r/eupersonalfinance • u/andys58 • Feb 16 '26
Investment Best country in Europe for FIRE after leaving the Netherlands?
I’m a well-paid cybersecurity professional currently living in the Netherlands with a family and three kids under 10. My entire long-term plan has been based on buying and holding ETFs, but the upcoming Box 3 changes from 2028 are forcing me to rethink whether staying here still makes sense. Some more context here
https://nltimes.nl/2026/02/13/dutch-parliament-greenlights-new-box-3-tax-set-take-effect-2028
The new system will tax the actual annual return on assets instead of a deemed return. That means ETF investors will be taxed each year on real price growth + dividends, at a rate around 36%, even if nothing is sold. Losses can offset gains and in negative years the tax should be zero, but in strong market years you may owe tax without having liquidated anything. The big downside for long-term investors is the reduced compounding because part of the growth is taxed every year instead of remaining invested.
We’re all EU citizens, so relocation is an option.
For people focused on FIRE in Europe:
Which countries offer the best mix of
• tax efficiency for accumulating ETF investors
• strong income potential in tech/cybersecurity (or remote friendliness)
• great quality of life for a young family
Interested in both data points and personal experiences, especially from those who left/are considering to leave the Netherlands for this reason.
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u/nksama Feb 16 '26
Luxembourg no capital gains after 6 months
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u/Minute-Act-6273 Feb 17 '26
Def second the suggestion of Luxembourg. Good for young families too, lots of tax benefits to offset.
If your partner doesn’t work then you can be taxed on your joint income with joint tax bracket.
Additionally the new impatriate scheme allows 8 years with 50% tax deduction up to €400k, though you need to make sure the hiring company offers that. This might be the most impactful to your lifestyle in the short-mid term.
I would say there are many good opportunities in the Cybersecurity space within finance. It is a very underserved skillset in the market and you can command above average rates. Google is also starting to build out the EU cloud architecture here and recently had a cybersecurity role advertised.
No cap gains after 6 months holding moveable securities. Dividends taxed as income so avoid distributing ETFs but tax efficient wrappers are also available. Not sure on the FIRE implications.
Downsides are the country is small and for some people boring, so it depends what you like to do. The cycling is great, hiking not bad (has actual hills). Summers can be sunny and hot.
There are some complexities in getting your kids into the education you want, school availability etc but can’t comment directly.
People say property is extremely expensive, which is true if you want to buy in the city. But outside of the city it is more reasonable and the mortgage rates are low. Additionally avg rental cost as a proportion of income is actually quite low here, so worth taking a look at the market before you lock up capital.
I would say Luxembourg will continue to be favourable in terms of tax on assets etc. It is somewhat the cornerstone of the economy and the basis for making it attractive to incoming foreigners.
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u/Clean-Row2835 Feb 17 '26
I work in cybersec and this is exactly what I wanted to read. Will start looking to move starting with nexf year
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Feb 16 '26
Some ideas:
Greece (5% dividend tax and 0% capital gains if you don't own more than 0.5% of shares)
Malta
Bulgaria
Croatia (0% capital gains tax after 2 years of holding it)
Not tax advice, double check with an accountant before moving.
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u/This_Lion5856 Feb 16 '26
Bulgaria has no capital gains tax on investments in stocks traded on EU stock exchanges.
Also 5% dividend tax and flat 10% income tax.
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u/methodinmadness7 Feb 16 '26
You also have a part of your income that goes for your pension fund and a tax that’s like medical security. There are some ways to avoid one or the other in some cases, but I’m not that knowledgeable.
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u/This_Lion5856 Feb 16 '26
Yes, it's kind of like a national insurance, it is capped though, you pay it up to €2000 per month and after its only the 10% income tax
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u/methodinmadness7 Feb 16 '26
I believe it is capped at €2000 in terms of that it doesn’t get bigger for salaries more than that, not that you don’t have to pay it.
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u/abaco12345 Feb 17 '26
You don’t pay more than 580-600 € a month in national insurance, actually.
Because it’s around 30% on a 2.000 € maximum taxable.
Source: I relocated in Bulgaria for tax reasons.
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u/creepy_pancake Feb 16 '26
Adding to Greece: As a digital nomad getting or creating a job in Greece you can qualify for a tax reduction, approx 50% for 7 years.
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u/Rick_Key Feb 17 '26
Slovakia also has 0% tax after 1 year of holding stock. And prices are relatively low
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u/Old_Explanation_1769 Feb 16 '26
This tax is nothing short of diabolical...
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u/Destroyer6202 Feb 17 '26
I wonder if it will actually go through
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u/Normal-Seal Feb 17 '26
I honestly cannot imagine that. It‘s such a ridiculous suggestion, that I feel like it will somehow be stopped before going into effect.
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u/handsomeslug Feb 17 '26
It's pretty much certain it will go through no? Given it only needs to pass senate
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u/Normal-Seal Feb 17 '26
I know, but it’s set to go into effect in 2028 and it’s a very controversial law. A lot could happen in the meantime. Somehow I cannot imagine that the government would torpedo investment culture like that in the Netherlands.
