Netherlands Wealth Tax 2026: Box 3 Rates & Examples

The Netherlands does not levy a simple annual percentage on your entire net worth. Box 3 taxes income from savings and investments. Under the standard 2026 calculation, the tax office estimates a return for each asset category, reduces the calculation for the tax-free allowance, and taxes the resulting Box 3 income at 36%.

For 2026, the tax-free allowance is €59,357 per person, or €118,714 for fiscal partners. The provisional notional returns are 1.28% for bank balances, 6.00% for investments and other assets, and 2.70% for deductible debts.

Box 3 rates and allowances for 2026

The percentages for bank balances and debts are provisional. The final percentages are set after the tax year. The 6.00% rate for investments and other assets and the 36% tax rate are fixed for the 2026 provisional calculation.

What belongs in Box 3?

Common Box 3 assets include:

• savings and current-account balances;
• shares, ETFs, bonds, and other investments not held as a substantial interest;
• cryptocurrency;
• a second home, holiday home, or rental property;
• money lent to another person; and
• certain foreign savings, investments, and property for Dutch tax residents.

Your main home is normally handled in Box 1, not Box 3. A shareholding of 5% or more in a company generally belongs in Box 2. Pensions and some approved products can also be exempt.

Tax treaties and double-tax relief can affect foreign property and other cross-border assets. Being required to report an asset does not always mean the Netherlands has the final right to tax all of its return.

How the standard Box 3 calculation works

Use the values on 1 January 2026, the reference date, and follow six steps.

1. Calculate the notional return by asset type

Bank return = bank balances × 1.28%
Other-asset return = investments and other assets × 6.00%
Debt return = deductible debt × 2.70%
Taxable return = bank return + other-asset return - debt return

Only debt above the €3,800 threshold is deductible for one person. For fiscal partners, the combined threshold is €7,600.

2. Calculate the return percentage

Divide the taxable return by the net asset base:

Return percentage = taxable return ÷ (assets - deductible debt)

3. Apply the tax-free allowance

Subtract €59,357 from the net asset base, or €118,714 for fiscal partners. The result cannot be below zero.

4. Calculate Box 3 income and tax

Box 3 income = taxable net asset base × return percentage
Box 3 tax = Box 3 income × 36%

This proportional method matters when you own a mix of savings and investments. You cannot simply subtract the allowance from the highest-return category.

Worked example: €100,000 savings and €150,000 investments

Assume one taxpayer owns €100,000 in bank deposits and €150,000 in investments on 1 January 2026, with no Box 3 debt.

Step 1: calculate the notional return

Step 2: apply the allowance proportionally

Net asset base              €250,000
Minus tax-free allowance     €59,357
Taxable net asset base      €190,643

Return percentage = €10,280 ÷ €250,000 = 4.112%
Box 3 income = €190,643 × 4.112% ≈ €7,839

Step 3: calculate the tax

€7,839 × 36% ≈ €2,822 Box 3 tax

If the same €250,000 belonged jointly to fiscal partners and they could use the full combined allowance, the illustrative tax would be about €1,943 before considering their chosen allocation and other circumstances.

Savings and investments are taxed differently

The asset mix has a large effect. Ignoring rounding, debt, and the proportional allowance:

• €100,000 treated as bank deposits produces a €1,280 notional return before the allowance adjustment.
• €100,000 treated as investments produces a €6,000 notional return before the allowance adjustment.

That is why a headline such as “36% wealth tax” is misleading. The 36% is charged on calculated Box 3 income, not directly on the asset value.

Is Box 3 a capital gains tax?

Not in the classic transaction-based sense. The standard method does not wait until you sell an investment and realize a gain. It estimates annual income using asset-category percentages.

However, taxpayers can report a lower actual return. Actual return includes interest, dividends, rent where relevant, and increases or decreases in asset value—including unsold gains and losses. This is why Box 3 is sometimes described as taxing unrealized gains, even though the standard notional method and the actual-return method are different calculations.

The actual-return option in 2026

If your actual return is lower than the notional return, the Tax Administration applies the more favorable result after you report the actual return in the 2026 income-tax return. A provisional assessment cannot account for it because the year’s actual return is not yet known.

Important differences include:

• the actual-return calculation covers the total return on the assets, with no tax-free allowance;
• value increases and decreases count, including on shares, crypto, and a second home;
• from 2026, private use of a second home or other immovable property can add economic rental value or 5.06% of the relevant WOZ value, apportioned by available days;
• most costs, such as investment transaction costs or second-home maintenance, cannot be deducted; and
• interest on a Box 3 debt can be deductible.

Reporting actual return is not automatically better just because your assets are close to the allowance. Compare the complete results under both methods.

How debts affect Box 3

Only eligible Box 3 debt above the annual threshold enters the notional calculation. For one taxpayer with €20,000 of qualifying debt:

Deductible debt = €20,000 - €3,800 = €16,200
Debt return = €16,200 × 2.70% = €437.40

The deductible debt lowers both the net asset base and the calculated return. A mortgage on the main home normally belongs in Box 1; a loan financing a second home may belong in Box 3.

Fiscal partners

Fiscal partners have a combined €118,714 allowance in 2026. They can divide the Box 3 base between their returns, provided the allocation totals 100%. The best allocation can depend on the rest of both tax returns, so “double allowance” does not replace the allocation step.

Expats and the 30% ruling

The 30% ruling no longer gives new applicants a general choice to exclude most foreign Box 3 assets through partial foreign taxpayer status. That option ended from 2025, with transitional treatment through 2026 for some employees who were already using the ruling before 2024.

If you moved during the year, own foreign property, or qualify for transitional treatment, the ordinary example above may not match your return. See the 30% ruling calculator and 2026 requirements for the employment-income rules.

Common Box 3 mistakes

• Applying 36% directly to net wealth.
• Using balances from 31 December instead of the 1 January reference date.
• Treating all assets as savings even when they fall under “investments and other assets.”
• Deducting the full debt without first applying the debt threshold.
• Subtracting the allowance from one asset category instead of applying the official proportional calculation.
• Assuming actual return excludes unrealized value changes.
• Leaving foreign assets out without checking residence and treaty rules.

Frequently asked questions

How much wealth is tax-free in the Netherlands in 2026?

The Box 3 allowance is €59,357 for one taxpayer and €118,714 for fiscal partners. Exempt assets and debt rules are separate from this allowance.

Do I pay 36% tax on my savings?

No. Under the standard method, bank balances receive a provisional 1.28% notional return. The allowance adjustment is then applied and the resulting Box 3 income is taxed at 36%.

Are shares taxed only when sold?

No. The standard Box 3 calculation uses a notional return for investments whether or not you sell. Under the actual-return method, annual value changes can also count.

Is my main home in Box 3?

Normally no. An owner-occupied main residence and its qualifying mortgage are generally handled in Box 1. A second or rental home is commonly in Box 3.

Are foreign investments included?

Dutch tax residents generally report worldwide assets, but treaties and double-tax relief can alter the final Dutch tax. Non-residents and partial-year residents need a residence-specific assessment.

Are the 2026 return percentages final?

The 1.28% bank rate and 2.70% debt rate used for provisional 2026 assessments are provisional. Final percentages are determined after the year.

Official sources

• Belastingdienst: 2026 Box 3 calculation, rates, and worked examples
• Belastingdienst: what counts as actual return
• Belastingdienst: 2026 private-use addition for a second home
• Belastingdienst: Box 3 explanation and tax rates
• Belastingdienst: debt thresholds

For the other Dutch income categories, read the Dutch tax system and 2026 brackets. The figures were last verified on 2 August 2026 and are an educational estimate, not personal tax advice.