Still overpaying Dutch taxes? 3 tax breaks most entrepreneurs miss
Zelfstandigaftrek (Entrepreneur's Deduction)
If you worked 1,225+ hours on your business this year, congrats: you’re officially serious. And the Belastingdienst rewards that hustle. You can knock €5,030 off your taxable profit just for showing up consistently.
Startersaftrek (Start-Up Deduction)
First 5 years in business? And you hit the 1,225 hour mark again? You’re in luck. This deduction adds an extra €2,123 off your taxable profit.
You can claim this up to 3 times in your first 5 years. Don’t let it expire just because you didn’t know it was there.
MKB Winstvrijstelling (SME Profit Exemption)
This one’s automatic — no application needed. Once the deductions above are done, you get to take an extra 13.31% off your remaining taxable profit.
Translation: your tax bill shrinks even more.
Here’s how it stacks up (say you made €60,000 in profit in 2024):
Ondernemersaftrek: €5,030
Startersaftrek: €2,123
MKB Winstvrijstelling (13.31% of remaining): €3,706
💸 Your tax is calculated on just €49,141 instead of €60,000
That means your wage tax drops from around €16,040 down to just €10,320. That’s €5,720 saved. Just for knowing the rules.
Wait... Can I Still Claim for Past Years?
Oh yes you can — and you probably should.
If you’re just now realizing you missed out on deductions, don’t panic. The Dutch tax system lets you go back up to 5 years and refile old returns. That means you can even go back to 2019 and re do it!
Imagine finding out you were owed €3K, €4K, or more... just sitting there, unclaimed. This isn't just retroactive accounting — it's literally reclaiming money that should be in your pocket.
Most freelancers and zzp’ers don’t even realize these refunds are possible until it’s too late. Don’t be one of them.