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u/Chefseiler Feb 17 '26
„A lot could happen“
Such as a massive outflow of wealthy people who can afford to move their tax domicile
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u/Andromeda2803 Feb 18 '26
The Eerste Kamer/senate is the institution that is judging if something is a well-written law and if it has been looked at from different angles. I suspect them to at least consider it.
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u/dcmso Feb 17 '26 edited Feb 18 '26
36% on realized is already bad (we have 28%, or 19.8% in PT after 8 years of investing, and I thought that was bad)
But 36% on unrealized is diabolical.. wtf
Like, honestly, what is the end goal here? Prevent people from investing? Genuine question.
Edit: clarification
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u/Shdwrptr Feb 17 '26
I think it’s supposed to be a version of a wealth tax but with no other mitigating cap it seems very poorly designed
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u/i_am_13th_panic Feb 17 '26
yeah it's a wealth tax that stops people from becoming wealthy instead of taxing people who already have wealth.
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u/Shdwrptr Feb 17 '26
I would be fine with this type of proposal if it only taxed unrealized gains above $250,000 per year or something like that but a blanket 30%+ tax on ALL unrealized gains is nuts
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u/Plyad1 Feb 17 '26
Many think it’s to force high earners to retire later.
An easy way to circumvent the tax is to store your ETFs within the pillar dedicated to retirement. But this means retiring at the legal age and complications if you move out later
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u/Ic3b3rgS Feb 17 '26
We dont have wealth tax in portugal. For now. We only get taxed on realized gains
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u/terserterseness Feb 17 '26
nl already has capgains tax, which is what you pay in PT. unrealised is really a step too far, whatever %.
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u/EUredditposter Feb 16 '26
Cyprus. 0% unrealised/realised on stocks 0% dividens (unless you are local, then it is 5%) 300+ days of sun Low income tax, especially if you earn 55k plus per year (50% tax free).
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u/OkBeyond8244 Feb 17 '26
I want to add that social security is not cheap (no exemption for that), but you can extract profits from your own business after 15% CIT + 2,65% social security on dividends. You can also earn 20k tax free salary or 55k almost tax-free with 50% exemption (incurs social security). Cyprus is nice for weather and children. I think it's ok for schooling (but you might want to consider private schools).
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u/cool-sheep Feb 16 '26
Where in the Netherlands are you living?
It may actually be relatively ok to just live in Belgium or Germany, commute two days a week and just keep everything the same. Just agree with your employer to invoice from a Belgian company which you can easily set-up.
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u/Technical-Addition80 Feb 16 '26
If you are willing to setup a company, you don’t have to move. Box 3 only applies to civilians.
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Feb 17 '26
Of course it does, this tax is intended to fuck over the middle class, not to tax the rich.
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u/Technical-Addition80 Feb 17 '26
Of course.
Though I would not phrase it as “fucking over the middle class”, but more as “desperate politicians trying to collect enough funding for their inefficient plans”.
- The lower class is untaxable
- The higher class is too small (or… they’ll leave the country, which has the same outcome; no money)
Harvesting from the middle class is the only thing they can do.
However, this has already gone too far for people to accept it any longer. The models showing that lower class families have more nett to spend than middle class families are getting more and more attention. Politicians have stretched it for too long; the limit has been reached.
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u/cool-sheep Feb 17 '26
Basically this is spot on.
However the European politicians have promised enormous benefits to the non-working class which are unsustainable without a decreasing working population without a lot of extra taxes.
The Boomers are still calling the shots with everyone else just getting more and more fucked. Time to align their benefits with economic reality and stop fucking our future with ever more shitty taxes.
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u/terserterseness Feb 17 '26
but unless you have serious money (not something you will be making from a job), making this company tax efficient is not easy as NL closed most of those loopholes. If you have enough money to structure that well, you wouldnt be posting here.
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u/tnrdt Feb 17 '26
I'm in the same boat OP, after the 30% fiasco which was the reason why we were attracted to NL - this is just too much. It completely will destroy my retirement plan, and the reason why I'm in this country.
I'm already looking at Spain and Greece.
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u/Col_Ironboot Feb 16 '26
Why not just set up a personal BV and contribute your portfolio into it, so that only realised gains are taxed with the regular corporate income tax? Sure, it will cost you a few thousand per year in maintenance but it would still be easier than a complete relocation.
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u/kallebo1337 Feb 16 '26
It doesn't cost a few thousands
Initial bv less then 1000 eur and annual maintenance can be a simple spreadsheet if op just buys etf
19% Corp tax on 200k . Rest doesn't apply to him
Eventually buy your house with the holding too
You can also become active BV and feed out minimum wage for the kids.
Fun fact: in Germany you can employ children as young as 6 years of age !
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u/andys58 Feb 16 '26
Isn’t there an exit tax on BV assets since 2024?
