Netherlands | Neotax

FAQ

• 1. I worked in the Netherlands and paid taxes. Do I file a tax return?
  • Everybody who works abroad has to pay income tax. Under certain conditions, you can refund some of the taxes you (your employer) paid. We refund income tax from the Netherlands.

• 2. What does “tax refund” mean?
  • A refund means that your employer paid more taxes on your behalf than was necessary, and you can claim the excess money back. By filing a tax return, you are actually reporting to the Dutch Tax Office how much you earned as gross income and how much you paid in taxes while you stayed in the Netherlands.

• 3. Why do some agencies claim that they will refund MORE tax overpayment for you than the others?
  • There is no such a thing as “more refund” on your taxes. Be careful, because this might be a marketing trick to attract you to sign a contract. If a tax specialist does your tax return properly, according to the Dutch tax law, the refund can be calculated in only one possible way! If an agency applies tax deductions that you are NOT entitled to, your refund will increase on one hand (you will get back more money), but you are at a very high risk that you will have to pay it back to the Tax Office.

• 4. How much taxes are paid from your income?
  • Tax rates 2019

• 5. What documents do you need for your tax refund?
  • In order to get your income tax refund as quickly as possible and to apply for the highest amount, you need to have:

    • Jaaropgave (earning document) - it is also possible to use the last payslip, which indicates the cumulative amounts you received in the given tax year
    • EHP document proving your income in your home country (we need the original signed and stamped by your local tax office in your home country)
    • Marriage Certificate + Birth Certificate of your children (if applicable)
    • Copy of your ID (and your spouse’s, if applicable)
    • Power of Attorney (we need the original signed by you)

• 6. What is a Jaaropgave?
  • The Jaaropgave is a form that each employer has to give to his employees at the end of the year. The form reports the employee's annual wage and the taxes withheld from each paycheck.

• 7. What is the Burgerservicenummer (or Sofinummer)?
  • The Burgerservicenummer (BSN) is a nine-digit number issued to Dutch citizens, permanent residents or temporary workers. Its primary purpose is to track individuals for the purposes of taxation. The BSN proves that the employee is working legally.

• 8. What if you do not have all the necessary documents?
  • Unfortunately, without a Jaaropgave (or your last payslip) it is not possible to submit a tax return. If you do not have a Jaaropgave, you need to request it from your employer (or we can do it for you - find more about our Replacement service here).

• 9. How many years back can I file my tax refund?
  • According to the Dutch tax office, you can go back as far as 5 years from the year in which you apply.

• 10. How long does it take to get my tax refund?
  • On average it takes 3 to 6 months for the tax returns to be processed by the tax offices and a few more weeks after processing until you get an income tax refund. The actual time may vary on a case by case basis.

• 11. When is the deadline for filing the tax return?
  • The deadline for non-resident tax payers is 1 July. It is possible to file the tax return up to 5 years after the taxable year in question.

• 12. Why is your tax calculation different from the actual Tax Office calculation?
  • In some cases, tax officials calculate the tax on your Tax Return higher or lower than the Tax Office shows in the final calculation. What are the most frequent causes?

    • The Tax Office had different data on your record (your employer reported different data than you have on your Jaaropgave)
    • Your employer wrongly paid more/less than necessary
    • You may have some debt/overpayment from previous years.