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Buying a house in the Netherlands: Taxes, costs & fees
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Buying a house in the Netherlands: Taxes, costs & fees

By Manja van KesterenUpdated on Apr 17, 2025
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© 2025 IamExpat Media B.V.
© 2025 IamExpat Media B.V.

Buying a house in the Netherlands is an important financial decision, especially for expats. However, the cost of buying a house isn’t simply the purchase price or the monthly mortgage repayments; there are plenty of other taxes, costs and fees you need to take into consideration. 

Kosten koper (k.k)

The kosten koper (k.k.) are all the additional costs that the buyer is obliged to pay when purchasing a property. The total cost depends on the value of the property. Many of these costs are tax deductible - see below for more information. 

Note that the majority of listed property prices are excluding kosten koper. The words freehold or vrij op naam (v.o.n.) after a property price indicate that the extra costs are included in the list price. This often applies more to recently built houses.

Kosten koper may include: 

  • Transfer tax (overdrachtsbelasting)
  • Real estate agent fee (makelaarscourtage)
  • Mortgage broker fee (hypotheek advieskosten)
  • Building report if you are buying an older property (bouwkundig rapport)
  • Notary fees including deed of property conveyance (kosten leveringsakte) and mortgage contract (hypotheekakte)
  • Interpreter for settlement meeting at notary (tolk), if needed

Taxes and fees for homebuyers in the Netherlands

Below you can find an overview of the taxes and fees that are charged when you buy a property in the Netherlands. These can be split into purchasing costs (also known as closing costs), which are costs associated with the actual property purchase itself, and financing costs, which are costs associated with your mortgage. Together, these costs equate to around 3% to 5% of the purchase price. 

Transfer tax (overdrachtsbelasting)

When you purchase a property in the Netherlands, you are required to pay a one-off property transfer tax to the government. This amounts to 2% of the purchase price. 

However, there are some groups of people who pay less or even no property transfer tax: 

  • People aged between 18 and 35 pay no property transfer tax on purchases up to 525.000 euros (in 2025). If one partner is over the age of 35, the property transfer tax is charged only on their share of the house. 
  • Newly-built houses do not incur property transfer tax.
  • People who are buying a house off someone who bought it less than six months ago pay no property transfer tax. 

On the other hand, investors pay a higher rate of 10,4% if they are buying a buy-to-let house.

This cost is not tax-deductible. 

Real estate agent fee (makelaarscourtage)

If you worked with a real estate agent during the property purchase, they will charge you a fee. This varies depending on the real estate agency’s fee structure; some charge a fixed fee, while others charge a percentage of the property’s value, or a combination of the two. This cost is not tax-deductible. 

Mortgage broker fee (hypotheek advieskosten)

Mortgage advisors in the Netherlands charge a fee for their services. These fees vary quite a bit from provider to provider, but generally you can expect to pay around 2.000 to 4.500 euros. This fee is tax-deductible. 

Valuation (appraisal report)

Every mortgage lender in the Netherlands will require a valuation (taxatierapport - also known as an appraisal), which is when the property you are looking to buy is valued by an official appraiser, either in person or remotely. Your mortgage will not be approved without this report - the only exception is for new-build homes, which generally do not require an appraisal. 

The cost of the valuation varies between agencies and is sometimes negotiable, but in general you can count on paying somewhere between 250 and 1.000 euros, depending on the number of hours the appraiser spends on the report. It’s worth therefore getting quotes from several appraisers at the same time. This cost is tax-deductible. 

Technical building inspection (bouwkundige keuring)

Also known as a structural survey or home inspection, a technical building inspection examines the condition of the property you are thinking of purchasing. This gives the buyer peace of mind that they are not buying a property with hidden structural issues. It also gives you an idea of possible maintenance costs you may have to pay in future. The survey costs around 500 euros. 

If you are buying an older property, or if the valuation report recommends it, your mortgage provider may require you to have a technical building inspection. If this is the case, then the cost is tax-deductible. 

Notary fees

When you buy an existing property in the Netherlands, you will need a notary to draw up a transfer deed (akte van levering), which is a sales contract between you and the seller, and a mortgage deed (hypotheekakte), which is a contract between you and the mortgage lender, that uses your house as collateral for your mortgage. 

The notary will charge you fees for drawing up these contracts, usually somewhere between 1.000 and 2.000 euros total. 

When you attend a settlement meeting at the notary to complete the property purchase, you may need to pay for an interpreter, if you do not speak Dutch. 

Bank guarantee (bankgarantie waarborgsom)

After signing the preliminary purchase contract, you’ll be required to pay the seller a deposit of 10% of the property’s purchase price. If you do not have enough savings to cover this, you can get a bank guarantee to pay the money instead. 

A bank guarantee usually costs you 1% of the amount of the guarantee. 

NHG fee

NHG (National Mortgage Guarantee) is a type of insurance that will cover the cost of your mortgage repayments, should you become unable to afford them. You can opt to take out a mortgage with a Dutch National Mortgage Guarantee if the value of your home is less than 450.000 euros (in 2025). The NHG mortgage guarantee costs 0,6% of the amount you borrow to purchase the property. You can deduct this cost from your taxable income. 

Financing property fees in the Netherlands

If you are going to be purchasing a property in the Netherlands with a mortgage you should note that the closing costs are not usually covered by the loan, which will be up to a maximum of 100% of the purchase price. This means that you will need to have enough equity to cover these closing costs with your own money. 

