Netherlands: MPs pushed back on halving the box 3 tax-free amount in 2027, the top box 2 rate is set to fall to 29.2% for 2027–2030, and B2B e-invoicing becomes mandatory in July 2030. Luxembourg: corporate tax falls to 15% from 2027 (22.87% combined in Luxembourg City) and the single tax class U heads to a plenary vote on 27 October. Belgium: the coalition must agree a budget by 13 October, and inflation reached 4.69%.
The week in one paragraph
The Netherlands spent the week arguing about box 3: the cabinet's plan to halve the tax-free amount in 2027 met immediate resistance, and the Finance Minister is now looking for another way to fund it. Luxembourg moved the other way, confirming a corporate tax cut to 15% from 2027 and taking its single tax class reform a step closer to law. Belgium waits for a budget that has to find EUR 10 billion, while inflation near 5% pushes up wage costs.
Netherlands
Box 3: parliament pushes back on halving the tax-free amount
What happened. The Belastingplan 2027 proposes cutting the box 3 tax-free amount from about EUR 60,000 to about EUR 30,800 per person and raising the deemed return on investments. When the cabinet set out how it would fund and phase its plans on 30 September, MPs rejected them within two days; on 2 October Finance Minister Eelco Heinen said he was open to sparing small savers and would return with a revised proposal.
Why it matters. Around 850,000 people with modest savings would start paying box 3. For investors and holding owners the direction of travel is unchanged: higher box 3 in 2027, actual-return taxation from 2028.
What to do. Do not restructure on the proposal alone. Model 2027 under both the current and proposed figures, and look at the B.V. route if your portfolio is well above EUR 300,000. The Tweede Kamer debates the Belastingplan in about two weeks. Read our note: Dutch box 3 2026–2028 →
Box 2: a three-year window at 29.2% for director-shareholders
What happened. The Belastingplan 2027 proposes lowering the top box 2 rate from 31% to 29.2% for 2027 to 2030, while tightening the limit on borrowing from your own B.V. from EUR 500,000 towards EUR 100,000 by 2031.
Why it matters. Director-shareholders with large current accounts or retained profits get a cheaper exit route, and an incentive to repay excessive loans before the limit tightens.
What to do. Plan dividends for 2027 rather than late 2026 if the proposal passes, and map loans from your B.V. against the falling limit. Read our note: Dutch holding company →
Source: De Zaak, week 40, Van Lanschot Kempen
Mandatory B2B e-invoicing from July 2030
What happened. The government has set the timetable for the EU's VAT in the Digital Age package: structured e-invoices become mandatory between Dutch businesses from 1 July 2030, with digital reporting to the tax authorities from 1 July 2031.
Why it matters. Every Dutch B.V., including holdings that invoice management fees, will need software that issues and receives structured invoices.
What to do. No action yet, but choose accounting software that already supports Peppol and structured invoicing. Read our note: Dutch VAT registration →
Source: De Zaak, week 40
Luxembourg
Corporate tax to fall to 15% from 2027
What happened. In a parliamentary reply, the Prime Minister and Finance Minister confirmed a further one-point cut in the national corporate income tax rate, from 16% to 15%, from tax year 2027.
Why it matters. The combined rate in Luxembourg City for income above EUR 200,000 falls from 23.87% to 22.87%. Luxembourg moves further below the Netherlands (25.8%) and Belgium (25%).
What to do. Holding and trading companies can factor the lower rate into 2027 dividend and investment planning; IP-box and participation exemption calculations shift slightly. Read our note: Luxembourg tax calculator →
Source: Delano, 2 Oct 2026
Single tax class “U” clears the Finance Committee
What happened. The Finance Committee adopted its report on bill 8676, which replaces tax classes 1, 1a and 2 with a single class U from 1 January 2028 and nearly doubles the tax-free threshold. Couples now in class 2 can keep it for up to 25 years. The plenary vote is scheduled for 27 October.
Why it matters. Most taxpayers pay less; single-earner couples can pay more if they switch. Cross-border workers and expats should check how the change affects their withholding from 2028.
What to do. No action until the vote. Couples in class 2 should not opt into class U without a comparison: the switch is irreversible. Read our note: Luxembourg personal income tax →
2027 budget to be tabled
What happened. Finance Minister Gilles Roth presents the 2027 budget and the multi-year plan to 2030 to the Chamber on 7 October (bills 8800 and 8801); in an interview on 27 September he said the tax reform remains affordable.
Why it matters. The budget bill is where the 2027 corporate rate cut and any new measures for funds, holdings and individuals will appear in legal text.
What to do. Watch for changes to the subscription tax, the net wealth tax minimum and the impatriate regime; we will cover them once the bills are published.
Source: Chamber of Deputies agenda
Belgium
Federal budget talks under pressure
What happened. The five coalition parties must agree the 2027 budget by 13 October, two days before the EU deadline. The gap is EUR 10 billion of savings by 2029, with the Prime Minister and the francophone liberals split on spending cuts versus tax increases. Unions plan a national demonstration in Brussels on 9 October; Belgium was downgraded by two rating agencies this year.
Why it matters. New taxes on capital, companies or consumption are on the table; the capital gains tax introduced in 2026 and the planned VAT changes could be revisited.
What to do. Hold off on large reorganisations, share sales or dividend timing decisions until the agreement is published. Read our note: Belgian residents with a Luxembourg company →
Source: Briefs, Belgian budget talks
Inflation jumps to 4.69%
What happened. Belgian consumer prices rose 0.39% in September and 4.69% year on year, driven by energy prices up 24.4%.
Why it matters. Automatic wage indexation will follow, with the moderation in force since June 2026 for salaries above EUR 4,000 a month and the related employer contribution. For employers this is a direct payroll cost increase.
What to do. Budget the next indexation in your joint committee, and check how the EUR 4,000 moderation applies to your payroll. Read our note: Company formation in Belgium →
Source: MarketScreener, 29 Sep 2026, L&E Global on the indexation cap
Dates to watch
| Date | Country | What |
|---|---|---|
| 7 October | Luxembourg | 2027 budget tabled (bills 8800 and 8801) |
| 9 October | Belgium | National union demonstration in Brussels |
| 13 October | Belgium | Deadline for the federal budget agreement |
| Mid-October | Netherlands | Tweede Kamer debate on the Belastingplan 2027, including box 3 |
| 27 October | Luxembourg | Plenary vote on the single tax class U (bill 8676) |