Dutch municipalities to hike levies by 6.5% this year

Municipalities expect to receive more money from municipal levies and taxes this year, Statistics Netherlands (CBS) reports based on new figures. The 2026 budget is €15.3 billion, 6.5 percent higher than the previous year, when the municipalities together budgeted €14.4 billion for taxes and levies.

According to the national government, municipalities generate approximately one-sixth of their revenue from municipal levies and taxes. The majority of the budget revenue comes from four levies: property tax (OZB), sewage charges, waste collection charges, and parking fees. In the 2026 budget, these together amount to approximately €13 million.

€6.3 billion of the budgeted amount comes from OZB. That is 6.3 percent higher than a year earlier. According to CBS, three factors influence this increase: property value, the number of properties, and the rates. In Utrecht, the expected revenue from OZB is increasing the most, by 9.7 percent.

The budgeted revenue from parking fees will increase by almost 8.8 percent. This is mainly due to significant hikes in Amsterdam, Rotterdam, and The Hague.

The municipalities also expect to receive more this year due to the extension of passports’ validity period from 5 to 10 years. This change was implemented in 2014, resulting in an increase in applications for new travel documents starting in 2024. In 2026, revenues are expected to increase by 15.7 percent.