UK vs Netherlands: take-home pay comparison
UK income tax + NI vs Dutch Box 1 + premies volksverzekeringen — Amsterdam captured a large slice of post-Brexit London expat flow.
Amsterdam absorbed a substantial portion of the post-Brexit London expat flow in tech, finance and EU-regulatory roles. The Dutch Box 1 (loon en winst) for 2025 has just two effective bands: 36.93% up to €75,518, and 49.5% above. UK uses 20% / 40% / 45% with NI 8% / 2%.
The Dutch 30%-ruling regime — when granted to incoming expats with specific scarce skills — treats 30% of gross as tax-free for up to 5 years, which is one of the most generous expat tax regimes in Europe and explains why Amsterdam keeps showing up at the top of relocation guides. Without the 30%-ruling, NL is heavier than the UK at middle incomes because the 36.93% bracket starts at €1 and there's no Personal Allowance equivalent. WITH the 30%-ruling, Amsterdam take-home at €100k typically lands 8-12 percentage points ahead of London at the same gross. This calculation assumes the standard regime (no 30%-ruling); the engine doesn't currently model the 30%-ruling carve-out.
Side-by-side at common gross levels
| Gross (annual) | United Kingdomnative: £ | Netherlandsnative: € | Net delta (right − left) |
|---|---|---|---|
| £40,000 / €40,000 | £32,320 (19.2%) | €32,878 (17.8%) | €558 |
| £80,000 / €80,000 | £56,957 (28.8%) | €53,913 (32.6%) | -€3,044 |
| £120,000 / €120,000 | £75,914 (36.7%) | €71,509 (40.4%) | -€4,405 |
| £200,000 / €200,000 | £117,158 (41.4%) | €111,068 (44.5%) | -€6,090 |
Frequently asked questions
- How much more take-home does £80,000 yield in Netherlands vs United Kingdom?
- At £80,000 gross on each side using 2026/27 rates: United Kingdom retains £56,957 (28.8% effective), Netherlands retains €53,913 (32.6% effective). Native-currency comparison — no FX conversion applied.
- What is the marginal-rate difference between United Kingdom and Netherlands at £80,000?
- At £80,000 gross, the next 100 of gross retains £58 in United Kingdom (marginal rate 42.0%) and €44 in Netherlands (marginal rate 56.0%). This matters for bonus, overtime, or salary-sacrifice decisions — the marginal rate applies to the next unit earned, not the average.
- At what salary level is the take-home gap biggest between United Kingdom and Netherlands?
- Across the 40k–250k single-filer sweep, the largest net delta is at £250,000 gross: United Kingdom net is higher by €7,340 per year. Above and below this point the gap is smaller, driven by the interaction of each side's band thresholds + social-contribution caps.
- What does this United Kingdom vs Netherlands comparison include?
- Both sides use each tax authority's published 2026/27 rates: income tax, social-insurance contributions, and any statutory levies routed through payroll. The numbers are the same ones the full /uk and /nl calculators produce — open either page for the full per-line breakdown.
- What does this comparison NOT model?
- Currency conversion is NOT applied — the table shows each side in its native currency. Use a live FX rate to convert if you need a single-currency view. Pension contributions, salary-sacrifice schemes, benefits-in-kind, region-specific surcharges (Scotland for UK, Comunidad Autónoma for ES, Bundesland for DE), and cost-of-living differences are not modeled here. The comparison is a tax-stack-only view.