Box 3 – Income from Savings and Investments
Box 3 taxes your assets: savings, investments, a second home, or receivables. Your primary home is not included – that falls under box 1. The tax authorities assume a deemed return on your wealth. This means you pay tax on an assumed return, not on what you actually earned. Since 2023, a distinction is made between savings, investments, and debts, each with their own deemed return percentage. You pay 36% tax on the calculated return. There is a tax-free allowance of €57,000 per person (2025), so €114,000 for tax partners combined.
Example
You have €100,000 in a savings account and no investments. After subtracting the tax-free allowance (€57,000), €43,000 is taxed. The deemed return on savings in 2025 is approximately 1.03%. That gives a deemed return of €443. You pay 36% on that = approximately €160 in tax.
Why does this matter?
Do you have savings above €57,000 or own investments or a second home? Then box 3 applies to you. The new system can be more favorable for savers but less favorable for investors. It pays to map out your situation carefully.