With March being around the corner it is that time of the year again! Time to gather all your paperwork and send it off to your tax professional, or start preparing your income tax returns yourself.
But wait, how did it all work again?
Who needs to file an income tax return?
Everyone who lives in the Netherlands, and/ or* those who receive money from the Dutch government, employers, insurance or pension pay outs, essentially fall under the Dutch tax laws. If you need to file an income tax return will depend of your personal situation.
* If you live outside the Netherlands, but are enjoying this type of income you will most likely also need to file a Dutch income tax return.
Luckily the Dutch tax authorities (Belastingdienst) take away the most doubt by sending invitations to file an income tax return to you via post or your mijnoverheid.nl account.
But, if you have not received such an invitation by March 1st you most likely are still obliged to file your income tax return if:
- You have received income over which you have not paid wage taxation
(like one off jobs, working as a free lancer/ business owner); - You have received tax allowances, e.g. childcare allowances;
- You are expecting to receive more than €14 Euro back, e.g. when you study, have children, have not worked, but your partner has;
- You are expecting to pay more than €45 Euro to the tax office, e.g. from savings/ assets, benefits or other.
Are you not sure if you should file an income tax return over 2016? Just give the Belastingdienst a quick call at 0800-0543 (only for Dutch speakers) or consult your tax professional.
How do I file my income tax return?
Most income tax returns are filed online as there are only a few exceptions left that need to be submitted in paper form.
When you are planning to file your own income tax return you can do so via Mijn Belastingdienst with your DIGID. Mijn Belastingdienst and its tax forms will only be displayed in Dutch.
If your income tax return is filed before the initial due date the tax office should contact you within 3 months to confirm the numbers in your return, or send you a preliminary assessment (voorlopige aanslag), followed by the confirmation or corrections in your final assessment (definitieve aanslag).
The Dutch tax authorities can come back to change your income tax return within the next 5 calendar years (or longer when filing extensions apply) if it turns out that your income information is not correct.
When do I file my income tax return?
May 1st, 2017 when you have been living in the Netherlands for the entire calendar year of 2016.
If you have not been living here for the full calendar year your return will be due before 1 July 2017.
In most situations it is possible to request an extension if you don’t have your paperwork ready on time.
Thirsty for more?
Would you like to know more about the specifics per income tax box type or your personal deductions? Just keep your eye on www.houseoftax.nl!
In the next few weeks we will publish a series of articles with in dept information about how your income tax return is built up, useful deductions and tips to be well prepared for the tax filing years to come.
By Kim de Jong RBc: Tax Consultant, Money Coach & Founder, http://www.houseoftax.nl
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