Yeşilgöz criticises ‘commotion’ around Dutch tax plan

Dutch finance minister Eelco Heinen said the tax plan still needs to be changed to address MPs’ demands. Speaking at the start of the second day of parliament’s general financial deliberations, he said he understood why parties wanted revisions and would outline possible solutions later in the debate. [1]

Opposition parties JA21 and PRO said on Wednesday that they did not intend to support the plan in its current form. Both object to planned higher taxes for working people, but they disagree about the alternatives. [1]

Heinen said he remained optimistic that a parliamentary majority would vote for the tax plan this autumn. He had not yet set out his proposed solutions when he spoke. [1]

Update

In remarks reported by the Dutch news agency ANP on 2 October, Yeşilgöz complained of what she called noise, image-making and commotion around the tax plan, saying it had made for a difficult week. [2]

Despite concessions to opposition parties on both the left and right, a parliamentary majority was not yet in sight, ANP reported. Yeşilgöz said she believed a majority was possible and wanted support to be as broad as possible. [2]

She said some VVD supporters feared a left-wing agenda of tax rises, but insisted such increases were not under consideration. She cited proposals to address the box 3 tax, lower air passenger tax and reduce excise duty. [2]