Higher property tax, parking fees lining municipalities' coffers; Levies up 8%

The over 300 municipalities in the Netherlands expect to raise more money again this year from levies that residents and visitors have to pay. These include property tax (ozb), waste collection levies, parking fees, and tourist tax. According to Statistics Netherlands (CBS), the municipalities expect to collect 14.5 billion euros together, about 8 percent more than in 2024.

The ozb, waste collection levies, sewage tax, and parking fees yield the most for municipalities, accounting for more than 80 percent of their levy income.

Municipalities expect to collect almost 9 percent more from the property tax this year. However, this development varies greatly per municipality. Of the four large cities, Amsterdam's budgeted property tax revenues are increasing by far the most at 32 percent, followed by Utrecht (19 percent). The increase in Amsterdam is due to significantly higher rates. In Rotterdam and The Hague, the revenues from property tax are increasing less rapidly than average.

Parking fees are also yielding more income for municipal coffers this year. This is mainly due to Amsterdam, which expects to collect 42 million euros more from parking fees this year. The Hague, Rotterdam, Utrecht, and Breda follow. According to CBS, this is because municipalities are increasing their rates and introducing paid parking in more and more places.

Municipalities are allowed to decide for themselves how they spend the money they collect from property tax and paid parking. That is not the case for the proceeds from the waste collection levy and sewage tax.

CBS analyzed the budgets of the municipalities for this study and the figures therefore relate to the total amounts that they expect to collect. Later this year, the COELO research center of the University of Groningen and Veneiging Eigen Huis (the Dutch Homeowners Association) will also publish figures on the amounts that citizens have to pay per municipality.