Eerenberg: cabinet is close to taxing labour too heavily
State secretary Eerenberg says the cabinet must take care not to tax work too heavily, as he seeks a deal with the opposition on his tax plan within three weeks.
State secretary (a junior minister) Eerenberg of D66 has warned that the cabinet must be careful not to tax labour too heavily. "We are very close to that point" ("We zitten heel dicht bij dat punt"), he said in his weekly interview.
Eerenberg said he is not "deaf" to the criticism of the plans.
He expects to reach an agreement with the opposition within the next three weeks. The aim is for his tax plan (belastingplan) to have a majority in the Tweede Kamer, the lower house of parliament, at the end of the year.
Guide: Dutch income tax brackets and rates 2026
Tweede Kamer
The House of Representatives, the lower and more powerful house of the Dutch parliament. Its 150 members are elected directly; it can amend bills and holds the cabinet to account.
D66 (Democraten 66)
D66 is a Dutch progressive liberal political party, represented in the Tweede Kamer, the lower house of parliament. In this article, state secretary Eerenberg is a D66 politician, so his remarks reflect the views of a party that holds a seat in the cabinet.
belastingplan
The belastingplan is the annual tax bill the government submits to parliament, setting tax rates and rules for the coming year. It must win a majority in the Tweede Kamer before it can take effect, so the cabinet often needs support from parties outside the coalition to pass it.