In 2026 box 3 taxes savings on a deemed return of 1.28%, and only on the part of your wealth above €59,357 per person. A single person with €80,000 in a savings account and nothing else pays about €95 in box 3 tax for 2026, and the 1.28% is still provisional until the Belastingdienst sets it in early 2027.
That figure is lower than many savers expect, because box 3 does not tax your full balance at 36% but a fictional return on the part above the tax-free allowance. This article explains how the calculation works for savings in 2026 and what counts as a bank balance. It also covers when submitting your actual return (tegenbewijs) makes sense, and what the planned switch to a tax on actual returns means for savers.
How box 3 taxes your savings in 2026
Box 3 is the part of Dutch income tax that covers savings and investments, and it works with deemed returns rather than the interest you actually receive. According to the Belastingdienst, the deemed return for 2026 is 1.28% on bank balances, 6.00% on investments and other assets, and 2.70% on debts. The tax-free allowance (heffingsvrij vermogen) is €59,357 per person, or €118,714 for fiscal partners, and the rate on the resulting box 3 income is 36%.
The calculation runs in four steps. First the Belastingdienst adds up the deemed return on everything you own, then it expresses that as a percentage of your total assets minus debts. That percentage is applied only to the part of your wealth above the allowance, which gives your box 3 income, and 36% of that is the tax you pay.
For a saver with €80,000 on 1 January 2026 this means a deemed return of €1,024. Because the allowance leaves €20,643 taxable, the box 3 income is €264.23 and the tax €95.12. For fiscal partners with €150,000 in savings together, €31,286 remains taxable after the joint allowance, which gives €400.46 in box 3 income and €144.17 in tax.
The mix of your assets matters more than the total. A single person with €40,000 in savings and €60,000 in investments has a deemed return of €4,112, or 4.112% of their wealth, and pays €601.65. That is more than six times the tax of someone with €80,000 in savings alone.
What counts as savings on 1 January
Box 3 looks at a single moment, the value of your assets and debts on 1 January of the tax year. For box 3, all your bank and savings balances count, in the Netherlands and abroad, which includes current accounts, savings accounts and fixed-term deposits. According to the 2026 guidance, balances in a foreign currency are converted at the exchange rate on 1 January. Cash also has to be declared, but the first €672 per person is exempt for 2026.
A savings account at a foreign bank or an online bank you rarely use therefore counts just as much as your main account. Because only the balance on 1 January matters, a snapshot of all your accounts on that date saves you searching through statements when you file your return. Green investments are treated separately, with an exemption of €26,715 per person in 2026 on top of the regular allowance.
Is 1.28% final?
It is not, because the rates for bank balances and debts for 2026 are provisional and will be set definitively in early 2027. The percentage for bank balances follows the average savings rate published by De Nederlandsche Bank (DNB), so it moves with what banks actually paid. The final rate for 2025 was 1.37%, which for the same €80,000 gave €110.06 in tax against the lower allowance of €57,684.
The provisional rate is the one used for the provisional assessment (voorlopige aanslag) you may already have received for 2026. If the final percentage turns out lower or higher, the final assessment will reflect that.
When submitting your actual return pays off
Since the Wet tegenbewijsregeling box 3 took effect on 19 July 2025, with retroactive effect, you can show that your actual return was lower than the deemed return. For savings, your actual return is simply the interest you received, and costs cannot be deducted. From tax year 2025 you report it in your income tax return itself, and for 2017 to 2024 there is a separate form. Filing it is optional, and if you do, the Belastingdienst compares both and applies the lower outcome.
For savers the test is stricter than it looks, because your actual return gets no tax-free allowance. It is compared with the box 3 income after the allowance, not with the full deemed return. In the example of €80,000 in savings, tegenbewijs only helps if you received less than €264.23 in interest, which is about 0.33% on your balance. With 1.5% interest you received €1,200, and taxed on that actual return you would pay €432, so the regular calculation is far cheaper.
The Belastingdienst itself says that with only savings, the chance that your actual return is lower than the deemed return is small. It advises you to compare your interest with the box 3 income on your assessment. Tegenbewijs is mainly relevant for people with investments that fell in value, or with savings at close to zero interest.
What changes from 2028
The government wants to replace deemed returns with a tax on actual returns, and the planned start date is 1 January 2028. According to the timeline on Rijksoverheid, the Tweede Kamer passed the bill in February 2026. The Eerste Kamerpostponed its vote on 30 June 2026 until an announced amending bill (novelle) has been dealt with, so the content and timing can still change. For savers the direction matters more than the details, because under that system you would pay tax on the interest you actually received.
How Gylder fits in
Gylder (gylder.nl) is a net worth tracker, not a budgeting app. Because it records the balances of your connected bank accounts every day, you can look up what was on each account on 1 January instead of collecting statements from several banks. It does not calculate your box 3 tax or file anything for you.
What this doesn't tell you
The examples assume one person or one couple with only a savings account, or a simple mix with investments. Debts, green investments, a second home or a child's savings change the outcome, and the 2026 percentage for bank balances can still change. This article is general information, not financial advice, and for your own return the Belastingdienst or a tax adviser can tell you where you stand.
Frequently asked questions
How much box 3 tax do I pay on €100,000 in savings in 2026? As a single person with no other assets, you pay about €187, based on the provisional 1.28% deemed return on the €40,643 above the allowance.
What is the tax-free allowance in box 3 for 2026? The heffingsvrij vermogen is €59,357 per person and €118,714 for fiscal partners in 2026.
Does a savings account abroad count for box 3? Yes. Bank balances abroad count as savings, converted into euros at the exchange rate on 1 January.
Is the box 3 rate on savings for 2026 final? No. The 1.28% for bank balances is provisional and will be set in early 2027, based on the average savings rate published by DNB.
Does a fixed-term deposit count as savings in box 3? Yes. Deposits count as bank balances, so they get the same 1.28% deemed return as a regular savings account.