Free calculators and practical guides for expats and freelancers in the Netherlands. No sign-ups, no paywalls.
Not sure which tool to start with? Pick your situation.
Start with the job offer decoder to understand what your gross salary actually means in take-home pay — including vakantiegeld and 13th month. Then check the 30% ruling calculator to see if you qualify for the expat tax benefit, which can add €500–1,500/month in net income. Finally, run the health insurance guide to see whether your employer's contribution covers the real cost.
Use the ZZP tax calculator to estimate your netto inkomen and how much to set aside monthly. If you have children, your ZZP income directly affects your kinderopvangtoeslag — run that calculator too, since the toeslag percentage changes with income. As a self-employed worker you also have no employer health contribution, so budget carefully using the health insurance cost guide.
The childcare benefit calculator should be your first stop — kinderopvangtoeslag can cover up to 96% of daycare costs, making a significant difference to your family budget. Use the city comparison guide to pick a location with good international schools and manageable woonkosten. Then factor in health insurance costs for your whole household — each adult needs their own policy.
Decode the employed offer first with the job offer decoder — employers often bury value in pension contributions and holiday budgets. Then model the freelance alternative in the ZZP calculator: as ZZP you need a rate roughly 30–40% higher than employee gross to break even after sick pay, pension, and health insurance. There's also a middle path — umbrella (payrolling) — where you set your own rate but keep employment benefits. The contracting rate converter shows all three side by side.
Umbrella companies (payrollbedrijven) take an hourly rate from the client, deduct their fee (1.5–5%), pay all employer charges, and pay you a gross salary. What looks like a great rate can net very differently depending on the margin. Use the umbrella company calculator to enter your client rate and see net take-home — and instantly compare what the same budget would yield as ZZP or secondment. Also checks whether your rate is above the schijnzelfstandigheid risk threshold.
Going from 5 to 4 days cuts your gross by 20%, but the net impact is smaller than you think — Dutch progressive tax absorbs part of the drop. On a €70k salary the real monthly cost is roughly €550–650, not €1,000. Use the 4-day week calculator to see your exact number. If you have the 30% ruling, check whether your pro-rated salary stays above the minimum threshold first — losing it costs far more than a day off saves.
No jargon, no assumptions. Every tool explains Dutch systems in plain English with context that makes sense to newcomers.
No hidden fees, no premium tiers, no email required. Just free, helpful tools — navigating a new country is hard enough.
Tax rules change, policies shift. We update calculators and guides to reflect the latest 2026 regulations.
Your data never leaves your browser. All calculations happen locally — no tracking, no analytics, no data collection.