2027 tax plan still lacks majority days before final vote

Bas Paternotte (D66), Ruben Brekelmans (VVD) and Henri Bontenbal (CDA) are each approaching opposition parties separately, rather than together, to find a way out of the problems around the 2027 tax plan (belastingplan). The three held their first talks on Thursday morning.

The plan, which contains the tax measures for 2027, has no majority yet. The debate resumes on Tuesday and the final votes are next Thursday. Time is short because the Tax Administration needs time to load the new rules into its systems.

The leaders will confer every morning on how the talks are going. They hope to know early next week how to win enough support in the Tweede Kamer and, preferably, in the Eerste Kamer (Senate) too.

The wealth tax divide

Opposition parties PRO and Volt want €1.5bn shifted from tax on labour to tax on wealth. The VVD rejects this as contrary to the coalition agreement and bad for the business climate, fearing companies will leave. D66 and CDA have less difficulty with it. PRO leader Jesse Klaver said he is not inclined to water the proposal down further; his party has already made significant concessions.

JA21, BBB and the SGP are acting as a bloc and have added demands on asylum policy, surrogacy, abortion and nitrogen policy, which the cabinet does not want to grant. The ChristenUnie, 50Plus and the Markuszower group are willing to vote for the plan, but that still leaves no majority in the Eerste Kamer.

Earlier attempts by the minority cabinet of Prime Minister Jetten to win opposition backing failed. Early this week it presented a plan that included wishes of several opposition parties, but it still did not win the support it needed.

What happens next

• Tuesday: the debate on the tax plan continues
• Thursday next week: final votes on the tax plan