Healthcare allowance (zorgtoeslag)
A monthly contribution toward your Dutch health insurance premium. Most single people on a modest income qualify.
Allowances in the Netherlands, explained
Health insurance, rent, childcare, children: the Dutch government helps with each through a monthly allowance. Here is how they work, who qualifies and where to go next.
Written by
Menno van der MadeHead of Tax - Tax Consultant
Reviewed by
Jessy te PaskeHead of Client Success
Updated 3 August 2026
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Fact-checked against
Read our editorial standards- belastingdienst.nl (the Dutch Tax Administration)
- rijksoverheid.nl (the Dutch central government)
Updated 3 August 2026
Dutch tax system
What are Dutch allowances?
A toeslag is a monthly allowance from the Dutch government toward a specific cost. It helps with health insurance or rent. It also helps with childcare or the cost of raising children. It is not a tax deduction. Dienst Toeslagen pays it monthly and in advance. That service is part of the Belastingdienst. The amount is based on the income you expect to earn. Once the year is over it settles the final amount.
Four allowances exist. Healthcare allowance runs to a maximum of €129 a month for one person. With a toeslagpartner the maximum is €246 a month. That is the partner whose income counts alongside yours. Rent allowance, childcare allowance and the child budget each help with their own cost.
Most allowances have a capital limit, and the limits are not the same. Healthcare allowance and the child budget allow savings and investments up to €146,011. With a toeslagpartner that limit is €184,633. Rent allowance is far stricter. Its capital limit is €38,479 on your own and €76,958 with a toeslagpartner. Childcare allowance has no capital limit at all. The Belastingdienst measures your capital on 1 January. So your position on New Year's Day decides the whole year. Assets abroad count too.
2026 moved several rules. Rent allowance lost its maximum rent ceiling, so a higher rent can still qualify. Service costs no longer count toward the rent. The youth age limit dropped from 23 to 21. See the rent allowance page for what this age limit decides. Childcare allowance also covers a larger share of your costs in 2026. If an allowance was out of reach before, it is worth another look.
You qualify if you live in the Netherlands and are registered with your municipality. Your registration date decides when you can claim. Deregistering ends it. Both the income and the capital of your toeslagpartner count.
The four allowances
Which allowance is yours?
Each allowance covers a different cost. Health insurance and rent are the two most people miss. Childcare and children's costs add up fast for families. Start with the one that matches your bill.
Rent allowance (huurtoeslag)
Help with your rent when your income and your capital are not too high.
Childcare allowance (kinderopvangtoeslag)
A share of your daycare or after-school costs, back each month.
Child budget (kindgebonden budget)
An extra amount on top of child benefit (kinderbijslag), for the cost of raising children. It depends on your income and your capital.
Shared rules
The rules that decide all four
Your income, your partner and your capital decide what you get. Your capital is measured on 1 January, your income over the whole year. Capital counts for three of the four allowances, never for childcare allowance. Get one of them wrong and Dienst Toeslagen reclaims the money later. That is where most surprises come from. These are the rules the four allowances share.
Report a change on time
Your allowance is based on your estimated income. Report a change and you avoid a bill at the end of the year.
The capital-test exception
Some capital can be left out of the test in special situations. This explains when the exception applies.
Assets and the capital limit
Three of the four allowances set a capital limit for your savings and investments. Childcare allowance sets none.
Toeslagpartner or tax partner?
A toeslagpartner is not always the same person as your tax partner. The difference changes what you get.
Get help
Let us review your situation
We look at whether you qualify and whether your full situation is set up right. Toeslagen use the same income and capital picture as your tax return. So one conversation usually covers both. Your toeslagpartner can be someone other than your tax partner. We do not file the application for you, but we make sure the numbers behind it are correct. You apply for each allowance yourself at Dienst Toeslagen with your DigiD. DigiD is the national login you get after registering with your municipality. Pick the help that fits your question.
Your Dutch tax return
We file your return and review every credit and deduction, so your figures are right before an allowance relies on them.
Calculate your allowance
The Belastingdienst has an online calculation (proefberekening) for every allowance. It gives an estimate from your own figures.
Replies within one working day
“Most people assume they earn too much to get anything. Often they do not. The rules moved in 2026, and a lot of households qualify now who did not before. We work out your real position before you apply.”
Menno van der Made
Tax advisor
EN · NL
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Frequently asked
Allowance questions, answered
The questions we hear most about Dutch allowances. Yours not here? Ask your advisor
What is a toeslag in simple terms?
It is a monthly payment from the Dutch government that helps with one particular cost. There are four: health insurance, rent, childcare and children's costs. Dienst Toeslagen pays it in advance and settles the final amount after the year.
Which allowances can I get as a non-Dutch resident?
All four are open to you if you live and are registered in the Netherlands and meet the conditions. Your nationality does not decide it. Your income, your partner and your capital do. Your registration date with the municipality decides from when you can claim. You stop qualifying once you deregister and leave. Your income counts wherever you earn it, in the Netherlands or abroad.
Do my assets abroad count?
Yes. Your worldwide savings and investments count toward the capital limit. The Belastingdienst measures them on 1 January. A savings account or a home abroad can push you over the limit for the whole year. Childcare allowance is the exception, because it has no capital limit.
What is a toeslagpartner?
A toeslagpartner is the person whose income and capital the Belastingdienst counts alongside yours. It is often your fiscal partner, but not always. Who counts affects both your eligibility and your amount.
What happens if I earn more than I estimated?
Dienst Toeslagen reclaims the overpaid amount after the year. Your allowance is based on an estimate, so a pay rise or a bonus can mean paying money back. Report the change on time and you avoid the bill.
Did the allowance rules change in 2026?
Yes, mostly in your favour. Rent allowance no longer has a maximum rent ceiling. The youth age limit fell from 23 to 21. Childcare cover went up. A separate plan for near-free childcare is expected around 2029, but it is a proposal and not yet final. The rent allowance page explains what that age limit changes.
Can TaxSavers arrange my allowance for me?
We advise on your allowances and confirm that your income picture is right, rather than filing the application itself. Because toeslagen draw on the same figures as your tax return, we make sure those figures are correct before you apply.
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