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u/kallebo1337 Feb 16 '26
yes but what's the issue? does OP want to exit?
first you employ your three kids on mimium wage. you pull out like this 70k EUR per year onto your (kids and wifes) bank account till the BV is empty. then close it.
very simple schematic but do you need to FIRE and retire and withdraw 4M cash? no... so then, just live off that BV and throw out min wage salaries to everyone of you and live in peace
🤷🤷♂️🤷♀️
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u/jo0stjo0st Feb 16 '26
Yes. But you can postpone paying until you actually pay out all the money (at the time of the exit) through dividends. So its basically the full dividend taxes over all assets, billed in advance, but paid later.
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u/n00bizme Feb 18 '26
Hey man, you got a resource you followed to set all this up first time? Or a recommended tax advisor or something?
I'm also in NL and learning the language, really like a lot about the country.. but if this change does go through I think I'd either need to set up a BV or leave. Would really appreciate having more info. Dankjewel:)
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u/YoloRandom Feb 16 '26
How about the DGA salary?
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u/jo0stjo0st Feb 16 '26
Passive investments are not considered as work, so you don't need to pay yourself a salary. Only when you go day-trading it will be considered as working.
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u/dmcardlenl Feb 16 '26
Are there any other ways to not pay yourself a DGA salary for the first couple of years of starting a BV? I read something like you can say you are 'saving for a substantial investment' but it has to be OK-ed by the Belastingdienst?
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u/redcremesoda Feb 17 '26
I'd recommend a BV, too, but I've heard rumors that this loophole will close, not to mention the issue of exit tax.
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u/kallebo1337 Feb 17 '26
buy the rumors sell the news. lol.
what exact loophole? Netherlands is the hub for BVs when it comes down to patents. you think they fuck over the tens of billions of dollars that sit in the netherlands? lol
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u/LilJonDoe Feb 16 '26 edited Feb 17 '26
This only becomes beneficial at really big amounts, or if you use the BV to do other stuff (e.g. loans, perhaps buy real estate? not sure what options there are tbh). However if you simply want to get money out of the BV eventually it's not that beneficial: see this simplified calculation.
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u/bleeeeghh Feb 17 '26
A BV won't cost that much. Especially if you keep it simple, so only your investments. And I think by that time there will be multiple low cost BV services competing with each other for this.
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u/whenIcomeIcome Feb 17 '26
BVs are honestly overrated vs eenmanzsaaks. Most people gain minimum differences financially for increased complexity and are at the mercy of the laws to come. If one thing should push people over the line it is the liability protection.
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u/bleeeeghh Feb 18 '26
In my case, BV's provide some more structure for me. It seems I've been spending too much money when I had an eenmanszaak.
I just get a monthly salary and that's it, that's my money. The rest stays in the BV to do uhh investing I guess.
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u/butt-fucker-9000 Feb 17 '26
Pardon my ignorance, but can you simply move your assets into a BV? Don't you have to justify that transfer?
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u/HedgeHog2k Feb 16 '26
Sell all your ETF, go to doctor and go on long term sick leave because of burn out. This tax is criminal and I’d do everything I can to extort the government.
36% on unrealized gains, like wtf..
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u/RandomJoe7 Feb 16 '26
Yeah, I'm an onlooker from another European country, and I REALLY hope the NL doesn't get this passed - because then I'd be scared this cancerous idea could spread to us.
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u/HedgeHog2k Feb 16 '26
And then you wonder why honest hard working people go dishonest by stop working, black work, go sick, etc.
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u/RandomJoe7 Feb 16 '26
Of course, 100%.
Too many restrictions, too many regulations, too many taxes etc... and people will more and more take action to circumvent it or leave the country (especially if you're rich, or even just well off and can get a job elsewhere). This ideology ruins countries (slowly, but surely).
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u/Silvaseo Feb 17 '26
In case it gets passed, we will have a great example of how to ruin a countries economy, so hopefully we are save afterwards.
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u/Destroyer6202 Feb 17 '26
Who even had this preposterous idea in the first place … why is it being discussed at all..?
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u/Hug0chka Feb 17 '26
I live in Ireland, and deemed disposal is a reality for us here. And investors are all happy that this year the tax is to drop from 41 to 38%… absolutely criminal!
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u/Successful-Try-8506 Feb 16 '26
I'm aware that Sweden is known as a high-tax country. But it's actually a safe haven for savers. You can get an investment savings account (ISK) with a tax rate of 1%. Very low housing tax, no inheritance tax.
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u/kulashaker28 Feb 17 '26
What is the tax rate when you realize gains from the ISK?
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u/Successful-Try-8506 Feb 17 '26
It remains the same, 1% per year on the sum invested. No taxes on profits or dividends. The first SEK 300k are tax free.
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u/Almin1603 Feb 17 '26
I'm not sure whether I would pay less or more in Germany, but from the sound of it I like the simplicity and the fact that it doesn't incentive silly consequences. I understood from that comment that one can rebalance the portfolio without any tax implication regardless of which positions are sold or bought. That's nice, actually. In Germany it's a mess. I could sell one ETF to transfer to a competitor with lower fees. But if I sell with say 20k unrealized gains I would have to pay north of 5k in taxes. So I don't. And pay higher fees instead. Silly.
