overlap. The final treatment still needs clarification. Do not assume existing arrangements change automatically, and check the proposed transitional provisions before you make or amend a gift.

For employers: company cars

• Employer levy with more exceptions: the employer levy on fossil-fuel passenger cars made available for private use is due to start in 2027. A car would qualify for an exception if it is made available for private use for no more than 14 calendar days in a calendar month. This limit applies per car, including where different employees use it. If the limit is exceeded, the levy applies for the entire month.
• Demonstration cars and transition: there is a conditional exemption for qualifying demonstration cars used by car dealers, and the end date of the existing transitional arrangement moves to 31 December 2030. These changes concern the employer’s levy, not the employee’s taxable benefit for private use (bijtelling).
• Youngtimers: the increase in the youngtimer age threshold becomes more gradual, and transitional protection is extended for certain cars already made available by the end of 2025. To finance this, the addition based on a qualifying youngtimer’s market value would rise to 45% from 2028 to 2030, then fall to 36% from 2031. Check the transitional rules for each vehicle.

For startups and scaleups: employee options

• Taxation at sale: the startup and scaleup legislation would generally defer taxation of qualifying employee share options until the options or resulting shares are sold, and bring 65% of the qualifying benefit into taxation. Eligibility depends on the statutory conditions and your company’s qualifying status; it does not apply automatically to every young company or employee participation arrangement. The starting date will be set by Royal Decree.
• Valuation and reporting: the amendments create a legal basis for recognised valuation methods for unlisted shares and similar rights, to be designated by ministerial regulation. They also provide a correction period after a written warning if your company fails to report the loss of qualifying status on time. That correction period concerns the reporting obligation and potential penalty; it does not preserve eligibility if the underlying conditions are no longer met.
• More room in the WBSO: the first WBSO bracket threshold rises to €396.082 for 2027, giving more room within the first bracket of the research and development payroll tax relief.

What this means for you

These measures are not final. The Senate still has to approve them, and several depend on further implementation decisions or a Royal Decree. Even so, some changes are worth acting on early.

If you have a substantial loan from your own company, review it well before the first threshold reduction, as the assessment generally takes place at year-end. If you are planning dividends, the temporary Box 2 rates may play a role. Employers should check company car arrangements against the 14-day rule and the youngtimer transition, and startups should review their employee option plans against the qualifying conditions.

For investors, keep the current Box 3 rules, the proposed 2029 system and the further requested reforms apart. For employers and entrepreneurs, the starting dates and transitional provisions can matter as much as the headline changes.

We follow the legislation as it moves through the Senate and will keep you updated. Run a company or own one as a DGA? Book a free intro call, and we will look at which changes affect you. Are you an individual or expat with questions about your own situation? Visit our Expat Hub or book a tax consult.

This article reflects the parliamentary position on 12 November 2026. It gives a general overview; how your situation is treated depends on your facts and the final legislation.

Source: Tweede Kamer, votes on the 2027 Tax Plan package, 12 November 2026 (in Dutch).