Dear Lieven De Key tenant,
Residents of Amsterdam have to pay municipal taxes. There are three types of municipal taxes:
The amount of the two former taxes (1+2) is calculated annually using the expected average garbage or water use of your household. The latter (3) is only paid by real estate owners. Should you receive a letter about it, the amount will be zero.
IMPORTANT when you share a room: the ‘primary’ tenant receives two separate letters about the garbage and water tax. This means your roommate might receive the letters. Keep in touch with each other about the taxes!
Letters come in a green envelope like this:
The envelope contains a review of your personal information and the amount to be paid, but also a form to request exemption ('Verzoek om kwijtschelding') and a return envelope.
If you lost your exemption form, call the municipality’s tax office at 020 255 4800 to request a new one.
Every citizen of Amsterdam is allowed to request exemption from paying municipal taxes. You are granted exemption when you have low income and private capital. As long as your exemption request is under review, you will not have to pay the taxes. Do not pay in advance, since you will not get the money back afterwards.
To request exemption, all tenants of a room have to send in several documents alongside the exemption form to the tax office. The address is stated on the form. If you share a room, your combined income is used to calculate whether you are available for exemption. The exemption form also states which documents you should send in to apply for an exemption. For students, this generally includes, but may not be limited to:
1. The balance on both your current and savings account (print screen online banking);
2. An overview of your bank account's transactions in the last three months;
3. A specification of your scholarship or student loan, if you receive any;
4. A specification of your health insurance allowance (zorgtoeslag), if you receive any;
5. Other documents that prove any income or capital you gain or own (e.g. savings, a car, etc.)
Print these documents and send them to the tax offices together with the exemption form. Do not hesitate to clarify the significance of each document in writing, if they are in a foreign language, for example.
IMPORTANT: concealing income is not a wise option.
Take a close look at the flyer, as this information might vary slightly depending on the tax in question. At present, these forms are sent out in Dutch only. Consult the RA's or a neighbor/friend if you need help filling out your form.