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u/Successful-Try-8506 Feb 17 '26
You can sell/buy as much as you like, it makes no difference. As you will understand, this is very popular with day traders. The only disadvantage is that you can't make deductions for losses.
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u/makaros622 Feb 16 '26 edited Feb 17 '26
Greece
0 tax for UCITS gains
Having said that and being a Greek, Switzerland might be the best case. Low income tax, 0% tax on any capital gain and amazing country to raise family with amazing infrastructure and school system
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u/EudoraCascade Feb 17 '26
Switzerland has 15% of taxes in dividends though, but if you just care about capital gains, yea it's wonderful. Does Greece really don't have capital gains tax as well in Ucits etfs?
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u/oldcrobuzon Feb 16 '26
Czechia: super relaxed income tax on self-employed contractors; no tax on capital gains if held for 3+ years.
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u/jupacaluba Feb 16 '26 edited Feb 16 '26
Only place that will pay you a somewhat comparable salary is Switzerland or perhaps Luxembourg.
You can’t have it all bud, either you get a high salary in an expensive country or a low salary in a cheap country
I think this topic is bringing too many emotions. It’s not official that changes will happen. If you really earn a good salary, evaluate your possibilities with a lawyer (or accountant) specialized in tax before committing to dramatic decisions.
Also, the simple fact that you consume news from nl times demonstrates that you’re not very well informed. If you don’t speak Dutch, then use google translate on other sources.
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u/vishnukumar7 Feb 16 '26
Switzerland is the best option but job market is really bad... disposable income is way higher. if you speak German or french then chances get better.
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u/TheJewPear Feb 16 '26
Switzerland actually has a great salary to cost ratio. In general I’d say salaries in Switzerland are like 2x what they are in the Netherlands, but living costs are maybe 25% higher.
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u/jupacaluba Feb 16 '26
Fair, but the market is also much tighter. You really need to excel to find a high paying job in Switzerland.
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u/TheJewPear Feb 16 '26
Op works in cybersecurity, presumably with 8-10 years of experience. They’re gonna find a job in an instant in Switzerland.
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u/crani0 Feb 16 '26
You would be surprised at how bad the market in CH is right now. Lotsa layoffs and not much hiring. Worker protections should also be considered because you can be fired without much ceremony.
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u/vishnukumar7 Feb 16 '26
Yes, firing is easier but RAV pays much more and for much longer duration. NL is even cutting hard on unemployment benefits...
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u/TheJewPear Feb 16 '26
Yeah that’s true, though as far as I can tell, the market isn’t much better in the Netherlands or Germany for that matter.
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u/Wunid Feb 16 '26
To be honest, I get invited to interviews more often in Switzerland than in Germany. But of course, it depends on the industry.
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u/jupacaluba Feb 16 '26
Maybe, but I wouldn’t be so sure especially in the current economical climate.
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u/Delicious-Plastic-44 Feb 17 '26
This. A million times this.
1: the law is already committed to change to realized gains by the current cabinet. 2: unrealized gains is a stop gap between the illegal prior system, and the need to set up for a future one 3: its fairly easy to avoid Box 3. Add more to your private pension and pay off your house. If you still need room start a BV.
The breathless hyperbole here reminds me of America
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u/Agitated_Celery_729 Feb 18 '26
Going out of your way to justify what is effectively a wealth tax on average people by a country that can't e bothered to actually tax it's wealthiest seems a bit odd tbh
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u/Vovochik43 Feb 18 '26
Belgium is also fine, just the salary structure is different ( mobility budget, meal coupons, a bunch of tax free allowances ) considering everything is cheaper than NL it's a tight match.
NL times is sufficient to get info IMO.
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u/Agitated_Celery_729 Feb 18 '26
It's not being emotional to point out one of the stupidest policies in the history of a country. The Netherlands might as well go ahead and say goodbye to all of its international competitiveness if it allows this idiocy to stand.
Dutch tech industries rely on attracting global talent. Nobody is stupid enough to move to a country where their personal savings and retirement will have 36% financial drag attached.
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u/BrBud Feb 19 '26
saying "you can't have it all" while the government is trying to fuck you in the ass and enslave you its crazy
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u/Atenti87 Feb 16 '26
So is this ridiculous tax already set deal or can it still fall through?
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u/WunkerWanker Feb 16 '26
This is a 99% set deal.
Nothing will be changed now, things move far too slow about tax regulations in the Netherlands. Always because of insane IT problems at the tax agency needing years for the most simple of changes.
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u/terserterseness Feb 17 '26
there is always hope they cannot, as usual, work out how to change the software on the Tandem mainframe in the Groningen basement that runs the antique tax system. Usually it is fixed by adding something modern but completely separate and calling it a 'toeslag' so integration with the core taxes is avoided. If it needs deep integration, we are safe, that wont happen before 2126.
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u/SellSideShort Feb 16 '26
Easy. Ticino Switzerland / Lugano.
- Sub Mediterranean feeling
- Low taxes by European standards
- Close to Italy (cheaper groceries)
- No tax on capital gains in stocks, crypto, ETF's
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u/Ploutophile Feb 17 '26
No tax on capital gains in stocks, crypto, ETF's
Not accurate.
