Netherlands Financial Sector Tax Guide

Bankenbelasting — Bank Tax

• 0.044% on liabilities: The bank tax (bankenbelasting) applies to all banks with a license from DNB (De Nederlandsche Bank). The tax base is total liabilities (the sum of all liabilities on the balance sheet) minus: (a) Tier 1 and Tier 2 capital (regulatory capital), (b) covered deposits (deposits insured under the DGS — Depositogarantiestelsel, up to €100,000 per depositor per bank), and (c) specific liabilities such as derivative liabilities and insurance technical provisions. The standard rate is 0.044% of the tax base (2026). The bank tax is payable annually — the bank must file the bankenbelasting-aangifte by 1 June of the following year.
• 0.022% surcharge on short-term liabilities: An additional surcharge of 0.022% applies to short-term liabilities (liabilities with an original maturity of <1 year). The surcharge is designed to discourage short-term funding and promote stable long-term funding (the LCR — Liquidity Coverage Ratio — and NSFR — Net Stable Funding Ratio — alignment). The combined rate for short-term liabilities is 0.066%.
• Exempt banks: The following are exempt from the bank tax: (a) the Nederlandse Bank (DNB), (b) pension funds (PF's) that hold a banking license for limited activities, (c) clearing institutions, and (d) banks in liquidation. The bank tax does not apply to branches of non-EU banks (the branch is not a separate legal entity for Dutch tax purposes).

Insurance Premium Tax (Assurantiebelasting)

• 21% on non-life premiums: Insurance premium tax (assurantiebelasting) is levied at 21% on gross insurance premiums paid by a policyholder resident in the Netherlands. The tax applies to: motor insurance (WA, casco), property insurance (opstal, inboedel), liability insurance (aansprakelijkheidsverzekering), legal assistance insurance (rechtsbijstand), travel insurance, and health insurance (aanvullende verzekering — supplementary health insurance). The basic health insurance (basisverzekering) is exempt from assurancebelasting. The insurer must collect the tax and pay it to the Belastingdienst quarterly.
• Exempt insurance types: Life insurance (levensverzekering), reinsurance (herverzekering), transport insurance (transportverzekering — marine, air, and land cargo), export credit insurance, and insurance for large risks (in the EU definition — large risks that are not subject to mandatory insurance are exempt from assurancebelasting). The exemption reflects the EU Insurance Directive — the Netherlands cannot impose premium tax on reinsurance or life insurance.

Pension Fund Taxation — Vrijgestelde Beleggingsinstelling

• VBI — exempt from Vpb: Dutch pension funds are structured as vrijgestelde beleggingsinstellingen (VBI — exempt investment institutions). The pension fund's investment income (dividends, interest, rental income, capital gains) is exempt from corporate tax (Vpb). The VBI must meet specific conditions: (a) the fund must be exclusively or almost exclusively focused on investing (the beleggingstoets — the investment test), (b) the fund must not conduct an enterprise (the ondernemingstoets — the enterprise test — the fund cannot trade or conduct active business), and (c) the fund must distribute its profits annually (the uitdelingsverplichting — the distribution requirement, unless the profits are reinvested under the VBI regime). The VBI regime is used by pension funds, insurance companies for their investment portfolio, and investment funds (beleggingsfondsen) that meet the conditions.

Securities Transaction Tax — Beursbelasting

• 0.2% on exchange-traded securities: The Netherlands applies a securities transaction tax (beursbelasting — wet op het effectenverkeer) of 0.2% on the transfer of securities (shares, bonds, options, warrants) traded on a regulated Dutch exchange (Euronext Amsterdam). The tax is payable by the seller (the verkoper) and is collected by the broker. The tax is capped at €800 per transaction (the maximum per transfer). The beursbelasting does NOT apply to: OTC trades (off-exchange), derivatives traded on non-Dutch exchanges, and securities issued by non-Dutch entities. The Netherlands does not impose a general financial transaction tax (the EU FTT proposal was abandoned).

Bank Guarantee Requirement (Bancaire Zekerheidstelling)

• VAT guarantee for foreign banks: Foreign financial institutions (non-EU banks) making taxable supplies in the Netherlands may be required to provide a bancaire zekerheidstelling (bank guarantee) to the Belastingdienst for VAT purposes. The guarantee covers potential VAT liabilities — the Belastingdienst requires the guarantee if the foreign institution has a history of late VAT payments or if the VAT liability is expected to exceed €10,000 per year. The guarantee is typically a bank guarantee issued by a Dutch bank (ABN AMRO, ING, Rabobank) or a foreign bank with a Dutch branch. The guarantee amount is calculated as 110% of the expected annual VAT liability.

For the full banking and savings box 3 treatment, see our Banking and Savings Tax Guide →. For the insurance sector, including the 21% VAT insurance intermediary rules and the insurance box, see our Insurance Tax Guide →. For the pension fund rules, including the WTP (Wet toekomst pensioenen) and the DC transition, see our Pension Guide →. For the fintech and payment institution rules, including the small payment institution exemption (vrijstelling voor kleine betaalinstellingen), see our Fintech and Payment Institutions Guide →.