Solvit helps with cross-border issues within the EU
What is Solvit?
Solvit is a body established by the European Commission that mediates in disputes regarding the correct application of EU law. Solvit’s services are free of charge.
What kinds of problems?
The issues you can bring to Solvit are diverse. These include problems related to visas, child benefits, or pensions. For businesses, issues concerning trade and services, the recognition of professional qualifications, and VAT refunds are particularly relevant.
Please note!You cannot use Solvit if you have a problem with another business, if you have a problem as a consumer, or if you are seeking compensation. Solvit also cannot help if your case has been brought before a court.
Procedure
A complaint or problem can be submitted online. You must indicate the nature of the problem and which government agency you wish to report the issue to. You may also attach relevant documents, such as correspondence. After submission, the Solvit center in your own country will contact you to prepare your case and then forward it to the Solvit center in the country to which your complaint relates. The goal is to resolve a problem within ten weeks.
Examples
On the Solvit website, you’ll find numerous examples of cases that have been resolved with Solvit’s help. These include, for example, the failure to refund VAT or delays in doing so. Another case involves the refusal to issue a certificate of inheritance. Yet another example involves the refusal to allow a product onto the French market, even though it complied with European regulations.
Also for advice
Solvit can also be contacted if you need advice on your EU rights. If necessary, you will be referred to services that can provide better assistance. Requests for advice are answered within a week.
Reduced Dutch truck toll
Starting July 1, 2026, truck owners will pay a toll per kilometer driven on nearly all highways and a number of other roads (the Dutch truck toll). The amount of the toll depends, among other things, on CO2 emissions and averages €0,191 per kilometer. Due to the reduction, the truck toll will average €0,148 per kilometer. The reduction will be in effect from September 1, 2026, through December 31, 2026.
Let op! The government intends to use this measure to compensate the transportation sector for the sharp rise in fuel prices resulting from the conflict in the Middle East. The reduction amounts to a tax relief of €80 million.
Inspections
Starting July 1, 2026, the Road Transport Agency (RDW) will check whether you are paying the truck toll. This will be done at fixed locations, for example using cameras above the road, but also with mobile devices.
Please note!Enforcement is largely carried out by the RDW, but partly by the Human Environment and Transport Inspectorate (ILT) and the Central Judicial Collection Agency (CJIB). The Truck Toll Enforcement Plan sets out how the government monitors compliance with the truck toll.
Fines for Not Having a Toll Box
Business owners can expect hefty fines if they fail to pay the truck toll in full or in part. The truck toll is recorded and collected electronically. Business owners who have not signed a contract with a provider for a toll box can expect a fine of €800. Until January 1, 2027, there is still some leniency, and this fine amounts to €400.
Please note! If you haven’t yet signed a contract with a provider for a toll box, be sure to do so before May 31, 2026, so you have enough time to receive and install the device before July 1, 2026.
Fines for errors with toll boxes
Fixed fines also apply for errors with the toll boxes that record the truck toll. If the toll box is turned off, not working (properly), or if you are driving with a toll box that belongs to another truck, the fine is €500. Here too, some leniency applies until January 1, 2027, with a lower fine of €250.
Please note! You can receive a maximum of one fine within a 24-hour period. If there is more than one violation, only the highest fine amount will be imposed.
Employers and employees
Employers may provide their employees in the Netherlands with a tax-free travel allowance of €0,25 per kilometer retroactively effective January 1, 2026. Until now, this tax-free amount was €0,23 per kilometer in 2026.
This amount applies to commuting and business travel. It does not matter which mode of transportation the employee uses. The allowance therefore applies to travel by car, bicycle, on foot, or by public transportation.
Please note!The government is encouraging employers to utilize this maximum tax-free travel allowance, but an employer is not required to actually reimburse the employee €0,25 per kilometer. The amount of the allowance is and remains an agreement between the employer and the employee.
Tip! If an employee travels by public transportation, an employer may also choose to reimburse the actual costs of public transportation tax-free. This was already possible and has therefore not changed.
