Municipal Taxes

Once you start living in the Netherlands, you will inevitably have to get to grips with the numerous different taxes and levies that will be sent your way. Although it may be somewhat confusing at first, it's important to know which ones you need to pay, which ones you don't, and, importantly, where to go if you have any problems with the taxes you are requested to pay.

Aside from your annual tax return, which you can learn more about on our Taxes page, some other important taxes you will be asked to pay include the waste collection charge, the sewage charge (if you own the property), property taxes (if you own the property), and water taxes. The first three form part of the municipal taxes (gemeentelijke belastingen), and they are collected by your municipality.

Waste Collection Charge & Sewage Charge

The waste collection charge covers the collection and processing of all your outgoing household waste throughout the calendar year. If you own the property then you will also have to pay the sewage charge as part of this waste collection - tenants will only be billed for the general waste collection and not the sewage charge. You will receive the bill for this waste collection charge in the first two weeks of February. You can learn more about this waste collection charge on the Dutch Government's website.

Property Taxes

If you own a property in the Netherlands, then you will also be charged property taxes. This is calculated based on the value of your home, and will vary from municipality to municipality. These taxes will also be sent as part of your overall municipal taxes in the first two weeks of February. You can learn more about property taxes on the Dutch Government's website. 

Water Taxes

There are several types of water taxes you will be asked to pay throughout the year. One of these is the water board tax, which contribute to maintaining the dykes and managing other bodies of water. Two other water taxes are the pollution and the purification taxes, which contribute to maintaining water quality. You will only have to pay the pollution tax if you are not connected to the sewage network, whereas the purification tax is for properties that are connected to the sewage network. You can learn more about some of these water taxes on the Dutch Government's page on Paying Water Authority Tax.

Changing Address in the Netherlands

If you change your address in the Netherlands, then you will not have to pay municipal taxes for the entire year for both addresses. Instead, by notifying the municipality of your change of address, your move should be taken into account when deciding the amount of municipal taxes you will have to pay. You should receive a letter approximately 6 weeks after your move informing you of any changes in your municipal taxes.

If you're interested in learning more about municipal taxes, then why not visit Belastingsamenwerking Gouwe-Rijnland's (BSGR) website via the link below? BSGR collect taxes on behalf of the municipalities of Leiden, Leiderdorp, Voorschoten, Zoeterwoude, and many other municipalities in the Leiden region. They have more information on their website about each of the taxes, as well as how to pay, and what to do if you have a question about the municipal taxes you have been requested to pay.