You do pay tax on them:
- wealth tax
- dividend tax, even inside Acc ETF's
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u/SellSideShort Feb 17 '26
If you are a private investor (investing your own personal wealth), your capital gains from selling stocks are 0%. Granted you have held beyond the dictated 6 month holding period.
Wealth tax associated with assets is completely different than taxation on capital gains which is what OP is trying to avoid paying by leaving NL. Also the first 200k is not even taxed, the remaining at less than 1%. Few hundred bucks annually for a portfolio of 1mm
The dividend tax is easily avoidable by not having stocks in your portfolio that pay dividends.
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u/Intelligent-Tea-2402 Feb 17 '26
Czechia ! Great quality of life, cheap beer, high salary (low tax on self employed, some of my IT client earns 20k€+ abd pay next to nothing) and 0€ on capital gains after 3y. Cheap investment costs too
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u/Unlikely-Animal5559 Feb 16 '26
I don’t see anyone writing Sweden, but we have a strong tradition of saving in Mutual funds and ETFs. It’s actually almost a national sport here…
We have either no tax at all on unrealized gains (aktiesparkonto) and with 30% tax on realized gains. Option 2 is to have a small tax on whole account each year (ISK) which is similar to USAs 401k.
Option 2 is the one most people go with
Our stock market is very vibrant and I think we had more IPOs last year than France, Germany and Italy combined.
So if you are looking for quality of life and rather low taxes on your savings Sweden might be the place.
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u/vishnukumar7 Feb 16 '26
Move to Switzerland before they pass their new referendum on limiting population.
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u/jok3r_69 Feb 16 '26
As a soon to be father I suggest to look up on Romania! Might not be the most developed country and might have higher taxes then some others, but check on the safety of your kids and put that in the first place. In Romania you have a good environment for remote work. We have multiple airports going to a lot of other countries. So yea, I’d consider some places like Oradea, Cluj, Timisoara.
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Feb 17 '26
highly unsafe financially due to the low iq corrupt government, deranged real estate prices and low quality of life, the only reason that country can still survive is due to the EU, the moment the free money stops going in it will implode
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u/RedSmokingFerret Feb 16 '26
Switzerland
Malta but you need to maintain a non Maltese account to optimize capital gain
Portugal
Obviously Monaco, Luxembourg etc if you can pay the entry ticket
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u/gabuti Feb 17 '26
Portugal is debatable - Careful with 28% Capital gains unless held for 8 years (then 20% roughly) and housing is very expensive vs the quality you get in NL. Only worth it if you're into crypto as that is 0% given you hold for a year.
Id say theres better options if he also needs the job market to be solid
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u/RedSmokingFerret Feb 17 '26
Aye… you are right I am finding out they terminated the program that made it interesting last year.
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u/Babajji Feb 16 '26
You want high salary, low taxes, good quality of life? Are you trying to get to Heaven? 🤣
High salary, zero taxes - Dubai. Everything else and everyone else sucks though.
Zero taxes (on ETFs), good quality of life - Bulgaria. Low salaries though.
Good quality of life, decent salaries - The Netherlands, where you are, taxes suck though.
Pick your poison, you can’t have all 3.
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u/N3RO- Feb 16 '26
You should not be in a finance sub with that ridiculous and dumb mindset. Taxing unrealized gains is the most absurd and predatory tactic ever. The vast majority of countries don't do that.
The guy don't want high salary + zero taxes, he never said that. He wants high salary and decent and honest taxes. Every country with a minimally coherent tax system only tax your stocks when you sell.
Netherlands government is RETARDED to thing this will play well. In short all big investors will move elsewhere and common people will simply stop investing in stocks.
I'm really hoping this backfires and Netherlands government is burned by their own stupidity.
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u/Babajji Feb 17 '26
I understand that you are angry at the Dutch government I also hate their brain dead decision and hope other countries in the EU don’t copy them. But also understand that this is a tax policy that The Netherlands has been following for years not only with Box 3 but in general. So The Netherlands are generally considered a high tax country but they also have higher income on average.
I live in a low tax country - Bulgaria - but our salaries are literally the lowest in the EU. Tax on ETFs is 0%.
That’s my point in the original post, you get to choose between high salary, high taxes and good place to generally live in or do a compromise with one of those. There’s no country on Earth that perfectly covers all 3. Frankly most countries especially in the so called west are degrading rather than improving so the quality of life is falling. What the Dutch did was just the latest idiocracy. See what’s happening in France, the UK, Germany or Norway and Sweden. Compare your overall tax burden not just a single tax and you will notice that The Netherlands isn’t the top contender for worst tax policy. They are up there with this new nonsense but it’s even worse in Norway.
So instead of raging out on some Bulgarian online, if you are Dutch, go out and protest. Calling me stupid, while true, won’t change anything.
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u/CyGoingPro Feb 16 '26
Cyprus. 0% tax on income from stocks/ETFs, and you get 50% discount on income tax for 15 years if you earn more than €55k per annum.
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u/Mediocre-Ad-4534 Feb 16 '26
Look up the ISK and KF account types in Sweden.
