How is a second home taxed in the Netherlands?
A second home brings two national taxes. Buying it triggers transfer tax, the overdrachtsbelasting.³ Owning it puts the home in Box 3, the Dutch tax on your wealth.¹ Local taxes come on top.
Your main home works differently. The home you live in falls in Box 1, the Dutch tax on income from work and your main home.¹ Box 1 has its own rules and its own mortgage-interest deduction.¹ A second home never gets that deduction.
A holiday home you own outside the Netherlands also counts in your Dutch return.¹
Take Marco. He lives abroad and owns a holiday home on the Zeeland coast worth €250,000. We follow his tax through the whole page. For the sums, we treat him as a Dutch resident.
In short
Two national taxes. You pay transfer tax once when you buy, and Box 3 tax each year. Local costs can add to that.
8% transfer tax in 2026 on a second home, down from 10.4% in 2025.
Starters exemption never applies to a second home. It is only for a main home you live in yourself.
6.00% deemed return. Box 3 taxes a fixed 6.00% return on the home's value in 2026, not your real gain.
€59,357 is tax-free per person in 2026. You pay Box 3 tax only on wealth above that.
No mortgage-interest deduction on a second home. The loan reduces your Box 3 wealth instead.
Rental income is usually untaxed under the deemed-return system. Extra services can change that.
A home abroad also counts in Box 3, and the Netherlands gives relief to prevent double taxation.
What tax do you pay when you buy a second home?
You pay 8% transfer tax on the purchase price in 2026.³ That is the overdrachtsbelasting, the tax on buying property. You pay 2% on your own home, but a second home does not qualify for that low rate.³
In 2025 the rate was 10.4%, so buying in 2026 is cheaper.³ For other property, like land or business premises, the rate stays 10.4%.³
A notary normally files and pays the transfer tax for you at the transfer.⁴ Bought without a notary? Then you file and pay yourself, within one month of becoming the owner.⁴
For Marco, the 8% falls on his €250,000 holiday home. That is €20,000 in transfer tax, paid once, at purchase.
| Situation | Rate 2026 | Rate 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| Your own home, where you live | 2% | 2% |
| Own home, starter under 35 (main home only) | 0% | 0% |
| Second home, holiday home or home to let | 8% | 10.4% |
| Other property (land, business premises) | 10.4% | 10.4% |
How much Box 3 tax do you pay on a second home each year?
A second home counts in Box 3 every year you own it on 1 January.² Box 3 taxes it on a deemed return of 6.00% in 2026, not on your real gain.² It applies that percentage to the home's value on 1 January of the tax year.²
For a home in the Netherlands you use the WOZ value, the municipal valuation.¹ For tax year 2026 you use the 2026 WOZ decision from your municipality.¹ That decision values your home on 1 January 2025, one year earlier.¹
The Netherlands taxes this home whether you live here or abroad.⁴ You file the same WOZ value in Box 3 either way.⁴
A loan on a second home brings no mortgage-interest deduction.² Instead, the debt lowers your Box 3 wealth. Only the part above €3,800 counts, the so-called debt threshold.² Above the tax-free allowance of €59,357 per person, you pay 36% on the deemed return.² With a tax partner, the allowance counts double for you together.²
Marco has €20,000 in savings beside the holiday home, and a €100,000 mortgage on it. We tax him like a Dutch resident here, so his savings count too. His Box 3 tax for 2026 comes to about €3,001. Marco's total is a resident calculation, not what a non-resident owner pays.⁵ Here is the full calculation. The table below uses the 2026 deemed returns. Net assets are what you own minus debt above the threshold.
| Step | Calculation | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Second home (deemed return 6.00%) | €250,000 × 6.00% | €15,000 |
| Savings (deemed return 1.28%) | €20,000 × 1.28% | €256 |
| Mortgage, above the €3,800 threshold (2.70%) | €96,200 × 2.70% | −€2,597 |
| Taxable deemed return | €15,000 + €256 − €2,597 | €12,659 |
| Net assets (rendementsgrondslag) | €270,000 − €96,200 | €173,800 |
| Average deemed return | €12,659 ÷ €173,800 | 7.28% (7.2837% before rounding) |
| Wealth above the tax-free allowance | €173,800 − €59,357 | €114,443 |
| Taxable Box 3 advantage | €114,443 × 7.2837% | approx. €8,336 |
| Box 3 tax (36%) | €8,336 × 36% | approx. €3,001 |
Do you pay tax on renting out a second home?
Usually not. Under the deemed-return system, rental income from a second home is normally not taxed on top of Box 3.⁵ You already pay Box 3 on the value of the home, whether it stands empty or full.