For example, if you were purchasing a property valued at 500.000 euros you would pay closing costs of up to 25.000 euros. These fees cannot be covered by your mortgage, meaning you would need at least 25.000 euros in capital to cover the cost of the sale. This is on top of any equity required as a deposit by your mortgage lender. 

Tax relief

However, it’s worth noting that many of the costs listed above are tax deductible, meaning you can deduct them from your taxable income and therefore decrease the amount of tax you pay. 

You can find out more on our mortgage tax deductions page, but in a nutshell the following expenses are tax-deductible:

  • Mortgage advisor fees
  • Cost of valuation
  • Notary fees for the mortgage deed
  • Cost of applying to the NHG

The following fees are not tax-deductible:

  • Property transfer tax
  • Real estate agent fee
  • Notary fees for the deed of sale
  • Bank guarantee costs

Property tax in the Netherlands (OZB)

As a homeowner in the Netherlands, you will also be required to pay property tax (onroerendezaakbelasting - OZB) to the municipality where the property is located. The property tax rate varies depending on the value of the property and its use. 

The following groups of people have to pay the property tax:

  • The owners of residential buildings
  • The owners of non-residential buildings
  • The users of non-residential buildings

OZB is calculated by multiplying the property’s WOZ value by the relevant tax rate. Each municipality is free to set its own OZB tax rates, so there is a fair amount of variation across the Netherlands. Below is an example of the rates charged in different municipalities in 2025: 

Municipality OZB rate for owners of residential buildings OZB rate for owners of non-residential buildings OZB rate for users of non-residential buildings
Amsterdam 0,0577% of the WOZ value 0,2436% of the WOZ value 0,1809% of the WOZ value
Eindhoven 0,09373% of the WOZ value 0,29609% of the WOZ value 0,20915% of the WOZ value
Groningen 0,1577% of the WOZ value 0,5503% of the WOZ value 0,4403% of the WOZ value
Haarlem 0,07344% of the WOZ value 0,29282% of the WOZ value 0,23354% of the WOZ value
Maastricht 0,105% of the WOZ value 0,383% of the WOZ value 0,338% of the WOZ value
Rotterdam 0,0683% of the WOZ value 0,3904% of the WOZ value 0,2782% of the WOZ value
The Hague 0,0525% of the WOZ value 0,3051% of the WOZ value 0,2507% of the WOZ value
Utrecht 0,08440% of the WOZ  value 0,45160% of the WOZ value 0,36470% of the WOZ value
 

Note that if you are both the owner and the user of a non-residential building, you will pay the OZB tax twice. 

OZB is paid once per year, in January. You will receive a tax assessment from your municipality, with information on how to pay. You can usually pay online using iDEAL, via Mijn Belastingen, or via direct debit. 

Since OZB is paid for the full year, if you sell your property and move during the year, your notary will settle the OZB payment with the new owner of the property, so that you only pay for the months you owned the property. 

Deemed rental value in the Netherlands (eigenwoningforfait)

One small peculiarity of the Dutch system is that anyone who owns their own home has a small percentage of its value added to their taxable income (Box 1 income). This is known as deemed rental value (eigenwoningforfait or EWF). This has the potential to increase the amount of tax you pay, but it’s worth noting that the deemed rental value is usually offset by mortgage interest payment deductions. 

The deemed rental value is only paid on the home you live in; it is not paid on any second homes or rental properties you own. 

Eigenwoningforfait rates 2025

The EWF is calculated as a percentage of the WOZ value of your home (issued to you by your municipality). The WOZ value is then multiplied by the relevant tax rate to determine the EWF payable. 

The EWF tax rates for 2025 are as follows:

WOZ value EWF tax rate
Less than 12.500 euros 0%
12.500 - 25.000 euros 0,10%
25.000 - 50.000 euros 0,20%
50.00 - 75.000 euros 0,25%
75.000 - 1.310.000 euros 0,35%
More than 1.310.000 euros  4.585 euros + 2,35% of the value of the property over 1.310.000 euros

EWF tax exemptions

If you have a mortgage, usually your mortgage interest payments (which are tax-deductible) will be higher than the EWF tax. Therefore, you do not pay any EWF tax. 

If you have little or no mortgage debt, however, your mortgage interest payments will also be lower. This may mean that your EWF tax is higher than the mortgage interest. In this situation the Belastingdienst gives you a deduction on your EWF tax. 

In 2025, 76,67% of the difference between your EWF tax and your deductible costs is exempted, and the rest is added to your income. For example, if your EWF tax is declared as 1.200 euros, while your deductible costs are 1.000 euros, this works out at 200 euros. 80% of this is deducted, meaning that just 40 euros is added to your taxable income. 

From 2023, this deduction is slowly being phased out. From 2026, the deduction will be lowered to 73,34%, and thereafter will go down by 3,33% every year until 2048, when the deduction will be completely eliminated. 

Additional costs for homebuyers

On top of these taxes and fees, there are some additional costs associated with buying a house that you should factor into your calculations. This includes: 

  • Moving costs, if you are using a moving company or hiring a van yourself
  • Home renovations, if work needs doing to the property
  • Home repairs
  • Furniture and other household items

Capital gains tax on properties in the Netherlands

Increases in the value of property in the Netherlands are tax-free as long as the property remains your main residence. This means that if you sell the property you do not pay capital gains tax on the increase in value, so long as the property is your main residence. 

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