Netherlands Capital Gains Tax Calculator 2026

How are gains from shares, cryptocurrency and property taxed in the Netherlands?

The Netherlands generally does not impose a conventional capital gains tax on each investment sale made by an ordinary private investor. Instead, most savings, shares, cryptocurrency and second homes are included in Box 3, which taxes income attributed to an individual’s net assets.

Different rules apply to substantial company shareholdings, professional investment activity and an owner-occupied main residence. The Finorum calculator identifies the most relevant tax route and provides an indicative estimate based on the information entered.

Does the Netherlands have capital gains tax?

For an ordinary private investor, selling shares or cryptocurrency at a profit does not usually create a separate taxable capital gain at the moment of sale.

Instead, investments generally belong to Box 3, covering income from savings and investments. Under the standard calculation, the tax is based on the value and composition of the taxpayer’s net assets rather than simply on realised disposal gains.

The principal Dutch tax categories are:

• Box 1: employment income, business profits, income from other activities and the owner-occupied main residence;
• Box 2: income and gains from a substantial shareholding;
• Box 3: savings, portfolio investments, cryptocurrency, second homes and other private assets.

Selecting the correct box is therefore more important than applying a single capital gains tax rate.

How Box 3 works in 2026

For the provisional 2026 assessment, the Dutch Tax Administration calculates a notional return using the value of assets and debts on 1 January 2026.

The provisional return percentages are:

• bank deposits and cash: 1.28%;
• investments and other assets: 6.00%;
• qualifying debts: 2.70%.

The resulting Box 3 income is taxed at 36%.

The standard tax-free asset allowance for 2026 is:

• €59,357 for an individual without a fiscal partner;
• €118,714 for fiscal partners combined.

Only the relevant share of net assets above this exemption is included in the standard Box 3 calculation. A separate debt threshold applies before debts are deductible.

The Dutch Tax Administration’s official 2026 calculation explains the provisional percentages, allowance and calculation steps.

These return percentages are provisional and may later be adjusted. The calculator’s Box 3 estimate should therefore not be understood as a tax charged directly on the gain from one sale.

Actual return and the Box 3 rebuttal scheme

Dutch taxpayers may report their actual return when it is lower than the return calculated under the standard notional method.

The actual return can include:

• interest received;
• dividends;
• rent and other direct income;
• realised changes in value;
• unrealised increases or decreases in asset value.

Therefore, an increase in the value of shares, cryptocurrency or a second home can form part of the actual return even if the asset was not sold during the year.

The Dutch Tax Administration compares the relevant results and applies the more favourable return for the taxpayer. Its guidance on actual Box 3 returns confirms that both direct income and changes in value are included.

An important difference is that the standard tax-free asset allowance does not apply when calculating actual return under the rebuttal method.

Positive and negative returns from assets within the same year can generally be combined. If the overall actual return is negative, it is set to zero. A negative Box 3 return cannot normally be carried forward to another year.

Shares and portfolio investments

Shares held by an ordinary private investor generally belong to Box 3. Buying or selling them does not normally trigger a separate 2026 capital gains tax calculation.

Their value on the Box 3 reference date is included among investments and other assets. Under the provisional standard method, this category uses a 6.00% return percentage.

Dividends and changes in the value of shares may be relevant when the taxpayer reports actual return instead.

For example, selling shares for €80,000 that originally cost €50,000 does not automatically produce a separately taxed €30,000 capital gain in Box 3. The tax calculation instead depends on:

• the taxpayer’s total assets and qualifying debts;
• asset values on the relevant reference date;
• the standard notional return;
• the actual return, if lower and properly reported;
• the tax-free asset allowance under the standard method.

Substantial shareholdings and Box 2

A different system applies when an individual, alone or together with a fiscal partner, holds a substantial interest in a company.

A substantial interest generally exists when the person directly or indirectly owns at least 5% of:

• the shares in a company;
• a particular class of shares;
• profit-sharing certificates;
• voting rights in certain cooperatives;
• options to acquire at least 5% of the shares.

Dividends and capital gains arising from a substantial interest are taxed in Box 2 rather than Box 3.

For 2026, the Box 2 rates are:

• 24.5% on taxable Box 2 income up to €68,843;
• 31% on the portion above €68,843.

The Dutch Tax Administration’s Box 2 rate table publishes the applicable 2026 threshold and rates.

In a basic share sale, the taxable Box 2 gain is generally the sale proceeds minus the recognised acquisition price and directly attributable costs.

Special rules may apply to company reorganisations, shareholder loans, emigration, gifts, inheritance and transactions between related parties.

Professional trading and Box 1

Investment income may move from Box 3 to Box 1 when the activity goes beyond normal passive asset management.

Relevant circumstances can include:

• extensive professional knowledge;
• active involvement that materially influences the return;
• organised and continuous trading activity;
• use of insider or non-public information;
• property development or substantial renovation performed to create resale profit;
• services provided in connection with the investment.

When income qualifies as business profit or income from other activities, the actual net result may be taxed in Box 1 at progressive income-tax rates.

Frequent trading alone does not automatically make an investor a business. The complete facts and level of activity must be considered.

Cryptocurrency taxation

Cryptocurrency held as a normal private investment is generally declared in Box 3.

