Netherlands Proposes 36% Tax on Annual Crypto Gains From 2028
The proposed Box 3 overhaul would tax annual crypto gains as taxable income before assets are sold, but the bill still requires Senate approval.
The Netherlands is considering a proposed Box 3 wealth-tax overhaul that would include annual cryptocurrency gains in taxable income from Jan. 1, 2028, even when assets have not been sold; the bill is not yet law and still requires Senate approval.
The proposal would replace the current Box 3 system, which taxes many personal investments using assumed returns rather than each taxpayer’s actual performance. Its main mechanism, known as a capital-growth tax, would generally include annual changes in the value of liquid assets in taxable Box 3 income.
The bill proposes a flat 36% rate on taxable Box 3 income. That rate would not automatically apply to every dollar of an asset’s gross annual increase because deductions and loss rules would also apply. The proposed rate could still change during the remaining legislative process.
The system would cover assets already included in Box 3, including savings, securities and crypto holdings. Real estate and shares in qualifying start-ups would generally remain subject to taxation when gains are realized instead.
For a Dutch resident holding Bitcoin (BTC), an increase in the asset’s value during a tax year could create taxable income before the Bitcoin is sold. A decline could produce a negative return under the proposed rules, with losses eligible to be carried forward. The government is also considering possible one-year backward loss relief as it reviews the capital-growth mechanism.
Under the existing system, taxpayers report crypto holdings at their value on Jan. 1. For 2026, the tax authority lists a 6.00% assumed return for crypto assets and a 36% tax rate.
The Dutch House of Representatives approved the bill Feb. 12, 2026. The Senate had not completed its review as of the latest government update, leaving the proposal short of final enactment.
The government has targeted 2028 to allow tax authorities and financial institutions time to prepare their systems. The next major step is the Senate’s consideration of the bill before the proposed Jan. 1, 2028, start date.
