What Is Box 3 Wealth?
Box 3 is the part of Dutch income tax on your savings and investments.¹ Is your total above the tax-free allowance? Then you pay tax in Box 3. Your own home belongs in Box 1, not Box 3.
Your real return does not count: the Belastingdienst (the Dutch tax authority) assumes a fixed deemed return per type of asset. For many people the deemed return is higher than what they actually earned. Since the rulings by the Hoge Raad (the Dutch Supreme Court) in 2024 you may report your actual return instead. You then pay the lower of the two amounts.
This page explains how Box 3 works. It is not personal advice about your situation. Did you arrive in or leave the Netherlands this year? Your Box 3 position for that year needs separate checking. Read more about your Box 3 position in an arrival or departure year. Do you have the 30% ruling? Have your Box 3 scope checked separately.
In short
Box 3 taxes your savings and investments, not your salary or your own home.
The Box 3 rate is 36% in 2025 and 2026.
The Belastingdienst applies a deemed return. In 2026 savings count at 1.28% (provisional). Investments count at 6.00%.
You pay nothing up to €59,357.² With a fiscal partner that is €118,714.
Actual return reporting can be worthwhile, but the tax-free allowance does not apply.
The bill to tax actual returns from 1 January 2028 is still waiting for a Senate vote.
Your residency decides the scope. Are you a Dutch tax resident? Then your savings and property abroad count too. Not resident? Then usually only your Dutch property counts.
Which Assets Fall in Box 3?
Box 3 covers your savings, investments and other assets above the tax-free allowance. Your bank balances count, in the Netherlands and abroad. So do shares and ETFs, crypto, a second home or rental property and other investments. Debts reduce your taxable assets above the debt threshold shown in the table below. Your pension falls outside Box 3.
Some assets have their own rules. We cover crypto tax in a separate guide. A holiday home has its own page, see renting out your own house. And green investments enjoy a partial exemption, which we explain in the article on green investments. These rules apply if you are a Dutch tax resident. Your residency status decides which assets count here. Foreign property counts too, and you then claim double-tax relief under the treaty.
Now you know what counts. Below you can see the percentages and thresholds the Belastingdienst uses.
| Figure | 2025 | 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Box 3 tax rate | 36% | 36% |
| Deemed return: savings | 1.37% | 1.28%(provisional) |
| Deemed return: investments and other assets | 5.88% | 6.00%(fixed) |
| Deemed return: debts | 2.70% | 2.70%(provisional) |
| Tax-free allowance per person | €57,684 | €59,357 |
| Tax-free allowance with fiscal partner | €115,368 | €118,714 |
| Debt threshold per person | €3,800 | €3,800 |
| Debt threshold with fiscal partner | €7,600 | €7,600 |
The table also shows that two of the 2026 percentages are still provisional. For our example of €40,000 in savings and €30,000 in investments, three figures matter most: the deemed return on savings, on investments and the tax-free allowance. With a fiscal partner you divide your joint Box 3 wealth in the tax return. A fiscal partner is usually your spouse or registered partner. Before we work through the full calculation, a short note on those provisional rates.
How Are Box 3 Assets Taxed?
The Belastingdienst starts with your assets and debts on 1 January. It applies a deemed return to each category. Your real interest, dividends, rent or gains do not count. In our example you have no debts, only €40,000 in savings and €30,000 in investments. You may hold part of these savings at a foreign bank. That changes nothing in this calculation. Below you can see the 2026 calculation step by step.
| Step | Calculation | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Savings | €40,000 × 1.28% | €512 |
| Investments | €30,000 × 6.00% | €1,800 |
| Total deemed return | €512 + €1,800 | €2,312 |
| Total wealth | €40,000 + €30,000 | €70,000 |
| Wealth above tax-free allowance | €70,000 − €59,357 | €10,643 |
| Your share above the allowance | €10,643 ÷ €70,000 | 15.204% |
| Taxable Box 3 advantage | €2,312 × 15.204% | approx. €352 |
| Box 3 tax | €352 × 36% | approx. €127 |
In this example you pay approximately €127 in Box 3 tax for 2026. So what can you do about it? You may report your actual return instead.
Can You Pay Tax on Your Actual Return?
