In 2026 box 3 taxes a deemed return of 1.28% on savings and 6% on investments at 36%, after EUR 59,357 per person tax-free. The Belastingplan 2027 proposes halving the tax-free amount to EUR 30,846 and raising the deemed return on investments to about 7.87%. From 2028 gains on shares and bonds are to be taxed when sold. For larger portfolios a B.V. holding, at 19% corporate tax and box 2 only on payouts, is often cheaper.
Box 3 in one minute
Box 3 is the Dutch tax on savings and investments. It does not tax what you actually earn: it assumes a return on each type of asset and taxes that assumed return at 36%. Savers with low interest pay on returns they never made, which is why the Supreme Court struck the system down in 2021 and why the Netherlands is replacing it.
Deemed return
1.28% savings, 6% investments, 36% tax, EUR 59,357 tax-free per person.
Allowance halved
EUR 30,846 tax-free and about 7.87% deemed return on investments.
Actual return
Gains on shares and bonds taxed when sold; other assets from 2030.
B.V. holding
19% or 25.8% corporate tax, box 2 only on payouts.
Box 3 figures for 2026
| Item | 2026 |
|---|---|
| Tax-free amount | EUR 59,357 per person; EUR 118,714 for partners |
| Deemed return, savings | 1.28% (provisional) |
| Deemed return, investments and other assets | 6.00% |
| Deemed return, debts | 2.70%, above a threshold of EUR 3,800 per person |
| Tax rate | 36% |
| Lower actual return | You can prove it and pay on the actual figure |
On EUR 1 million of shares, box 3 in 2026 assumes EUR 60,000 of income and asks for about EUR 20,000, whether the market rose or fell.
Prinsjesdag 2026: the 2027 squeeze and the 2028 system
- 2027: the tax-free amount halves. The Belastingplan 2027 proposes EUR 30,846 per person instead of the EUR 60,098 announced earlier.
- 2027: a higher deemed return. About 7.87% on investments and other assets instead of 6.37%, still taxed at 36%.
- 2028: actual returns. The Tweede Kamer approved the actual return law in February 2026. The new proposals tax shares and bonds on realised gains from 2028 and other assets from 2030.
- A smaller tax-free return. EUR 1,000 instead of EUR 1,800 a year in the 2028 system.
- Box 2 relief. The top box 2 rate would fall from 31% to 29.2% for 2027 to 2030.
- Borrowing from your B.V. The EUR 500,000 limit on loans from your own company would fall step by step to EUR 100,000 by 2031.
These are proposals: the Tweede Kamer and Eerste Kamer vote on the Belastingplan before the end of 2026. We update this note when they do.
Is a B.V. holding better than box 3?
| Box 3 (2026) | B.V. holding | |
|---|---|---|
| What is taxed | Deemed return, every year | Actual profit of the B.V. |
| Rate | 36% | 19% up to EUR 200,000, 25.8% above |
| Unrealised gains | Taxed through the deemed return | Usually taxed only on sale |
| When you take money out | Nothing more | Box 2: 24.5% up to EUR 68,843, 31% above |
| Running costs | None | Accounts, filings, bank |
| Best for | Smaller portfolios, savings | Larger portfolios, long horizon, reinvesting |
- Moving assets in. Transferring a portfolio to a B.V. is usually tax-neutral for securities; real estate triggers transfer tax.
- Do not borrow it back. Loans from your own B.V. above the excessive lending limit are taxed in box 2.
- Think about the exit. Box 2 applies when you sell the B.V. or emigrate, with a protective assessment on departure.
Calculate your box 3 tax and the B.V. alternative
Indicative. The B.V. figures assume your stated return, savings at 1.5% and no running costs.
Box 3 calculator with a B.V. comparison
Enter your wealth on 1 January. You get box 3 for 2026, the 2027 proposal, and what the same wealth would cost inside a B.V.
1.28% savings, 6% investments in 2026.
EUR 30,846 tax-free and 7.87% proposed.
Shares and bonds on sale, others from 2030.
19% now, box 2 only when you take money out.
Dutch box 3: frequent questions
How much is box 3 tax in 2026?
Box 3 taxes a deemed return: 1.28% on savings, 6% on investments and other assets, minus 2.70% on debts, at a rate of 36%. The first EUR 59,357 per person (EUR 118,714 for partners) is tax-free.
What changes in box 3 in 2027?
The Belastingplan 2027 presented on Prinsjesdag 2026 proposes to cut the tax-free amount to EUR 30,846 per person and raise the deemed return on investments to about 7.87%, keeping the 36% rate. Parliament still has to vote.
When does the actual return tax start in the Netherlands?
The Tweede Kamer approved the actual return law in February 2026 for a start on 1 January 2028. The 2026 proposals tax gains on shares and bonds when sold from 2028, extend this to other assets from 2030, and cut the tax-free return from EUR 1,800 to EUR 1,000.
Can I pay less if my real return is lower?
Yes. Since the Supreme Court rulings of 2024, you can show that your actual return was lower than the deemed return and be taxed on the actual figure.
Is a B.V. better than box 3?
It can be for larger portfolios with a long horizon: the B.V. pays 19% corporate tax up to EUR 200,000 of profit, and box 2 tax only when profits are paid out. It adds running costs and annual accounts, and rules on borrowing from your own B.V. are being tightened.
Do non-residents pay box 3?
Only on Dutch real estate and a few other Dutch assets. Someone who moves abroad stops paying box 3 on worldwide savings and investments.