✨ Verified 2026/27 Tax Thresholds · Audited across 22 Official Government Revenue Databases
Two neighbouring, similarly wealthy countries with the same currency — and one of the largest take-home pay gaps in Western Europe. Belgium's combined tax and social security burden is famously heavy; the Netherlands, especially for qualifying expats, is dramatically lighter.
Figures are calculated using this site's own tax engine for each country — click through to the full calculator to adjust for your exact situation.
| Gross salary | 🇳🇱 Netherlands net/mo | 🇧🇪 Belgium net/mo |
|---|---|---|
| 40,000 | €2,864/mo (14.1%) | €2,320/mo (30.4%) |
| 60,000 | €3,598/mo (28.0%) | €3,071/mo (38.6%) |
| 80,000 | €4,331/mo (35.0%) | €3,754/mo (43.7%) |
| 100,000 | €5,064/mo (39.2%) | €4,428/mo (46.9%) |
"Gross salary" is shown in each country's own currency at matching nominal amounts, not currency-converted — useful for comparing two job offers quoted in local currency. Effective rate shown in brackets.
Belgium combines a steep progressive income tax (up to 50% above €48,320) with a flat 13.07% employee social security contribution that applies to all gross salary with no ceiling — unlike most countries, there's no point at which Belgian social contributions stop rising with income. Add municipal surcharges (roughly 7% of federal tax) and the result is an effective rate that clears 55% well before €100,000. See our full breakdown of Belgium's 52.7% tax wedge.
The Netherlands' standard rates already beat Belgium's comfortably, as the table shows. But for foreign employees recruited from abroad with specific expertise, the Dutch 30%-ruling allows up to 30% of salary to be paid completely tax-free, subject to income thresholds and a declining schedule introduced in the 2024 reform. A qualifying expat on €80,000 could see take-home rise well above the €4,331/month shown here — sometimes by €500-800/month more. See our 30% ruling explainer for exact eligibility and current thresholds.
The Netherlands, at every income level, often by a very wide margin. At €40,000, a Dutch earner takes home roughly €2,864/month versus €2,320/month in Belgium — a gap of nearly 25%, driven by Belgium's uncapped 13.07% social security contribution and steep progressive tax.
Belgium combines progressive income tax up to 50% with a flat 13.07% employee social security contribution that applies to all gross salary with no ceiling, plus municipal surcharges of roughly 7% of federal tax. Together these push Belgium's tax wedge among the highest in the OECD.
The 30% ruling lets qualifying foreign employees recruited from abroad receive up to 30% of salary tax-free, subject to a minimum salary threshold and a declining schedule under 2024 reforms. It can add several hundred euros a month to take-home for those who qualify — see our dedicated guide for current rules.
No — these are nominal take-home figures at matching gross salary. Amsterdam and Brussels have broadly comparable costs of living, so the Dutch take-home advantage largely translates into real purchasing power difference.
Want the full story? Read: Belgium's 52.7% tax wedge explained →
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