Transfer tax in 2026: 2%, 8% and the starter exemption
In 2026 you pay 2% transfer tax on a home you live in, 0% if you are under 35 and it is worth up to €555,000, and 8% on a home you rent out.
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Guides and answers
Practical guides for internationals in the Netherlands.
The M-form explained: your tax return for the year you move
The M return covers the year you arrive in or leave the Netherlands, splitting it into a resident and a non-resident period. You can file it online in Mijn Belastingdienst.
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Your 2026 tax return: the 1 May 2027 deadline and extensions
File your 2026 return before 1 May 2027, or the date in your letter. File before 1 April to hear by 1 July; an extension requested before 1 May runs to 1 September.
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NHG in 2026: the mortgage guarantee explained for expats
NHG covers loans up to €470,000 in 2026 (€498,200 with energy-saving measures) for a one-off fee of 0.4%. You need qualifying residence and must live in the home.
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Buying with a partner when only one of you has the ruling
Lenders add both test incomes and use the percentage for the total, with the second income counting in full. What each income consists of decides the rest.
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Leaving the Netherlands: the tax side, step by step
Deregister at most 5 days before you go, file the M return for your last year, and expect the 30% ruling, most benefits and your Dutch health insurance to end.
, 9 min read
How Dutch lenders set your maximum mortgage as an expat
Two legal limits apply: a share of your gross income from the 2026 Nibud table, and 100% of the home's value. The lower one is your maximum.
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Fixed or variable mortgage rate: how Dutch rates work
A fixed rate stays put for an agreed period; a variable one can change. Periods under ten years are stress-tested at the AFM rate (5% or more), which can lower what you can borrow.
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Energy label and your mortgage: extra borrowing in 2026
In 2026 a lender may add €0 to €40,000 to your borrowing for the home's energy label, up to €20,000 more for energy-saving measures, and lend up to 106% of value for them.
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The costs of buying a house in the Netherlands in 2026
On top of the price you pay transfer tax, the notary, the Kadaster, a valuation and an adviser. You can't borrow above the home's value, so these come from savings.
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Childcare benefit in 2026: who qualifies and how much you get
If you both work and use registered childcare, you get 36.5% to 96% of up to €11.23 an hour back in 2026. Apply within 3 months of the care starting.
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Buying a house in the Netherlands, step by step
Budget, adviser, bid, written purchase agreement with three days to cancel, conditions, valuation, 10% deposit, 14-day mortgage offer, then the notary and the keys.
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