Pay off your tax debt with a payment arrangement from the Tax Administration

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Netherlands Tax Administration, Belastingdienst
Netherlands Tax Administration, Belastingdienst

Have you been granted a special tax payment extension due to coronavirus? You have had to pay off your tax debt since 1 October 2022. A special payment plan has been available from the Netherlands Tax Administration. Read more about what the payment plan means for you.

Tax debt after special tax payment extension

You have been granted a special tax payment extension (in Dutch) due to the coronavirus crisis. For example, for your turnover tax (VAT), income tax, or corporate tax. During the payment extension, you did not have to pay any tax. The taxes that you have not yet paid jointly form your tax debt. You must always repay a tax debt.

Conclude a restructuring agreement before 1 April 2024

Do you have more debts? Perhaps you can conclude a restructuring agreement (saneringsakoord). Then you agree with your creditors that you will only pay part of your debts. Until 1 April 2024, the Tax Administration relaxes the conditions for participating in a restructuring agreement (in Dutch).

Payment arrangement: pay off your tax debt in 5 years

You have 60 months (5 years) to pay off your tax debt: from 1 October 2022 to 1 October 2027. You pay a fixed amount each month to the Tax Administration. Read more about these payments: Betalingsregeling voor opgebouwde belastingschuld door bijzonder uitstel (in Dutch).

Easing of payment schedule

The special tax payment extension has been relaxed. This allows you to ask for an adjustment of your payment schedule. You have 3 options, which you can also combine:

  • pause the payments for a maximum of 6 months or 2 quarters in a row;
  • pay per quarter instead of per month;
  • pay off the debt in 7 years (84 months) instead of 5 years (60 months). This is only possible if your tax debt after the payment extension is more than €10,000.

To qualify for each of these measures, you must meet several conditions. For example, you have to pay the tax assessments you have received after 1 April 2022 without fail, and continue to do so. For the 7-year payment arrangement, you must also send the Tax Administration a written explanation and proof that you will not be able to pay in 5 years, but that you will be able to pay in 7. And your tax debt must be at least €10,000. Learn more about the conditions on the Tax Administration website (in Dutch).

Your personal payment arrangement

You will have received letters from the Netherlands Tax Administration in 2022. These contain information about your payment arrangement. These letters included a total overview of your tax debt and the monthly amount of the payment schedule.

Are you behind in paying your corona tax debt? If so, you will have been notified by the Tax Administration in spring 2023.

Repaying extra: save recovery interest

You can make additional repayments during the term of your payment plan. Your tax debt will then become smaller. And the monthly amount (including recovery interest) of your payment scheme will be lower as a result.

Repayment scheme if you received too many benefits

Did you receive too many benefits as part of a support scheme? And are you struggling to pay these back? You can now request a personal payment plan (in Dutch)

Recovery interest

If you have not paid an assessment on time, you must pay recovery interest (invorderingsrente, in Dutch). Even if you have been granted the special payment extension. Since 1 January 2024, the interest rate is 4%. The interest is included in your monthly payment.

The interest rate for corporate income tax

You pay tax interest for corporate income tax (vennootschapsbelasting) if the Tax Administration is unable to issue an assessment on time. For example, because you filed your tax return for your business too late or for an incorrect amount. This interest rate was temporarily reduced to 4%, but this has been reinstated at 8%.

Any questions?

Contact the Tax Administration or call the Tax Information Line (0800 - 0543) to request information about your tax debt. Or you can request a statement of your tax debt from your tax consultant. You will then receive the debt statement by post or in your message box.

External links

Questions relating to this article?

Please contact the Netherlands Tax Administration, Belastingdienst