Budget Day (Prinsjesdag) 2025: behind all the glitz and glamour, this day is ultimately about that one briefcase setting out what the government plans to do with your money. Of course, we all tuned in again for the hats, the horses and the royal entrance, but meanwhile the King’s Speech (Troonrede) looked back on an eventful year and the Budget Memorandum (Miljoenennota) set out the financial ground rules for 2026. Who will be better off? Who will have to chip in more? And which new measures will soon make a dent in your wallet? Time to look past the pomp and pageantry and see what was actually said about our purchasing power, taxes and benefits.
As every year, there are a few points for entrepreneurs that deserve extra attention. Below we list the five possible upcoming changes that could affect you.
1. Changes in Box 3
At first glance, little seems to change in Box 3, because the 36% rate stays the same. But looks can be deceiving. The tax-free allowance (heffingsvrij vermogen) drops from €57,684 to €51,396, which means a larger part of your wealth will be taxed. At the same time, the deemed return on investments and other assets rises from 5.88% to 7.78% in 2026. From 2026, rental income and personal use of a second home explicitly fall under the ‘investments’ category and will therefore be taxed more heavily. What the percentage for savings and debts will be is not yet known.
2. Lower transfer tax on a second home
While a second home is taxed ever more heavily in Box 3, there is a bright spot when you buy one. If you buy a home you will not live in permanently yourself, you currently pay 10.4% transfer tax (overdrachtsbelasting). The cabinet has decided to lower that to 8% from 2026.
Note: this only applies to homes, not to business premises or other property. Still a welcome bonus for anyone who wants to invest smartly in bricks and mortar.
3. Changes to gift and inheritance tax
There are a few interesting proposals that give inheritance law and gift tax a real shake-up. In short, from 2026 you may have to pay gift or inheritance tax if one of the partners receives more than 50% of the assets when a marital community of property (huwelijksgoederengemeenschap) is divided or a settlement takes place – so also on divorce or death. In addition, biological children who are not legally recognised as children (for example because of two legal parents) will still be entitled to the low parent-child rate on inheritances and gifts. The deadline for the inheritance tax return becomes a bit more realistic: from eight to twenty months. And cohabitants with a final settlement clause (finaal verrekenbeding) get more tax leeway, comparable to the advantages for married couples.
4. Less inflation correction and a higher employed person’s tax credit in income tax
As usual, the income tax brackets and tax credits have been adjusted for inflation, but this time not in full. To partly compensate, the employed person’s tax credit (arbeidskorting) is being increased. The first bracket gets wider and its rate drops slightly. At the same time, the second bracket starts a little later, but its rate actually goes up. The result: people who earn less will soon pay less tax. For higher incomes, on the other hand, the tax burden rises.
Everything is still in its infancy: the cabinet itself, but also the plans that were presented. What will actually become reality, and what will quietly disappear under the political carpet, should become clearer over the coming months. As an entrepreneur, it’s important to follow developments closely. Because what is a proposal today can easily affect your bookkeeping, your strategy or your wallet tomorrow. We’ll keep you posted on the most important changes. No doubt, to be continued.