Dutch wealth-tax delay expected to cost billions, Eerenberg says

The Dutch government expects a one-year delay to its planned overhaul of the box 3 wealth tax to cost the state billions of euros, State Secretary Eelco Eerenberg said. The exact amount was due to be announced later on Tuesday.

The cabinet had planned to introduce the new system in January 2028. It now aims for 2029, after the Council of State warned that the proposed law could cause major problems, including for the Tax Administration. The advisory body recommended drafting a new law for introduction in 2030.

Finance Minister Eelco Heinen has not ruled out keeping the 2028 start date. He says the Tax Administration considers it feasible, but that implementation would be particularly difficult for banks, which must provide data used to calculate tax bills.

Eerenberg, who is responsible for the Tax Administration, said the implementation problems had only become clear to him in recent days. He said the Council of State’s advice raised several points he recognised, and that the government had weighed them over the past few days.

The cabinet is pressing ahead rather than adopting the Council of State’s recommendation for a new law in 2030 because, Eerenberg said, politics needs to move on from the long-running box 3 dispute. Heinen said the issue had been with the government for 15 years and should be resolved.