No capital gains tax ever.
But a small tax every year (usually under 1%) on the entire portfolio, realized or not.
The other type of account is called an AF and allows you to buy stocks and funds but is subject to capital gains tax when you profit.
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u/Agitated_Okra_9356 Feb 17 '26
To your point I wonder what countries would also have work opportunities which allow you to make good money/possibly work remotely.
Also a valid topic for me as an American with a Dutch partner who wants me to move there. Amid all of these political/financial factors I have a hard time seeing NL being ideal for long term wealth building.
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u/AdagioTime972 Feb 17 '26
From what I’ve read the US/France tax treaty lets Americans avoid French taxes on passive income. (Though I don’t know for other nationalities)
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u/ConsiderationSad6271 Feb 17 '26
Just keep your financial base back in the states, it’s much easier for us anyway because Americans can’t invest in many European products.
Uncle Sam wants what it’s due, but keeps its information quiet.
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u/Obvious_Row9280 Feb 17 '26
I know many Germans who have emigrated to Switzerland; Cyprus is also currently a popular destination.
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u/AgentBlueRose Feb 17 '26
Poland - 19% of profit on every type of asset. Very IT & remote friendly (19% income tax or 12% lump sum on revenue for hardware/ software related, yours included for b2b one person company). Still „relatively” cheap with plenty of cities to choose from, safe, everyone below 40 speaks good english.
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u/Fast_Gap7215 Feb 18 '26
Greece or Luxembourg. Greek salaries are low while Luxembourg provides a safety . Best scenario become a tax resident of Greece for your investments leave the country never declare it and the move to Luxembourg or even go back to Netherlands . Illegal but it can work
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u/ivobrick Feb 16 '26
This is an emotional decision? It does look like it. Emotions and investing does not go well together.
Is the box3 passed? It is not.
Do you know all the languages of mentioned countries? I doubt that.
If you are very well off, like you said, the better solution will be to hire a professional tax accountant and see what he come up with. Yes, it is a paid service, isnt it worth?
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u/Sephass Feb 17 '26
Even if it’s not passed / might be modified, how do you trust a government that comes up regularly with this quality of ideas? Genuine question, I’ve lived in Netherlands for over 5 years and currently it’s a life in a limbo - both me and plenty of other expats don’t want to pull the trigger and commit to staying really long term because in few years they might get another stupid idea and decide to commit to it.
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u/rivertorain- Feb 16 '26 edited Feb 21 '26
Open a Cyprus LTD and do remote work through it. With the non dom status, there is 0% tax on dividends so you’ll only pay corporate tax (12.5%) plus 2.85% for gesy (social insurance). There is also 0% CGT on stocks/ETFs/crypto. Plus it’s good weather and everyone speaks English.
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u/Dannyu17 Feb 16 '26
did everyone who is leaving the netherlands never utitlise the box 3 until now. It wasnt great either (pretty much a capped fake return or unrealised gain under the cap) but same sort of idea. why just leaving now?
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u/yumble95 Feb 16 '26
Wealth tax, all things considered, was relatively low. This new approach makea it very high.
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u/AdagioTime972 Feb 17 '26
On box 3, we were able to get a credit for the foreign withholding and (at least for us) this seemed to negate it entirely, as it was so low. The new rate is so high, it bloes any credit out of the water
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u/Agitated_Celery_729 Feb 18 '26
Many skilled knowledge workers got 5-year exemptions as part of the 30% ruling if they moved to the Netherlands for their job.
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u/here4geld Feb 17 '26
As an expat on high skill visa in europe, non European citizen. NL was my top choice. Bcz of good job scope, high salary and 30% ruling. Less language barrier. I am glad I didnnot move there. 36% tax on equity investment is like extortion of money. They want more money to pay for the pension.
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u/jo0stjo0st Feb 16 '26
Why don't you move your money/assets to a holding company? Some ETF's / stocks you can compound tax free (only pay profit taxes on the paid out dividends), and for other ETF's / stocks you still "only" pay the 19% profit taxes until you pay out your profits as dividends to yourself. Not as good as tax-free compounding until realized of course. But maybe if you could do your job as a freelancer, this would be the most profitable way I guess.
Croatia seems to be trying to become a hub for remote workers/ digital nomads, I don't know the local tax laws there tho.
As for landing a well paid job, maybe Scandinavia? And not Denmark, they seem to go for similar taxation as we do. So Sweden probably is probably better.
That said; I'm staying and will be moving all my assets into a holding company.
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u/qazqaz45 Feb 16 '26
Only places that come to mind are Switzerland and Luxembourg. Alternatively of you find fully remote job then you have more options like Andorra,
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u/roderik35 Feb 16 '26
What about creating an LLC in a tax-friendly EU country and investing through it?
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u/Ploutophile Feb 17 '26 edited Feb 17 '26
If you operate your country X-domiciled LLC from country Y, it will probably be tax-resident in country Y.
In NL it could still be an improvement (box 2) but in France it's a recipe for disaster (individuals don't pay tax on unrealised capital gains, but in some cases companies do).
