Known problem
Peter Kavelaars, tax economist at Erasmus University Rotterdam, was not surprised when he read the article Follow the Money las. “It is a known problem, it has been happening for a long time. It is just difficult to see. What we do know is that this trick is being used more and more often. Due to the heavier levies in box 3, that box is becoming increasingly expensive. It is therefore understandable that more people use the ‘box 2 structure’.”
It is unclear exactly how much the treasury is missing out on as a result of this scene. Inspectors are groping in the dark and Kavelaars also finds it difficult to make an assessment. “It is a considerable amount. It depends on what you think should be taxed. Often no income is generated from that company and that should actually happen.”
The rest pays
The consequences of the trick of the super-rich ultimately affect all Dutch people, Smits concludes. “If you look at how much the super-rich would have to give up, that is such a huge amount. At the same time, the government only spends more money, never less. That bill has to be paid. If the super-rich don’t do it, other groups have to do it doing.”
According to Smits, we should not expect a quick solution. “Politicians do not seem to take it seriously. The current cabinet has promised that there will be a new tax system in 2027. But nothing seems to change in box 2. Apparently the problem is known, but not much is done about it.”