Childcare benefit for entrepreneurs

Childcare benefit contributes to the cost of childcare. As an entrepreneur you are also entitled to this benefit.

Conditions for childcare benefit

If your child attends a registered childcare centre or nursery, you may receive childcare benefit as an entrepreneur, freelancer/self-employed professional if you:

• have profit from business activities
• income from other activities (for instance as a freelancer or artist)

Do you have a benefit partner for the Dutch tax and Customs Administration (Belastingdienst, in Dutch)? Then you must both work to qualify for the childcare benefit.

How much childcare benefit will you receive?

The amount of childcare benefit you receive depends on your income, the number of children, and the type of childcare.

You can do a test calculation (in Dutch) to determine the so-called means-test income (toetsingsinkomen). You only receive childcare benefit for the months in which you spend hours on your business. You can apply for at most 230 hours of childcare per month. You can find the current amounts for child care benefit on the website of the Dutch government (in Dutch).

How to apply for childcare benefit?

You apply for childcare benefit yourself to the Dutch Tax and Customs Administration, within 3 months after your child starts going to a childcare centre.

Checking and submitting changes in childcare benefit

You should check regularly if your details for childcare benefit are still accurate. Are there any changes in your life, for example income changes, changes in your working hours, or the number of hours your child spends in a childcare centre? You should change your details to make sure you do not receive too much or too little childcare benefit. You can submit these changes online to the Dutch Tax and Customs Administration or call the Tax Information Line. You can also use the Tax and Customs Administration's Dutch-language childcare benefit app(in Dutch).

Stopping the childcare benefit

If you no longer qualify for childcare benefit, you must inform the Tax and Customs Administration within 4 weeks. You no longer qualify for childcare benefit if:

• your child no longer attends a childcare centre
• you have stopped working

If there is a change in your income, you must notify the Tax and Customs Administration. You should supply a new estimate of your income.

Childcare benefits affair

Are you in (financial) trouble as a result of the childcare benefits affair (in Dutch)? You are entitled to reparations, for which you can make use of restoration schemes. You can pass on your personal debts to Sociale Banken Nederland (Social Banks the Netherlands, SBN). They will contact your creditors for you and help them making sure the debts will be paid off.

If you are uncertain which steps you need to take, contact the Service Team Childcare Allowance for Affected Parents.