Jetten backpedals on plans to tax the royals

Prime Minister Rob Jetten has rejected calls to tax the Dutch royal family, despite his own party D66 supporting the idea for years. The royals receive salaries that are just a small portion of their total wealth, and discussions about taxing them have been ongoing in parliament for over a decade. The king alone will receive approximately €7.5 million next year, with €1.2 million being personal income.

Notably, he currently pays no taxes on this income. In January 2024, D66 proposed a motion urging the government to alter the constitution to allow the royals to pay income tax, and this motion received overwhelming support with over 100 MPs backing it. However, previous Prime Ministers Mark Rutte and Dick Schoof both declined to advance the proposal.

In December, D66 also endorsed a similar motion by GroenLinks-PvdA MP Laura Bromet, seeking that royals receiving allowances pay the same taxes as everyone else. Now, Jetten seems to be following suit, stating that the annual debate has become "unproductive" and advocating for a broader review of a "future-proof monarchy" instead.

He reassured the Christian Democrats (CDA) that this stance wouldn't result in a ceremonial monarchy. Opposition parties are outraged by his reversal on the issue. D66, alongside the Socialist (SP) party, emphasizes that the time is ripe for a review of the monarchy's future. Republiek, a Dutch republican group advocating for the monarchy's abolition, expressed disappointment and signed an open letter to Jetten, citing polls showing the majority of the population supports the royal family paying taxes.

MPs will soon vote on a motion from Bromet endorsing Jetten's review and another from Beckerman urging the cabinet to act on the already passed royal tax motions.