Offer hotel-style extras and that can change. Provide meals or bedding to your guests and the income can become taxable.⁵
Marco lets the home a few weeks a year, and nothing changes here. You can read more about letting out a second home on our guide to rental income tax.
How is a holiday home abroad taxed?
A holiday home abroad also falls in Box 3, on the same 6.00% deemed return.¹ You declare its market value in an unoccupied state.¹ That is the value on 1 January of the tax year.¹ For 2026 that means 1 January 2026. For a home in the Netherlands you use the WOZ value instead.¹
The country where the home stands usually taxes it too. To stop you paying twice, the Netherlands gives relief, the aftrek ter voorkoming van dubbele belasting.¹ It lowers the Dutch Box 3 tax on the part that belongs to the foreign home.
What local taxes apply to a second home?
Your municipality charges property tax, the OZB, on the WOZ value every year.⁴ The rate is a percentage of the value, and each municipality sets its own.⁴ There is no national figure.
Some places add more. A forensenbelasting (a second-resident tax) can apply if you keep a furnished home in a municipality where you do not live. A toeristenbelasting (tourist tax) can apply when you let the home to guests. Your municipality tells you what applies.⁴
What is happening to the Box 3 reform?
The 2028 start still stands, but parliament has not decided yet. The bill to tax actual returns in Box 3 from 1 January 2028 is still waiting for a Senate vote.⁶ In September 2026 the cabinet proposed an amendment.⁷ It would tax gains on shares, bonds and other financial instruments only when you sell them. Parliament has not yet decided on it.
Selling your second home at a profit is not taxed today.² We track the reform on our guide to the Box 3 reform.
“People expect a second home to be simple. Then the transfer tax, the Box 3 value and a home abroad all land in the same return. We put the whole picture in order, so you know your one-off cost and your yearly cost before you file.”
What should you do now?
Start by splitting the one-off cost from the yearly cost. The transfer tax is a single 8% bill at purchase.³ The Box 3 tax comes back every year you own the home.²
Own a home in the Netherlands? Then use the WOZ value and expect the yearly Box 3 bill.¹ Own one abroad? Then declare its market value and ask about double-tax relief.¹
A second home rarely stands alone. It pulls in Box 3, a mortgage without a deduction, and sometimes a home in another country. Our page on help with your tax return shows what we take off your hands. For Marco, that means €20,000 once and about €3,001 in Box 3 each year. Your own Box 3 figure depends on where you live. Marco's €3,001 assumes €20,000 in savings, a €100,000 mortgage and tax as a Dutch resident. As a non-resident, his savings would not count in Box 3, so ask us for your own figure.
1 belastingdienst.nl, 2e woning · Accessed
2 belastingdienst.nl, Berekening Box 3-inkomen 2026 · Accessed
3 belastingdienst.nl, Het tarief van de overdrachtsbelasting · Accessed
4 belastingdienst.nl, Holiday home in the Netherlands and tax · Accessed
5 nederlandwereldwijd.nl, Inkomstenbelasting tweede woning in Nederland · Accessed
6 rijksoverheid.nl, Plannen kabinet voor heffing op werkelijk rendement in Box 3 · Accessed
7 eerstekamer.nl, Kamerbrief over Box 3, koopkracht en sociale zekerheid, 30 september 2026 · Accessed
Common questions about second-home tax in the Netherlands
How much transfer tax do you pay on a second home in the Netherlands?
You pay 8% of the purchase price in 2026, down from 10.4% in 2025.³ The 2% own-home rate and the starters exemption do not apply to a second home. A notary normally files and pays the transfer tax for you.⁴
Does the starters exemption apply to a holiday home?
No. The starters exemption is only for a main home you live in yourself.³ You always pay transfer tax on a holiday home or second home, whatever your age.
Can you deduct the mortgage interest on a second home?
No. A loan for a second home gives no Box 1 interest deduction.² The debt comes off your Box 3 wealth instead, but only the part above the €3,800 threshold counts.²
Do you pay tax on renting out your second home?
Usually not, under the deemed-return system.⁵ You already pay Box 3 on the home's value. Offering meals or bedding can make the rent taxable.⁵
How is a holiday home abroad taxed in the Netherlands?
A holiday home abroad counts in Box 3 at its market value on 1 January.¹ The country where it stands usually taxes it too, and the Netherlands gives relief to prevent double taxation.¹ The exact relief depends on the home's value against your Box 3 wealth.
Is a Dutch second home taxed if you live abroad?
Yes. The Netherlands taxes a Dutch second home whether you live here or abroad.⁴ You file the WOZ value in Box 3, and a notary handles the transfer tax at purchase.⁴