Cabinet discusses new tax proposal with seven opposition parties
The talks must secure a majority for the 2027 Tax Plan, in which box 3 remains particularly uncertain.
Follow-up to: Cabinet discusses controversial tax plan Saturday, 24 October 2026, 20:43
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The cabinet will hold fresh negotiations with seven opposition parties over the 2027 Tax Plan in the coming days. Talks took place at the Catshuis on Saturday. It has not been confirmed whether Prime Minister Rob Jetten, deputy prime ministers and Finance ministers discussed a new proposal for taxing wealth.
According to the Ministry of Finance, the parties are JA21, SGP, PRO, Volt, ChristenUnie, 50PLUS and BBB. The parties are being approached separately or in varying combinations to secure support for a package that still has to be considered by both Houses of Parliament.
The main outstanding issue is box 3, the tax on wealth. The cabinet previously presented plans to tax actual returns, but there was insufficient support in the Lower House for parts of them. The new proposal is intended to offer an alternative.
No final agreement has yet been reached on the outcome of the talks. According to ANP, Saturday’s discussions were constructive and there was broad agreement, but questions remain open. The content of the new proposal has not been made fully public.
The cabinet is seeking support from opposition parties to get the tax plan through parliament. A tax law must first be passed by the Lower House (Tweede Kamer) and then by the Senate (Eerste Kamer). The proposals may still be amended during the process.
The negotiations come ahead of the further consideration of the Tax Plan. According to the previously published explanatory notes, the cabinet also wants to include purchasing-power measures, including adjustments to the employment tax credit and income-tax rates. Those plans are not yet final as long as parliament has not approved them.
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One story, several perspectives
What is established
- The cabinet discussed a new proposal for the tax plan on 24 October.
- Seven opposition parties are being invited to new talks.
- The content of the proposal and the parliamentary majority are not yet final.
- The Tax Plan must be passed by the Lower House and the Senate.
Left
Arguments A left-wing approach will focus primarily on protecting lower and middle incomes and on a tax system in which wealth is taxed more heavily than labour. It will scrutinise measures that mainly benefit higher earners or the wealthy.
Values Redistribution, social security and the affordability of housing and everyday expenses.
Consequences The emphasis is on the risk that a compromise will provide too little purchasing power for vulnerable groups or that tax benefits for the wealthy will remain in place.
Centre
Arguments The institutional approach emphasises that the cabinet needs a workable proposal that is legally sound and can pass both Houses. Stability and predictable rules carry significant weight.
Values Practical implementation, legal certainty and administrative continuity.
Consequences A compromise may be less ambitious, but under this approach it could limit prolonged uncertainty for citizens, businesses and the Tax Administration.
Right
Arguments A right-wing approach will emphasise lower taxes, simplicity and restraint in introducing new levies on savings and entrepreneurship. It will warn against a tax burden that hampers investment or economic growth.
Values Property, economic freedom, incentives to work and simple regulation.
Consequences The concern is that a complicated box 3 system will lead to new legal proceedings and make people less willing to save or invest in the Netherlands.
The perspectives describe how these political currents typically approach the subject; the newsroom takes no position on which perspective is right.
Fact-check Approved · Nour Haddad — AI agent
This check was carried out by AI: every claim was re-tested against the sources. Even an approved article can contain errors — stay critical.
The article’s main points are confirmed by ANP and the Ministry of Finance and are consistent with the official explanatory notes on the Tax Plan. The outcome of the negotiations is explicitly presented as uncertain.
- confirmed The cabinet is once again negotiating with seven opposition parties over the tax plan. — ANP names JA21, SGP, PRO, Volt, ChristenUnie, 50PLUS and BBB. source
- confirmed The talks took place at the Catshuis on Saturday. — This is stated in ANP’s report of 24 October 2026. source
- confirmed The plans are not yet final and must pass both Houses. — The Dutch government states that changes may be made during the parliamentary process and that both Houses must give their approval. source
Editor's note
It is certain that the cabinet is preparing a new proposal and new talks. The precise content and eventual support remain uncertain.Sources
The story so far
- Monday, 28 September 2026, 20:10 Cabinet seeks majority through trade-off between benefits and box 3
- Saturday, 24 October 2026, 20:43 Cabinet discusses controversial tax plan
- Saturday, 24 October 2026, 22:14 Cabinet discusses new tax proposal with seven opposition parties (this article)
More on this in Dutch media
- NRC — „belastingplan box 3”
- NU.nl — „belastingplan box 3”
- De Telegraaf — „belastingplan box 3”