Tip! Employers who make use of the retroactive effect may use correction notices to incorporate the increase in the tax-free travel allowance into the 2026 payroll-tax returns already filed.
Entrepreneurs and profit-sharing participants
The increase from €0,23 to €0,25 also applies to entrepreneurs subject to income tax (IB) and profit-sharing participants. They will be able to claim deductible business travel expenses at a rate of €0,25 per kilometer in their 2026 income tax return for the entire year 2026.
Volunteers
A volunteer who waives their right to a travel allowance may also include €0,25 per kilometer for their mileage throughout 2026 when calculating their charitable donation deduction on their 2026 income tax return.
Please note! Only the amount has changed from €0,23 to €0,25 per kilometer. The other conditions for this deduction remain unchanged. You must therefore still meet these conditions before you are eligible for the deduction..
Individuals
Individuals can also claim €0,25 per kilometer for the entire year in their 2026 income tax return. This applies to:
- deduction of travel expenses to, among other places, a doctor or other healthcare provider and a pharmacy,
- deduction of travel expenses for visiting the sick, and
- deduction of travel expenses related to weekend expenses for people with disabilities.
Please note!Additional conditions also apply to these deductions. These have not changed, so you must still meet them to be eligible for the €0.25 per kilometer deduction.
Structural
The approval to reimburse €0,25 instead of €0,23 tax-free is included in a policy decision. On Prinsjesdag 2026, this will be included in a bill. The increase from €0,23 to €0,25 is not just for 2026, but is structural. This means that the €0,25 rate will still apply after 2026.
Affordable unlimited train travel
The government is exploring further measures to mitigate the impact of high fuel prices. For example, there is a proposal to offer unlimited train travel during off-peak hours (weekdays between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. and from 6:30 p.m. to 6:30 a.m., and all day on weekends and holidays) for €49 per month. This would be available from June 21 to September 1, 2026.
Please note! A similar product for unlimited travel during off-peak hours with NS already exists. It is called Flex Dal Vrij and currently costs €127.95 per month. During the period from June 21 to September 1, 2026, this would cost €49 per month.
What does this mean for you?
If you owe taxes, you will receive a notice from the Tax and Customs Administration. The new account number will be included in the notice regarding the taxes due.
Please note!The new account number does not affect the payment method. For example, online payments will still be possible.
The most commonly used new account number for the Tax and Customs Administration is NL04 RABO 0200112244. However, please note that different new account numbers are used for some taxes.
Note regarding recurring payments
If you pay the Tax and Customs Administration periodically via direct debit, you do not need to do anything. The payments will be automatically transferred to the new account number.
You only need to be careful if you have arranged a recurring payment differently, for example via a recurring transfer with your bank. In that case, you must ensure that the account number is updated yourself.
Using the old number is (still) fine
If you accidentally use the “old” account number for a payment to the Tax Authority, your payment will still be forwarded to the Tax Authority and processed there for the time being. The Tax Authority has made arrangements with ING regarding this, so that taxpayers are not penalized.
New income tax account number effective April 20, 2026
To pay a provisional or final income tax assessment, you can use the new account number starting April 20, 2026.
Benefits
The Benefits Service is also switching to Rabobank and will therefore have a new account number starting May 1, 2026. From that date, you can make payments to the Benefits Service using the new account number NL04 RABO 0200112244. The Benefits Service will make its first payments from this number on Monday, June 22, 2026.
Please note! Here too, if you make a payment to the old account number, the payment will be forwarded to the Tax and Customs Administration’s new account number for the time being.
Tax and Customs Administration warns against phishing
Due to the change in account numbers, the Tax and Customs Administration strongly warns against phishing. Criminals regularly attempt to collect non-existent tax debts from taxpayers via email, text message, WhatsApp, or by phone. However, the Tax and Customs Administration never collects taxes in this manner. If you are unsure whether a message is genuine, follow the step-by-step guide on the Tax and Customs Administration’s website and verify the account number.
