NOS News•
The introduction of a new system for the savings tax is likely to be delayed again, says State Secretary Van Rij in an email interview in NRC. The government wants to start levying tax on the actual return on savings and investments in box 3 from 1 January 2026, but according to the State Secretary for Taxation, that date is practically unfeasible.
The original plan in the coalition agreement was to have the new system come into effect from 2025, but last September it became clear that this planning was not realistic. Now the implementation seems to take even longer.
‘Very complicated’
“To be very honest: if the bill is there this summer, and we also want to do an internet consultation, and if you then allocate a year and a half for the legislative process, it will be very complicated to achieve 1 January 2026,” says Van Rij to the newspaper. “Because you also need another year and a half for the implementation.” As a result, it seems that the new levy cannot be introduced until 2027 at the earliest.
Due to the previous postponement, the treasury lost 385 million euros. Whether this time also concerns the same amount, the Ministry of Finance cannot yet say. The House of Representatives will debate the subject in early May and has yet to make a decision on the schedule.
Multiple bottlenecks
The postponement of a new scheme for the savings tax is partly because the modernization of important ICT systems at the Tax and Customs Administration has been delayed. According to Van Rij, broad support is needed to make new legislation. That may take longer than expected. “You’re not going to push through a new wealth tax system.”
In addition, the details of this case were not properly thought through when the current cabinet was formed, says the State Secretary. “If I then ask: have you discussed what a real return is, then the answer is: no, not at all.”
Tax on savings and investments used to be levied on the basis of a notional return, which was the same for everyone. Savers objected to this. The Supreme Court ruled in their favor at the end of 2021.
