Lots of rules and regulations will change next year, and many of them will have an influence on your spending power. Here’s a round-up of what you need to know.

Healthcare

• Health insurance will become more expensive, with premiums rising by an average of around €10, but the own risk element remains €385. You have until December 31 to change health insurance company.
• You can no longer get a discount of 5% on your health insurance because you are a member of a particular club or society.
• If you have a low income, you may be entitled to an increase in healthcare benefits which are going up by a maximum of €412 a year.
• Vitamin D pills will no longer be covered by basic health insurance but contraceptive pills are back in.
• Extra therapy for people who are still suffering from the effects of coronavirus will be included in the basic healthcare package until August 1.

Work and income

• The tax-free home working allowance will rise to €2.13 per day. This is a voluntary benefit and employers are not required to pay it.
• The tax rate in the lower tax band is being cut from 37.07% to 36.93%, and the limit goes up from €69,398 to €73,031. The tax rate remains 49.50% on earnings over that limit.
• The freelancers allowance is being cut from €6,310 to €5,033 in 2023.
• There will be no tax on savings of up to €57,000 for a single person, €114,000 for a couple.
• The maximum payout if you lose your job will go up to €89,000.

Travel

• Lower taxes on petrol and diesel will remain in force until July 1, unless the government decides otherwise.
• The lower tax rate of 16% on company electric cars will only apply to vehicles with a catalogue value of up to €30,000. Over that you will pay the standard 22%.
• Tax-free travel expenses will go up from 19 cents to 21 cents per kilometre. In 2024, the rate will go up again to 24 cents.
• The tax on airline tickets will go up from €7.95 to €26.43 per passenger using a Dutch airport.
• Train tickets are also going up in price from January by an average of 1.8%.

Environment

• The government is introducing a price cap on energy for up to 1200 cubic metres of gas and 2900 kWh of electricity a year.
• At the same time, the lower value added tax rate on energy, which was cut in 2022, will go back up from 9% to 21%.
• Value added tax on solar panels is being abolished.
• All offices will have to have an energy label of at least C in order to be rented out on a new contract.

Housing

• The maximum tax break on mortgage interest will go down to 36.93%, while the eigenwoningforfait, the home ownership tax, will go down from 0.45% to 0.35%.
• Parents will no longer be able to give their offspring a tax free gift of €100,000 to help them buy a home.
• The maximum rent rise for rental property will be fixed at the average 2022 pay rise (3.1%) minus 0.5% in the social housing sector and average pay rise +1% for the non-rent controlled sector.

Minimum wage and benefits

• The minimum wage will go up by 10.15%, taking it to €1934.40 gross per month, excluding holiday pay.
• Pensions will rise by a similar amount, to €1330.67 for a single person and €1807.20 for a couple, including holiday pay.
• Basic welfare benefits will rise to €1195.66 for a single person and €1708.08 for a couple.
• Means tested childcare benefits will rise by a maximum €36 per month for a first child and €44 for a third child.
• Universal childcare benefits will rise between €21 and €36 per quarter.
• Organised childcare will become more expensive and the government is increasing its maximum grant to €9.06 per hour for daycare, €7.79 for after school care and €6.80 for childminders.  These benefits too are means tested.
• The presence of children up to the age of 27 in the family home will no longer have an impact on their parent’s benefits.

Other

• All moped users will have to wear a helmet
• Selling laughing gas as a recreational drug will become illegal
• Specialty beers and soft drinks will go up in price by the equivalent of 10 cents per litre.
• Cigarettes will go up in price in April and again in 2024, when they will cost  around €10 for a pack of 20.