DutchNews.nl - DutchNews.nl brings daily news from The Netherlands in English

25 May 2025
Newsletter Donate Advertise
  • News
  • Life in the Netherlands
  • Jobs
  • Podcast
  • About us
  • Search
  • Home
  • Economy
  • Art and culture
  • Sport
  • Europe
  • Society
  • Environment
  • Health
  • Housing
  • Education
  • News
    • Home
    • Economy
    • Art and culture
    • Sport
    • Europe
    • Society
    • Environment
    • Health
    • Housing
    • Education
  • Life in the Netherlands
    • Latest
    • Opinion
    • Books
    • Travel
    • 10 Questions
    • Learning Dutch
    • Inburgering with DN
    • Food & Drink
    • Ask us anything
  • Jobs
  • Podcast
  • About us
    • Team
    • Donate
    • Advertise
    • Writing for Dutch News
    • Contact us
    • Privacy
    • Newsletter
  • Search

Advocate general says asset tax system contravenes EU and tax law

November 3, 2021
Photo: Joep Poulssen
Photo: Joep Poulssen

The current system of taxing assets in the Netherlands contravenes the right to ownership and European human rights treaties, the Dutch advocate general has said in new advice to the Supreme Court.

At the moment all assets apart from your own home are placed in ‘box 3’ and taxed according to a fictional rate of income that the state believes these assets will be generating.

But this tax rate is based on the assumption that taxpayers invest a fixed part of their assets, and this, the advocate general said, is wrong.

The case dates back to 2017 and concerns a taxpayer with €1m in assets, of which 80% were held in a savings account, generating a low return. He was taxed, not according to the actual return the savings generated, but according to a fictional mix, including just 21% in savings.

This meant his tax bill was far higher than it should have been. The tax on savings in 2017 was 1.63%, on assets 5.39%.

The advocate general said that the current system, based on a mix of assets, does not take the right of taxpayers to decide themselves how to invest their assets into account. The levy, therefore, is not based on the actual income received by the tax payer and has a ‘confiscatory character’, he said.

Currently the tax office presumes that people with €50,000 in assets have invested a third of it, and 79% of it if they have up to €1m. The current tax on savings is 0.03% and on investments 5.69%.

The case is now with the Supreme Court, but no date has yet been set for a ruling.

If the court rules against the current way the asset tax is calculated, it could cost the treasury hundreds of millions of euros, the Financieele Dagblad said. The finance ministry has declined to comment until the court publishes its verdict.

Share this article
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • Reddit
  • Copy URL
Economy
Thank you for donating to DutchNews.nl.

We could not provide the Dutch News service, and keep it free of charge, without the generous support of our readers. Your donations allow us to report on issues you tell us matter, and provide you with a summary of the most important Dutch news each day.

Make a donation
Latest
Show more
Dutch fundamentalist Protestants again say "no" to women MPs
AEX falls as Trump threatens 50% import tariff on European goods
Dutch forensic experts develop deepfake video detector
Zaanstad says yes to tourist tickets for Zaanse Schans windmills
Fewer international child abductions by parents last year
NewsHomeEconomyArt and cultureSportEuropeSocietyEnvironmentHealthHousingEducation
Life in the NetherlandsLatestOpinionBooksTravel10 QuestionsLearning DutchInburgering with DNFood & DrinkAsk us anything
About usTeamDonateAdvertiseWriting for Dutch NewsContact usPrivacyNewsletter
© 2025 DutchNews | Cookie settings

Help us to keep providing you information about coronavirus in the Netherlands.

Many thanks to everyone who has donated to DutchNews.nl in recent days!

We could not provide this service without you. If you have not yet made a contribution, you can do so here.

The DutchNews.nl team

Donate now

Dutchnews Survey

Please help us making DutchNews.nl a better read by taking part in a short survey.

Take part now