Minimum wage workers in the Netherlands will keep more of their paycheck in 2026
By Simone Jacobs
Workers in the Netherlands who earn minimum wage are set to receive more money next year if the government goes ahead with plans to adjust the income tax plan. Minimum wage earners could see up to 20 euros extra in their bank accounts per month.
Changes to Dutch incomes to benefit minimum wage earners
After the 2026 budget was announced on Prinsjesdag, it was calculated that low-income earners would actually see their salaries decrease, which caused outrage among Dutch trade unions. The House of Representatives (Tweede Kamer) was urged to take action to prevent this from happening.
Caretaker Minister of Finance Eelco Heinen recently submitted a proposal to adjust wages, via the labour tax credit and tax brackets, to benefit minimum wage earners. According to payroll service Youforce, these changes would see those with minimum wage jobs earning 19,16 euros more per month if they work 40 hours per week, and approximately 12 euros extra for 36 or 38 hours per week.
Dutch wage changes expected to be approved
While the adjustments would be good news for minimum wage earners, they would not benefit workers with average incomes as much, reports NU.nl. People who earn the average monthly income of 3.875 euros per month can expect to have 34,67 euros extra in their pockets - lower than the 38,50 euros extra they would have gotten before the adjustments.
“It's great that the government wants to adjust next year's tax plan so that people on minimum wage will still benefit,” said Youforce managing director Stefan Op de Woerd. “At a time when many households are scrambling for every penny, these kinds of adjustments are desperately needed to provide people with more security.”
The parliament is expected to approve the plans in December this year, which means that the adjustments could be implemented by January 1, 2026.
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Editor for the Netherlands at IamExpat Media. Simone studied Genetics and Zoology at the University of Pretoria in South Africa before moving to the Netherlands, where she has been working as a writer and editor since 2022. One thing she loves more than creating content is consuming it, mainly by reading books by the dozen. Other than being a book dragon, she is also a nature lover and enjoys hiking and animal training. Read more