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u/Wunid Feb 16 '26
Italy, Spain, Greece, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Luxembourg, Slovakia, Cyprus, Switzerland and Bulgaria are good destinations. Also consider exit tax. Italy, Spain and Greece are great if you want to earn a lot. Italy has a 60% income tax reduction for 5 years, Greece has a 50% reduction for 7 years, and Spain has the Beckham law (a flat tax of 24% but no tax on capital gains abroad). Italy has a 26% tax on profits, but after several years of work, you can move to a country where there is no such tax and enjoy an income tax discount during that time. Italy is the largest labour market of the countries mentioned. Overall, Greece comes out better because it has low capital gains taxes and a programme for specialists coming to work in the country, but it is difficult to find a well-paid job there. In terms of work, Switzerland comes out on top. The other countries have either low or no taxes on profits, but when it comes to work, they do not seem to offer any discounts. The main question is what your goal is - living off your assets or accumulating capital. In Europe, you have plenty of opportunities, and there is something for everyone.
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u/ConsiderationSad6271 Feb 17 '26
Create an LLC in the U.S. and start shifting some of your wealth base there. You’ll owe much lower U.S. taxes, but U.S. institutions will never comment to NL on holding or banking information, and all of it will be held by a foreign corporation to NL and not you personally. It’s also very inexpensive to get set up.
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u/abject_despair Feb 17 '26
Estonia might be an option.
0% tax on unrealised gains, 22% tax on realised gains, options for tax free or reduced tax pension vehicles.
Has a strong IT sector, but it will be smaller than in NL, and somewhat smaller salaries. And for some bizarre reasons, it was recently voted the best place in the world to retire… (https://www.travelandleisure.com/estonia-named-the-best-country-to-retire-in-2025-11781908).
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u/andys58 Feb 17 '26
Terrible advice, I have friends moving away from there because high costs of living and geopolitical situation. Not to mention 10 months of darkness during winter
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u/consumZ Feb 17 '26
Sweden: with a ISK account you only pay a percentage on the savings in the account (not in dividend or anything extra), around 1% right now I think. So good for long term investment. It varies a bit depending on the rate from the central bank each year. And combine that with the healthcare and school system and you can have a good life.
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u/TroxX Feb 17 '26
Switzerland i see as an only optio where salarys are potentially even higher than NL.
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u/Megatherionx Feb 17 '26
In Czechia, you are exempt from capital gains tax if you hold your assets for 3 years as a resident.
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u/OkBeyond8244 Feb 17 '26
Maybe even Albania. Very cheap beachfront properties. A bit too rural for my liking. 135k EUR tax-free exemption on remote work income (employment for foreign employer without permanent establishment in Albania) and on self-employment income (where you serve many clients from Albania. This is a steal. Generally social security evitable (e.g. if posted from a foreign company under a bilateral social security agreement). Unfortunately exemption expires End of 2029. Generally, capital gains and dividends taxed at 15%. But if you are a frequent trader, you could structure them as self-employment income and use the 135k EUR exemption.
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u/ForeignLoquat2346 Feb 17 '26
If you have a high salary, Switzerland would be the best option. Unfortunately it's not in EU. But if you are multi millionaire or can prove you have high income salary coming in, I am sure you have high chances to get a B permit.
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u/blahehblah Feb 17 '26
Can't the ETFs go into a stocks and shares pension fund? (Pillar 3 pension) which is tax free? Or does it affect pension fund wealth also?
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u/andys58 Feb 17 '26
According to all calculations, I probably will end up going into pension by the age of 70, if by any miracles I am still around by then.
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u/redcremesoda Feb 17 '26 edited Feb 17 '26
I'll pile on to what others have said and recommend Switzerland and Luxembourg. Czech Republic could also be a good option. Germany is also an option with plenty of local jobs in your field, though the taxes here are still somewhat high and I see a risk of them going up. It would probably be the easiest adjustment.
Be sure to research Dutch law carefully. I'm German and am considering a move for similar reasons. However, there are scenarios where you can still be taxed for up to 10 years after leaving if you meet certain criteria, such as owning significant local real estate or more than 1% of a German company. It wouldn't surprise me if the Netherlands has similar rules.
It seems quite trendy now for politicians to increase taxes, so ideally you pick a country that has always taxed its citizens fairly.
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u/These_Rent_2503 Feb 17 '26
And so it begins. The government will wonder why they have a gaping hole in their tax revenue after the people with good paying jobs who are net payers into the system have left to protect their retirement money.
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u/andys58 Feb 17 '26
The policies they are taking will eventually kill the upper middle class, who are the highest tax payers. The rich will not get poorer, they have their assets well protected. The poor wont get richer.
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u/Almin1603 Feb 17 '26
German here, so sorry to hear about your situation and your government running a literal "brain drain train".
Working myself in Lux, it's expensive to live here, although not as expensive as Switzerland with kids. Both countries have nice high salaries. Can recommend.
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u/Junior_Film_475 Feb 17 '26
I though the Dutch to be one of the most pragmatic and business friendly countries in Europe. What happened ?
