Dutch municipalities jointly count on 14.4 billion euros in revenues from taxes and taxes in 2025. This is 8 percent more than in 2024, according to new figures that the Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS) shared on Wednesday morning.
The increase is comparable to that of the year before, when the revenues increased by 8.5 percent. “It is a considerable increase, higher than inflation, but many things on which the taxes are based rise sharply in price. For example, house prices have risen more than inflation ”explains Peter Hein van Mulligen, chief economist of Statistics Netherlands. “Just like the wages of municipal staff responsible for waste processing.”
In the municipalities of Renkum and Amsterdam, the OZB revenues rise almost by a third compared to last year. This increase is caused by an increase in the percentage with which the tax is calculated. In Renkum there is a reduction in the sewerage tax and the abolition of dog tax. Over all municipalities, OZB yields increase on average by 8.6 percent. The biggest decline is in Hoogenveen. Here the municipality reduced the rate, because there was money left on the financial statements of 2023.
Major part comes from OZB
The vast majority of 84 percent, of the budgeted income comes from the property tax (OZB) (41 percent), waste and sewerage tax (33 percent) and parking fees (10 percent). Municipalities can decide for themselves how tax revenues such as those from the property tax and parking tax are spent. The proceeds of taxes may only cover costs incurred.
Parking taxes are expected to deliver 154 million euros more than last year. The four major cities in particular benefit from this: together they expect 97 million extra parking income through a combination of higher parking rates and an extension of the area where paid parking applies.
The proceeds from municipal levies and taxes together form approximately one sixth of the total income of municipalities. The most important source of income is the municipal fund of the central government. In addition, municipalities receive target-specific benefits from the government and municipalities from, for example, rents, leases and land sales.
In 2026 the way in which the government finances municipalities. In this so -called ‘canyon year’, a cut of approximately 2.3 billion euros on the government contributions has been booked to municipalities. At the same time, there are more and more tasks at the municipalities. Nevertheless, municipalities do not seem to be sorting in to receive the decrease in government contributions by increasing their income from taxes and levies. “You do not undergo a canyon year by raising the parking rates,” says Van Mulligen. “The possibilities for taking an advance on a possible shortage are only limited.”