Cabinet needs another week to win majority for tax plan
State Secretary Eelco Eerenberg told the Tweede Kamer he wants to send changes to the Belastingplan, the Tax Plan that sets how the government raises money next year, by next Monday at the latest, after talks with opposition parties.
The cabinet needs one more week to come up with a Belastingplan that can count on a majority, State Secretary for Finance Eelco Eerenberg (D66) told the Tweede Kamer on Monday. He wants to send MPs a letter with changes to the plan by next Monday at the latest.
The Tweede Kamer votes on the plan on 12 November. The Eerste Kamer, the Senate, votes before the end of the year.
Talks in the coming days are with at least BBB, JA21, SGP, ChristenUnie, Pro and Volt. The cabinet again says it aims for broad support from left and right, at least 100 seats. Eerenberg said the talks are ones “you can now really call negotiations”.
Pro and Volt want a substantial cut in the tax burden on labour, which the cabinet is raising by €7.8bn in the coming years, in exchange for higher taxes on wealth. Eerenberg said lower tax on labour can be discussed, but for 2027 he only wants to talk about a cut of €350m.
Other parties are raising issues beyond tax. BBB wants the cabinet’s nitrogen plan revised. JA21 leader Joost Eerdmans wants it in writing that the cabinet will drop the spreidingswet, the asylum dispersal law. SGP wants a law institutionalising surrogacy withdrawn.
In the debate, Luc Stultiens (Pro) called it “very strange” that MPs are still debating a draft plan two weeks before the vote. He called it “bizarre” that Eerenberg leaves part of the tax increases out of the discussion, but said he is willing to think along. Chris Stoffer (SGP) noted that no steps were taken in the past two weeks and asked why there should be confidence it will work out in 2.5 weeks.
More on cabinet and parliament · taxes and benefits
Guide: Dutch income tax brackets and rates 2026
Follow the story: Spreidingswet
Spreidingswet
The law that spreads the reception of asylum seekers across Dutch municipalities. Each province and municipality is asked to provide a share of the places; a municipality that does not can be placed under supervision and, in the end, instructed by the minister.
Belastingplan
The Belastingplan (tax plan) is the annual bill in which the Dutch cabinet sets out its proposed changes to taxes and levies for the coming year, such as tax rates, tax brackets and allowances. It is submitted to the Tweede Kamer (House of Representatives), which must approve it before the changes can take effect. It is normally presented together with the national budget on Prinsjesdag, the third Tuesday of September.