Value-added tax (btw) goes up from 19% to 21% on October 1, a measure which will cost Dutch households an average €180 next year, according to ING economists.

However, retail organisations say consumers are unlikely to notice the change immediately because many shops are not yet ready to bring in the higher charge and others have decided to absorb it.
Instead, more prices are likely to go up on January 1, Detailhandel Nederland says.
The lower btw rate, which covers food and medicine, remains unchanged.