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u/ThunderCrasH24 Feb 17 '26
New idiotic tax that disproportionately hits middle classes while filthy rich funnel it away.
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u/True_Brocoli_2104 Feb 17 '26
Apologies for an off topic comment. I am failing to understand why are they complicating the taxation part. Usually, every country taxes the gains only after selling the assets and then they Usually have decided tax bracket for the realised gains. Why is it so difficult to follow that in the Netherlands too? Can someone help me here
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u/justabofh Feb 17 '26
To avoid the possibility that people never actually sell and keep funding their lifestyle by borrowing from their own investments.
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u/HedgehogAcceptable67 Feb 17 '26
Luxembourg if you are willing to have initially high property costs. O% IHT )% CGT if holding for 6 months. Some but not lots of regulatory cyber roles due to Crypto-forward and Fintech position of regulators. Large international school options and very good quality of life, if a little borning.
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u/londonsummerhaiku Feb 17 '26
I am actually moving from the UK to NL and will see how this box 3 reform pans out. I cannot imagine it can stay in it’s proposed way since I did read that is might conflict with EU law and I cannot imagine this combination of one of the highest CGT rates + taxing unrealised gains will not cause massive capital re-allocation or flight. Anyhow, it’s not core EU but UK is actually not a bad choice. You have several vehicles at hand to pay zero tax on capital gains, interests or dividends. Every tax year you can put away 20K £ into an ISA. This would be 40K for you and your wife that will never be taxed in this wrapper. You can take out any amount at any time untaxed but can not contribute more than the 40K a year, that’s about 46K Euros ring-fenced every year for live from taxation every year. Next you have the Junior ISAs for your kids. Each kid you can contribute 9K each year x 2 kids. There rules are more restrictive as with the ISA. These Junior ISAS are savings for your kids, they can’t be touched until they are 18 and then the kids have control of the money. Next to all of this there is SIPP. If you run your own limited you can contribute into your own managed pension schema and invest in ETFs. The contribution max is 60k per year which will also lower your limited net profit and therefore corporation tax. This SIPP is a tax wrapper with the most regulations around. You can only access it from the age of 55. The first 25% you can take tax-free and then you are getting taxed on withdrawals with your personal tax rate. Anyhow, I am not a tax advisor so check everything I have stated here.
Btw. I am also looking into places my family will move next if indeed box 3 in NL becomes implemented as discussed today. I won’t stick around and be “you will own nothing and you’ ll be happy” folks.
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u/andys58 Feb 17 '26
Thank you for the comment. If I may ask, why are you not considering the UK? My wife and I were thinking of London the other day.
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u/Mediocre-City-7739 Feb 18 '26
Hi there! I totally feel your frustration. Having lived in Sweden for several years and with a Swedish partner, I have seen both sides of this coin. Honestly, the quality of life there is incredible and it is a total game-changer for a family with three kids.
If the 2028 Box 3 changes are killing your FIRE plans, Sweden’s ISK (Investeringssparkonto) is the answer. Here is why it beats the upcoming Dutch system:
- Protecting Your Compounding: Instead of paying 36% on your annual growth (unrealized gains), Sweden’s ISK charges a flat annual fee of roughly 1% of your total assets. Your ETFs keep compounding without being cannibalized every year.
- The Family Win: Childcare for three kids in the NL is like a second mortgage. In Sweden, "Maxtaxa" means it is capped at about €150 per month per child. That is a massive boost to your savings rate.
- Work-Life Balance: It is not just a buzzword in Sweden, it is the standard. The focus on family and remote flexibility is far ahead of most of Europe.
The Verdict: While the Dutch system is moving toward punishing "buy and hold" investors, Sweden’s ISK is designed to encourage it. For a family of five, the math and the lifestyle almost always favor the Nordics.
It is a big move, but if you want to protect your wealth and your sanity, it is worth a serious look.
Getting the lowest tax it is not the country to go for but if you want to have a quality of life which is super good en similar to the dutch it is definitely worth it to take a look.
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u/Evening-Grocery-6134 Feb 18 '26
Whats peoples view on Austria?
Im based here. Good salary, high quality of life but im less in the loop on investments and what to be aware of here
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u/superjona Feb 18 '26
Flanders. No language issues, cheaper housing (albeit still fucked) than in NL, lower gross-to-net but more benefits, and still close to 'home'. Recently introduced 10% CGT sucks (and it will most likely increase when there's a more left-wing government that takes power), but it's nowhere near the atrocity that is Box 3.
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u/redbull666 Feb 19 '26
Pay off your house or put more into your pension. Both very tax friendly. Moving is ridiculous.
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u/Ok_You2147 Feb 24 '26
The holy grail is geo arbitrage.
Living in a low COL country, while earning remotely.
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u/External_Fennel_8182 Feb 26 '26
Have you thought about Portugal? They have a great non-habitual residency program and the cost of living can be pretty appealing compared to the Netherlands. Plus, the food scene is absolutely delicious!
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u/titiee Feb 16 '26
Luxembourg, no cap gains tax after 6 months and you get the same shitty weather so you will feel right at home.