Starting January 1, 2025, the Dutch government is introducing updated rules for the starters exemption and the 2% transfer tax rate. These changes are part of the new Transfer Tax Act and bring clarity to how economic ownership and access to properties before transfer are handled.
What’s new?
The new law explains that if someone gains access to a property or permission to make changes to it before officially owning it, this won’t count as economic ownership—provided specific conditions are met. This update replaces the previous approval policies.
Here’s what it means:
- If economic ownership is transferred before December 31, 2024, the old rules still apply. Buyers can still claim the starters exemption during the official transfer if all conditions are met.
- For transfers after January 1, 2025, the new law applies. If the conditions in the updated rules aren’t met, economic ownership will be taxed.
Why does this matter?
If you’re buying a house and hoping to use the starters exemption, these updates affect when and how you can qualify. It’s important to check whether your situation fits under the old or new rules.
When does this start?
The updated rules take effect on January 1, 2025. The old policy from March 2, 2023, will no longer apply after this date.
Source: Decree of December 4, 2024, No. 2024-19236, Ministry of Finance, Stcrt. 2024, 36104
