Reduction of extraterritorial costs scheme (ETC scheme)
Employers have the option of paying employees a tax-free reimbursement of extraterritorial costs (ET costs) incurred during temporary stays outside their country of origin, as part of their employment. The government proposes to reduce this ETC scheme. As from 2026, according to this reduction, the additional costs for living expenses, including costs for gas, water, electricity and other utilities, will be excluded as ET costs that can be reimbursed or provided tax-free. From 2026, calling costs for private purposes with the country of origin will be excluded as ET costs as well.
The government considers it desirable for the ETC scheme to solely apply to ET costs directly related to employment and not already factored into the employee’s salary. Likewise, the government states that the reduction of the ETC scheme is in line with a more targeted labour migration policy, even though the impact is expected to be limited.
Employees who are seconded abroad by a withholding agent (seconded employees) will continue to be eligible for a tax-free reimbursement of additional living expenses and calling costs for private purposes.
The expatriate scheme will not be reduced any further beyond the previously implemented reduction from 30% to 27% effective from 1 January 2027. This meets the Dutch business community’s desire to maintain a stable expatriate scheme.
Pseudo final levy on non-zero-emission lease cars
In making the passenger car fleet more sustainable and to meet Dutch climate targets, the government has decided to introduce a pseudo final levy at a rate of 12%. This will apply to the value of fossil fuel passenger cars that employers make available to their employees. Two groups are distinguished in this respect. The first group regards passenger cars that employers also make available for private use, including commuter traffic. The second group regards passenger cars that employers make available exclusively for business purposes. The pseudo final levy does not apply to the latter group. Delivery vans, too, are excluded from the scope of the pseudo final levy.
The first time when the pseudo final levy will be payable for fossil fuel passenger cars made available by the employer for private purposes will be on or after 1 January 2027. If an employer has already provided one of its employees with a passenger car that can also be used for private purposes before 2027, a transition period will apply until 17 September 2030. After the transitional period, the pseudo final levy will apply to all fossil fuel passenger cars that are also made available for private purposes.
Discount on additional tax liability for private use of electric cars
The general percentage of the catalogue value to be added to one’s income for the private use of a company car is 22% of the catalogue value on an annual basis. However, for electric cars, a 5% discount will still apply in 2025, capped at EUR 1,500. The additional tax liability thus arrives at 17% for a catalogue value of EUR 30,000. Although this discount was to be abolished immediately in 2026, on the back of an amendment adopted by the House of Representatives a more gradual phase-out has now been opted for. Hence, for electric cars purchased in 2026 and 2027, a discount of 4 percentage points (2026) and 2 percentage points (2027), respectively, will be applied, capped at EUR 1,200 (2026) and EUR 600 (2027), respectively. This will bring the additional tax liability to 18% in 2026 and 20% in 2027, at any rate to a catalogue value of EUR 30,000. The regular additional tax liability of 22% will subsequently apply to the excess amount. The decisive factor is the date of the car’s first registration on the road. The discount applicable at that time can then be applied for a maximum of 60 months. From 2028 onwards, no discount will apply to cars purchased.
This will be covered financially by tightening the so-called ‘youngtimer scheme’. In 2025, cars that were first registered more than 15 years ago will be subject to an additional tax liability of 35%, but calculated over the market value. In 2026, this age limit will rise to 16 years and even to 25 years in 2027.
Clarification of bicycle scheme
An addition for wage tax purposes applies to the provision of bicycles (whether non-electric or electric) that are also available for private purposes. According to the clarification, when a shared bicycle is occasionally used for private purposes this addition is set at zero. This applies, for example, to hub, service, public transport and other types of shared bicycles used for commuter traffic and other business trips.
It is proposed that the zero addition for a bicycle made available should take effect retroactively to 1 January 2020, i.e., the date on which the addition came into effect. For bicycles made available that are parked at the employee’s home or place of residence no more than incidentally, a zero addition will also apply with retroactive effect to 1 January 2020.
RVU threshold exemption will become structural
The RVU threshold exemption (‘RVU’ refers to the early retirement scheme, or Regeling Vervroegd Uittreden) will be continued structurally from 2026 onwards and will include benchmark dates. The first benchmark date is in 2028. In making the RVU more accessible to employees whose income is low or who have a small supplementary pension, it is proposed to increase the current threshold amount (in net terms equal to a net state pension benefit) by EUR 300 per month. It is also proposed to gradually increase the rate of the pseudo final levy for an RVU in excess of the RVU threshold exemption: 57.7% in 2026, 64% in 2027 and 65% in 2028.
Extension of bracket limit for R&D tax credit (WBSO)
Since 1 January 2025, the percentage of the R&D tax credit has been 36% up to a base amount of EUR 380,000. The percentage is 16% for excess amounts. The House of Representatives has adopted an amendment for a one-time indexation of the bracket limit by 2.9% as of 1 January 2026, bringing it to EUR 391,020. The indexation will be covered by a surplus on the budget available for the R&D tax credit (WBSO), realised in 2024.
Start-ups and scale-ups
Effective from 1 January 2027, a tax scheme is expected to be included for wage tax purposes that provides for a narrowing of the tax base to 65% of the income from share options for employees of start-ups and scale-ups. This will impact the Box 1 levy for personal income tax purposes and make the effective tax comparable to the situation in which the share options would be taxed in Box 2. However, this measure is not part of the 2026 Tax Plan but will be submitted to the House of Representatives at a later stage through a separate bill.