100 shares paying €1.20 per quarter produce €480 of gross dividend a year, or €408 net after the 15% Dutch dividend withholding tax. At a share price of €50 that is a 9.6% yield, and a 5% annual dividend increase would lift the gross income to about €745 in year ten.
How do you calculate dividend income?
Dividend income = number of shares × dividend per share × payments per year. If you hold 100 shares and the company pays €1.20 each quarter, you receive €120 per payment and €480 a year. Dividend yield is the yearly dividend per share divided by the share price, so €4.80 on a €50 share is 9.6%. A very high yield can be a warning sign that the market expects a cut, so check how well earnings cover the payout.
Dividend tax for Dutch investors
Dutch listed companies withhold 15% dividend tax before paying you. If you are a Dutch tax resident, that 15% is not an extra cost on top of your normal tax, because for private investors the shares count in box 3 and the withholding can be credited against your income tax. Dividends from foreign companies are withheld at the source country’s rate, which can be 15% to 30% or more, and a tax treaty may let you reclaim part of it. The calculator lets you change the rate. If you own a stake of 5% or more of a company, box 2 rules apply instead.
Dividends and box 3
Dutch private investors don’t pay income tax on dividends as such. Instead the shares are part of your box 3 assets valued on 1 January, taxed with a deemed return of 6% in 2026 and a rate of 36%. In effect you pay about 2.16% a year on the value above the exemption, regardless of the dividend. Compare that with your actual income using the box 3 calculator; a high-dividend share does not change your tax, but a low-dividend one can still lead to a large bill.
Growing dividends: the projection table
Companies that increase their dividend every year are popular with long-term investors, because the income grows faster than inflation. The table shows what happens at your growth assumption. Reinvesting the dividends would speed things up further, which you can model in the Investment Calculator or the compound interest calculator. To measure what your holdings actually returned, including price changes, use the Investment Return Calculator.
How to use this calculator
- Enter how many shares you own and the dividend per payment.
- Choose how often the company pays.
- Add the price and expected dividend growth to see the yield and the projection.
- Set the withholding tax rate that applies to the shares.
Key figures at a glance
| Dutch dividend tax | 15% withholding |
|---|---|
| Yield formula | Annual dividend per share ÷ price |
| Private investors | Taxed via box 3 (deemed return) |
| Large holdings (5%+) | Box 2 |
Frequently asked questions
Divide the annual dividend per share by the current share price and multiply by 100.
Dutch companies withhold 15%. As a private investor your shares are also part of box 3, which taxes a deemed return.
It depends on the sector and the sustainability of the payout. Yields much higher than the market average often come with higher risk.
In the Netherlands many companies pay twice a year, US companies commonly pay quarterly, and some funds pay monthly.
Sometimes. Tax treaties may let you reclaim part of it, or credit it against Dutch tax.