Investing through a BV pays off mainly when you leave the profit in the company for years. In 2026 a €500,000 portfolio returning 6% costs a single person €9,518 in box 3 tax, against €5,700 in corporate tax inside a BV. If the BV pays the profit out straight away, the total rises to €11,654.
That matters because a BV brings costs, paperwork and money you cannot freely use, while box 3 is about to change. This article explains how an investment BV (beleggings-bv) is taxed and works through one comparison with the 2026 rules. It also covers moving an existing portfolio into a BV and why the cabinet's plans for 2028, which are proposals and not yet law (as of 14 October 2026), would narrow the advantage.
How is an investment BV taxed in 2026?
An investment BV is taxed twice, first on its profit and again when that profit reaches you. The BV pays corporate income tax (vennootschapsbelasting), which according to the Belastingdienst is 19% on the first €200,000 of profit and 25.8% above that in 2026. The costs of running the BV are deducted from that profit, which softens them somewhat.
When the BV pays out dividend, or when you sell your shares, you pay income tax in box 2, because a stake of 5% or more counts as a substantial interest. In 2026 the box 2 rate is 24.5% up to €68,843 and 31% above that, according to the Belastingdienst, and fiscal partners may divide that income between them in any proportion. At the 19% corporate tax rate, corporate tax and box 2 together take 38.8% of each euro of profit in the lower box 2 bracket and 44.1% in the higher one. In its letter of 29 September 2026, the cabinet proposes cutting the higher box 2 rate from 31% to 29.2% from 2027 to 2030, which would bring that combined burden down to 42.7%.
Investing through a BV or in box 3: a worked comparison
The clearest comparison taxes the same portfolio both ways for one year. Take a single person with €500,000 in investments returning 6%, made up of €10,000 in dividend and €20,000 in price gains. Box 3 assumes a much higher return on such investments than on savings, as our article on saving or investing shows. For 2026 the Belastingdienst assumes a 6.00% return on investments, and after the tax-free allowance of €59,357 the taxable return is €26,439, taxed at 36% according to its 2026 calculation page. For the BV we assume the full €30,000 is taxed in the same year, the least favourable case, and we leave out its running costs.
| Scenario (2026 rules, €500,000, 6% return) | Taxed amount this year | Tax this year | Tax still to come |
|---|---|---|---|
| Box 3, single person | €26,439 deemed return | €9,518 | None |
| BV, profit stays in the BV | €30,000 profit | €5,700 corporate tax | €5,954 box 2 when the €24,300 is paid out |
| BV, profit paid out as dividend | €30,000 profit, then €24,300 dividend | €11,654 | None |
The BV only comes out ahead while the profit stays inside it. The yearly gap is then €3,818 before costs, and it grows by about €1,020 for every extra €100,000 invested, so the fixed costs of a BV weigh more heavily on smaller portfolios. Fiscal partners share an allowance of €118,714, which lowers their box 3 tax on the same portfolio to €8,236 and shrinks the gap further.
Whether the price gain is really taxed every year depends on the investments and on how the BV values them. If only the €10,000 dividend were taxed this year, the BV would pay €1,900 now and the rest when the gain is realised. That is the core of the BV route, because it defers tax rather than avoiding it, and box 2 still follows once the money reaches you.
Can you move an existing portfolio into a BV?
You can bring existing investments into a BV in exchange for shares, a step called contribution (inbreng). Under the current rules this does not trigger tax on your private gains, because box 3 taxes a deemed return on what you own on 1 January rather than the gains you realise. After the transfer the investments leave box 3, and your shares in the BV are taxed in box 2 as a substantial interest, as the Belastingdienst explains. On a later sale, box 2 taxes the sale price minus the acquisition price, which for shares received on a contribution is in principle the value you brought in.
The drawback is that the money is no longer yours to spend freely. A BV needs a notary to set it up, annual accounts, a corporate tax return and usually an accountant, and most of those costs return every year. Taking money out means dividend and box 2, while borrowing from your own BV is capped. The amount you and your fiscal partner owe your BVs above €500,000 on 31 December is taxed in box 2, a limit that applies since 2024. The cabinet proposes lowering it step by step to €100,000 by 2031, as we explain in our article on borrowing from your BV.
What the 2028 box 3 proposal changes
The cabinet's plan for 2028 would make box 3 work more like a BV, which narrows the BV's advantage. Under the letter of 29 September 2026, shares, bonds and options in box 3 would only be taxed when you sell them, with a tax-free return of €1,000 a year. Income such as dividend would still be taxed when you receive it, so in our example a year without sales would leave €9,000 taxable. The letter does not state the box 3 rate for 2028, which means the tax itself cannot yet be calculated.
Deferral, the main reason to use a BV, would then also be available in box 3, without company costs and without box 2 at the end. The year 2027 points the other way, because the cabinet wants to cut the tax-free allowance to €30,846 and raise the deemed return on investments by 1.5 percentage points. Our article on the box 3 proposals of September 2026 covers these plans in more detail. Both houses of parliament still have to approve them before the end of 2026, and we will update this article after the Raad van State's advice, expected at the end of October, and the votes.
How Gylder fits in
Gylder (gylder.nl) is a net worth tracker, not a budgeting app, and it is built around your personal net worth. You can add your shares in a BV and any loan from your BV manually with a dated value, so both sides of the structure appear next to your private accounts. The pricing page lists company and business tracking under Basic and Pro, while a separate Business plan with business entities and a combined personal and business view is marked as coming soon. Gylder does not calculate your box 2, box 3 or corporate tax.
What this doesn't tell you
The worked example is a simplification that assumes your actual return equals the box 3 deemed return. It leaves out the running costs of the BV, Dutch dividend withholding tax, losses and the effect of holding investments for many years. Whether a BV suits you also depends on your other income, your partner and how long the money can stay in the company. This article is general information, not financial or tax advice, so talk to a tax adviser before setting up or using a BV for investing.
Frequently asked questions
From what amount does an investment BV pay off? There is no fixed amount, because it depends on your costs, your return and how long the profit stays in the BV. In our 2026 example with €500,000, the BV saves €3,818 a year before costs, but only as long as the profit is not paid out.
How much tax does a BV pay on investment returns in 2026? A BV pays 19% corporate income tax on the first €200,000 of profit and 25.8% above that in 2026. When the profit is paid out, box 2 tax of 24.5% or 31% follows.
Is moving my investments into a BV taxed? Under the 2026 rules, the gain on investments you contribute to a BV is not taxed privately, because box 3 taxes a deemed return. The investments then belong to the BV, and your shares fall under box 2.
Can I borrow money from my own investment BV? Yes, but the amount you and your fiscal partner owe your BVs above €500,000 on 31 December is taxed in box 2. The cabinet proposes lowering that limit to €100,000 by 2031.
Does the 2028 box 3 plan make a BV less attractive? Under the proposal, box 3 would tax shares and bonds only on sale from 2028, which gives private investors the same deferral a BV offers. As of 14 October 2026 the proposal is not yet law.