Bitcoin, Ethereum and other cryptoassets are included among investments and other assets at their fair market value on the relevant reference date. Under the provisional 2026 calculation, this category carries the 6.00% notional return percentage.

Selling cryptocurrency for euros or exchanging one token for another does not normally create a separate capital gains tax charge for an ordinary Box 3 investor.

However, the annual increase or decrease in cryptocurrency value can be included when calculating actual return under the rebuttal scheme.

Different treatment may apply where crypto income arises from:

• professional or highly organised trading;
• mining as a business;
• extensive staking or lending services;
• employment remuneration;
• providing liquidity or other commercial activities.

These amounts may fall within Box 1 depending on the circumstances.

Taxpayers should retain exchange reports, wallet histories, acquisition records and reliable evidence of euro values. A 2026 position published by the Dutch Tax Administration’s knowledge group also confirms that inaccessible cryptocurrency may require specific evidence before it can be excluded from Box 3.

Sale of an owner-occupied home

A gain from selling a qualifying owner-occupied main residence is generally not subject to a separate Dutch capital gains tax.

The Dutch Tax Administration states that a homeowner who sells a main residence and keeps surplus equity does not pay additional tax simply because of receiving that money at the time of sale.

Netherlands · Main Residence — A private gain on the sale of a qualifying owner-occupied home is generally not taxed as a separate capital gain. TAX FREE ✓

The proceeds can nevertheless affect later taxation. If they remain as savings or investments, they may become part of Box 3. When another main residence is purchased within three years, the home-equity reserve can also reduce the amount of new mortgage debt eligible for interest deduction.

The official guidance on surplus home equity explains that no extra tax is charged on sale, but retained proceeds become part of the taxpayer’s assets.

Second homes and rental properties

A second home, holiday property or ordinary privately held rental property generally belongs to Box 3.

It is not normally taxed through a conventional capital gains charge imposed only when the property is sold. Instead, its value and return are considered under the Box 3 rules while it is held.

For a Dutch second home, the relevant value is generally based on its WOZ value. Under the provisional 2026 calculation, second homes fall within investments and other assets and use the 6.00% notional return percentage.

If actual return is reported, rental income and changes in the property’s value may be included. Financing costs and other expenses are not necessarily deductible in the same way as under a conventional net rental-profit system.

The Dutch Tax Administration’s guidance for holiday homes confirms the 6.00% provisional return for 2026 and the possibility of reporting a lower actual return.

Property development, extensive services or systematic buying and selling may instead be taxed in Box 1.

Transfer tax on property purchases

Transfer tax is paid by the buyer and should not be confused with tax on the seller’s capital gain.

The Dutch transfer-tax rates for 2026 include:

• 2% for a home that the buyer will use as a long-term main residence, where the first-time-buyer exemption does not apply;
• 0% under the first-time-buyer exemption when all conditions are satisfied;
• 8% for a second home, holiday home, rental property or other residential property not used as the buyer’s main residence;
• 10.4% for many non-residential properties.

The official 2026 transfer-tax table provides the applicable categories and rates.

Example of the Box 3 calculation

Suppose an individual without a fiscal partner has the following assets on 1 January 2026:

• €100,000 in shares;
• no other Box 3 assets;
• no qualifying debts.

The provisional notional return on the shares is:

€100,000 × 6.00% = €6,000

After applying the €59,357 tax-free asset allowance proportionally through the Box 3 calculation, only the relevant share of the return is taxed.

The taxable share of the net assets is:

€100,000 − €59,357 = €40,643

The corresponding share is approximately 40.643%, producing estimated Box 3 income of:

€6,000 × 40.643% = €2,438.58

At the 36% Box 3 rate, the indicative tax is approximately:

€2,438.58 × 36% = €877.89

The final assessment can differ because the return percentages are provisional and a lower actual return may be reported.

Calculator assumptions

Unless another route is selected, the calculator assumes that the user:

• is an individual tax resident of the Netherlands;
• holds the asset as part of normal private wealth management;
• does not possess a substantial interest of at least 5%;
• does not conduct a business or professional investment activity;
• provides asset values and debts relevant to 2026;
• is not using a company or special tax structure;
• can document acquisition values, ownership and transaction history.

A simple disposal gain entered into the calculator is not automatically the Dutch taxable amount. The appropriate Box 1, Box 2 or Box 3 route must be selected.

Important notice

The Netherlands Capital Gains Tax Calculator provides an estimate for informational purposes only. It does not replace an official Dutch income-tax return or personalised advice.

Box 3 is undergoing legal and administrative changes. The standard notional method, actual-return rebuttal scheme, substantial-interest rules and asset classifications can materially change the result.

Consult a qualified Dutch tax adviser or the Belastingdienst before reporting a substantial share sale, international investment, crypto portfolio or property transaction.

Netherlands capital gains tax calculator

Sources & References

EU regulations & taxation

• Belastingdienst.nl — 2026 transfer-tax table
• Dutch Tax Administration’s Box 2 rate table
• Dutch Tax Administration’s guidance for holiday homes
• Dutch Tax Administration’s official 2026 calculation
• Kennisgroepen.belastingdienst.nl — Dutch Tax Administration’s knowledge group

Additional educational resources

• Belastingdienst.nl — guidance on actual Box 3 returns
• official guidance on surplus home equity