Holiday allowance (vakantiegeld) in the Netherlands is at least 8% of your gross salary over the reference period of 1 June to 31 May. On €3,500 gross per month that is €3,360 gross, which works out to roughly €2,000 to €2,200 net, usually paid in May or June.
What is vakantiegeld and how is it calculated?
Vakantiegeld is a statutory right for almost every employee in the Netherlands. Your employer must pay at least 8% of your gross salary earned between 1 June and 31 May the year after. Many collective agreements raise that, and some employers pay it out monthly instead of in one lump sum. The base is your gross wage including fixed allowances and often overtime, but usually not the holiday allowance itself. So for a salary of €3,500 gross per month the annual base is €42,000, and 8% of that is €3,360.
How much of the holiday allowance is left after tax?
This is the part people get wrong. Employers often withhold tax on the holiday pay at a high special rate, so the payment you receive looks disappointing, perhaps only half of the gross. That is only a withholding. Your actual tax is settled over the whole year. The tool estimates the real effect: it compares your annual net with and without the allowance at 2026 rates. At €3,500 per month, about 60% to 65% of the gross holiday pay stays with you as extra net income. For the full annual picture, see the Netherlands salary calculator.
When is the holiday allowance paid?
Most employers pay in May or June. By law the allowance must be paid out at the latest by the end of the month in which the reference period ends, though employers can choose to pay monthly if the contract says so. If you leave in the middle of the reference period, you get the proportional share on your final payslip.
Does part-time work or a variable income change it?
Yes. With part-time contracts the percentage is applied to what you actually earn. For variable hours the base is the total gross wage in the period. People on zero-hour contracts still build up the 8%, and it often gets paid together with the hours worked.
Holiday allowance and other calculations
- A higher monthly salary also lifts your transition payment if you lose your job, since holiday allowance counts as part of salary there.
- If you run your own business, you don’t get vakantiegeld. The ZZP calculator shows what you need to set aside yourself.
- Holiday allowance affects tax in the month of payment, so a very large payout can push part of your income into the 37.56% bracket.
How to use this calculator
- Enter your gross monthly salary without any holiday allowance.
- Keep 8% unless your contract or collective agreement (CAO) promises more.
- Adjust the months if you started or stopped during the year.
- Read the gross amount, the estimated tax and the net amount you can expect.
Key figures at a glance
| Statutory minimum | 8% of gross salary |
|---|---|
| Reference period | 1 June to 31 May |
| Usual payment | May or June (sometimes monthly) |
| Counts toward base | Fixed salary, allowances, often overtime |
| Tax treatment | Taxed as regular income, withheld at a special rate |
Frequently asked questions
€2,880 gross per year (8% of €36,000). After tax roughly €1,800 to €1,950 stays with you as net income, depending on your other income and credits.
Check your contract. Phrases like 'excluding vakantiegeld' mean it is paid on top, while 'inclusief vakantiegeld' means the 8% is already inside the figure. The salary calculator has an option for both.
Yes, the share you built up until your last day is paid out with your final salary.
Not by contract. A collective agreement or contract can only offer more than the statutory minimum.
No. Self-employed people have to plan their own holidays, and should add the cost to their hourly rate.