The minimum wage, AOW, fuel tax, child benefit changes as of 1 July. How will all these changes affect your pocket?
A lot of things change with new laws and regulations every July. How will these regulations affect your wallet? Here are the changes coming into effect next month, from less child allowance to higher fuel tax…
Minimum wage rises
From 1 July, the monthly salaries of minimum wage workers will increase by about 2 percent (36 euros on average). The net salary will increase from 1857.73 euros to 1894 euros.
For those under the age of 21, the increase will be less. Based on a 40-hour work week, a 20-year-old’s hourly salary will increase from 8.93 euros to 9.21 euros, and for a 16-year-old from 3.85 euros to 3.98 euros.
Accordingly, the net salary will be 1596 euros for 20-year-olds, 1197 euros for 19-year-olds, 997.50 euros for 18-year-olds, 788.05 euros for 17-year-olds, and 688.30 euros for 16-year-olds.
AOW and allowances increase
With the increase in the minimum wage, the amount of AOW and other allowances increases. The AOW amount for single residents will be 1378.98 euros. The net salary per person for couples will increase to 939.24 euros.
Child benefit is declining
Child benefits (Kinderbijslag), paid quarterly, will be deducted based on the consumer price index. There will be a 3% reduction in child benefit in the coming quarters.
Effective from October, the third quarter of the year; Child benefit paid for children up to the age of 6 will decrease by 8.06 euros to 261.70 euros. Child benefit paid to families for children aged 6 to 11 years will decrease by 9.97 euros to 317.77 euros, and for children aged 12 to 18 years old, the amount paid will decrease by 11.52 euros to 373.85 euros.
Rent increase in social housing
Starting from July, the rents of social housing can be increased by a maximum of 3.1 percent. If your rent is less than 300 euros (without additional costs), your landlord can increase your rent by a maximum of 25 euros. The 4.1 percent rent increase determined in January for private sector residences will remain the same.
Telecom companies will raise
Telecom companies will increase their wages depending on inflation. Ziggo announced that it will increase package prices by 8.5 percent from 1 July. KPN increased its package prices by 6.4 percent. T-Mobile made the inflation adjustment in prices in January and increased its prices by 8.6 percent.
Single-use plastics will be charged
All businesses, from gas stations to grocery stores and kiosks, will start charging additional fees for single-use plastic cups and containers to increase sustainability. The government recommended 25 cents for glasses, 50 cents for food containers, and 5 cents for prepackaged small servings of fruit, vegetables, nuts and gravy, for example. However, each business will determine how much additional fees will be charged. Apart from this, businesses also need to offer an alternative to support recycling. For example, containers that have a deposit on them and can be used repeatedly can be used.
Fuel taxes increase
The fuel tax was temporarily lowered last year due to high energy prices. From July 1, 2023, the tariff will gradually begin to increase. The tax amount for a liter of gasoline will increase from 65 cents to 79 cents, and for a liter of diesel from 42 cents to 52 cents.
Tax Office raises interest rate
The tax office raises interest rates from 4 percent to 6 percent as of July 1. Those who owe the tax office will have to pay more interest, for example on income tax.