Yes. You may report your actual return instead of the deemed return. Your Box 3 tax can end up higher than your real return. If your actual return gives a lower tax, you may report it. The Belastingdienst then uses that lower amount. This is called the opgaaf werkelijk rendement, the actual-return report, abbreviated OWR.³ Your actual return is everything you genuinely earned on your wealth: interest on savings, dividends, rental income and value changes, including unrealised gains you have not yet sold.³ Was your savings rate low, or did your investments fall in value? Then your actual return could be lower than the deemed return. Compare the tax on both routes, because only the deemed return gets the allowance.
Watch the exceptions. Not everything is deductible. Transaction costs, bank fees and maintenance costs on property do not count. Two items do count: interest on a Box 3 debt and an investment that raised your second home's WOZ value (the official property value your municipality sets each year). Prior-year losses do not carry over either. When calculating actual return, the tax-free allowance does not apply.³
For the full explanation of which tax years apply, see the OWR guide. For the full Box 3 calculation and OWR mechanics in depth, see the full Box 3 guide.
Is Box 3 Changing in 2028?
That is not settled yet. Your actual return is meant to be taxed from 1 January 2028. The bill is still waiting for a Senate vote. In September 2026 the cabinet proposed an amendment. It would tax gains on shares, bonds and other financial instruments only when you sell them. Parliament has not yet decided on it. Source for the amendment: eerstekamer.nl, cabinet letter of 29 September 2026 (accessed 4 October 2026). For now this does not change your 2026 filing. Box 3 for 2027 stays as it is. You can still prove a lower actual return.
What to Do Now
Collect your balances and values as at 1 January. Add up your savings, investments and debts. Work out the deemed return with the table above. The tax-free allowance does not apply to actual return. Work out the taxable amount for both routes. Report the lower taxable outcome in your tax return. For actual return you also need your values on 31 December and your income received.
“Many people are surprised that Box 3 calculates with a return they may never have earned. The good news: you can report your actual return.”
1 belastingdienst.nl, Berekening Box 3-inkomen 2026 · Accessed
2 rijksoverheid.nl, Belastingplan 2026, heffingsvrij vermogen Box 3 · Accessed
3 belastingdienst.nl, Opgaaf werkelijk rendement, Box 3 werkelijk rendement · Accessed
Common questions about Box 3 wealth
What counts as Box 3 wealth?
Box 3 wealth includes savings, investments, crypto, a second home and other assets. Worldwide wealth counts if you are a Dutch tax resident. Your main home and pension are usually excluded.
How much is the Box 3 rate in 2026?
The Box 3 rate is 36% in 2026. You do not pay 36% on your full wealth. You pay it on the calculated Box 3 advantage (the deemed return on the part above the tax-free allowance).
How much Box 3 wealth is tax-free in 2026?
The tax-free allowance (heffingsvrij vermogen) is €59,357 per person in 2026. With a fiscal partner the combined allowance is €118,714. You pay no Box 3 tax on wealth below that threshold.
Is my main home Box 3 wealth?
No. The home you live in is usually taxed in Box 1, not Box 3. A second home, holiday home or rental property usually falls in Box 3.
Do my overseas investments count toward Box 3?
Yes. If you are a Dutch tax resident, your worldwide investments count toward Box 3. That applies to shares or ETFs held at a foreign broker too. Foreign property may be treated differently under tax treaties. You still report the property and then claim double-tax relief.
Does crypto fall in Box 3?
Yes. Crypto is treated as an investment in Box 3. You report the market value of your crypto holdings on 1 January. For 2026 the deemed return for this category is 6.00%, fixed, not provisional.
Can I report my actual return?
Yes. If your actual return leads to a lower Box 3 tax, you can report it. With the actual-return report (opgaaf werkelijk rendement, OWR), the Belastingdienst uses the lower amount. Compare the tax on both routes first, since actual return gets no tax-free allowance.
What counts as actual return?
Interest, dividends, rent and value changes all count, including unrealised paper gains. Bank fees, transaction costs and property maintenance costs are not deductible. Two exceptions apply: interest on a Box 3 debt and an investment that raised your second home's WOZ value. Prior-year losses do not carry over. There is no tax-free allowance when calculating actual return. WOZ value is the official property value your municipality sets each year.
Will Box 3 change in 2028?
That is not settled yet, because parliament still has to decide. The bill still needs a Senate vote. The cabinet has since proposed taxing gains on shares, bonds and other financial instruments only when you sell them.
