What is Zorgtoeslag 2023?

Zorgtoeslag - Have you ever heard this name?

It is an allowance from the Belastingdienst (Dutch tax authority) for people with low incomes. In short, the Belastingdienst (or more specifically: Toeslagen, a cell of the authority) pays a subsidy for mandatory health insurance in the Netherlands. Therefore, if your income as an employee in the Netherlands does not exceed €38,000 per year, you can count on an additional payment from the authority.

What do you need for Zorgtoeslag refund from the Netherlands?

The Zorgtoeslag insurance subsidy is perfectly legal. Remember that the ex officio benefit is non-refundable, so when filing your tax return you must also apply for Zorgtoeslag (Dutch insurance supplement) - on average you can receive up to €1,200 more in Dutch tax refunds.

To take advantage of Zortoeslag, however, you must meet several conditions. In order to receive the allowance you must:

-work and live in the Netherlands,
-be at least 18 years old,
-have Zorgverzekering - compulsory health insurance in the Netherlands,
-have an income of less than 38,00 euros per year (48,224 euros in the case of joint settlement),
-have no assets greater than 120,020 euros (151,767 euros in the case of joint settlement).

Insurance supplement Netherlands - how much can you get in 2023?

It is impossible to determine the amount of Zortoeslag unequivocally, as it depends on the amount of income and the individual situation of the taxpayer. However, in 2023 you can get back a maximum of 154 euros for each month. If you want to find out exactly how much insurance reimbursement you can get, use our calculator.

Insurance supplement Netherlands - how much time do I have to apply for it

You can file an application for the Dutch health insurance supplement - if you worked in the Netherlands in 2022 - until August 31, 2023. If you are working in the Netherlands in 2023, the last day to apply will be August 31, 2024.

In this case, you must keep a close eye on the filing deadline. If you want to apply after the designated date, the tax office in the Netherlands - unfortunately - will remain adamant. You will need really strong arguments so that your late application can be recognized and referred for consideration (such a reason could be, for example, illness and a related hospital stay).

How to apply for Zorgtoeslag Netherlands?

If you have access to a personal DigiD code and the place of your permanent registration is the Netherlands, you can apply for the insurance subsidy through your profile on the official website.

How to get insurance reimbursement from the Netherlands without registration? Apply for Zorgtoeslag in one of the following two ways.

Submit a paper application for an insurance subsidy in the Netherlands.
Submit your Zorgtoeslag application online through a commercial program.

Zorgtoeslag aanvragen - how to fill it out?

Applying for a subsidy from the Netherlands on a paper application is free and you can do it on your own, but this way poses several problems. First, you need to order the form from the office, then fill out the application (book) and mail it to the office. Secondly, a paper application is processed much slower than a certificate submitted online. In addition, when submitting a paper application, you will not receive any confirmation of its acceptance by the Belastingdienst tax office.

This is why we recommend you to apply for insurance subsidies in the Netherlands online. With our application you can quickly and easily apply for Dutch Zorgtoeslag benefit, without having to attach any documents.

Zorgtoeslag - how long to wait

Wondering how long you have to wait for an insurance subsidy in the Netherlands? When you fill out all the documents correctly and submit them on time to the relevant tax office in the Netherlands (whether on a paper application or online), the waiting time for insurance reimbursement from the Netherlands is about five weeks.

Health insurance vs. social insurance - the differences

Many people tend to confuse health insurance with social insurance in the Netherlands. And while we are required to pay premiums for both, the way they are collected is slightly different.

In social insurance, the advance payment plus tax is collected by your employer. Then the office - in the final tax decision - calculates the amount of the contribution (Premie volkverzekeringen), which is on average 27% of the base.

For health insurance, on the other hand, you are required to pay a monthly contribution (for each month of employment) to a private fund. Health insurance is in no way calculated with income tax on the Aanslag decision. Keep in mind that in this situation you still have the right to apply for Zorgtoeslag, since the insurance subsidy (Netherlands) is due to you, not your employer.

Beware of automatic Toeslagen decisions

Have you heard the story about how the authority is happy to pay you benefits despite your lack of employment in the Netherlands? You probably know that the Belastgindienst is just as eager to ask for those refunds. So why does the tax authority in the Netherlands pay out Zorgtoeslag in advance for the tax year of your choice, when you haven't made any request?

This is the result of automatic decisions, which are quite a nuisance for Dutch non-residents (i.e., in terms of tax law, people who do not live in the Netherlands; their residence is abroad). The Dutch office, wanting to make the formalities and the number of applications as simple as possible, recognizes that since you have applied for Zorgtoeslag once, you will continue to do so in subsequent years as well. However, if you have left the Netherlands in the meantime, the benefit should no longer be paid to you.

That's why it's a good idea to remember, when applying for the insurance subsidy in the Netherlands, to apply at the same time to stop the payments with the end of the tax year. In fact, few people remember to do this, and it's important because it helps avoid the unpleasant experience of having to pay back the entire amount with interest.

Zorgtoeslag - insurance refund with the Aangifte app

If you think you are entitled to Zorgtoeslag then of course it is worth taking advantage of such an option. Insurance in the Netherlands is not one of the cheapest, so covering part of the costs incurred will have a very positive effect on the household budget. If you are not sure how to fill out the application correctly, use the Aangifte application for tax settlement from the Netherlands.