Childcare Allowance (Kinderopvangtoeslag) Estimator
Estimates your net childcare cost after kinderopvangtoeslag, once you enter the hourly rate cap and reimbursement percentage that apply to your own income and situation.
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Open a step for the sum with your figures, what the step does, and what the Dutch terms mean.
Childcare allowance€ 160
What this step does: Part of the cost of registered childcare, per hour up to a maximum hourly rate. The share you get back goes down as your income rises.
The allowance is a percentage of the hours times the hourly rate, but only up to the maximum hourly rate.
- The mechanism behind the numberKinderopvangtoeslag reimburses a percentage of your childcare cost, but only up to a maximum hourly rate the government sets - if your actual rate is higher, the excess is never reimbursed regardless of your income. The percentage itself then applies to whichever is lower: your actual rate, or the cap.
- Why the percentage isn't one fixed numberThe reimbursement percentage runs on a sliding scale tied to your combined household (toetsings)inkomen: it is highest at lower incomes and steps down as income rises, with a guaranteed minimum floor regardless of how high your income is. The exact current brackets change yearly, which is why this tool asks you to enter your own figure rather than assuming one.
- Eligibility comes firstBoth parents (or the sole parent in a single-parent household) generally need to be working, studying, or in an approved reintegration or integration trajectory to qualify at all - and the childcare provider must be registered in the Landelijk Register Kinderopvang (LRK). Care from an unregistered childminder or informal arrangement (a grandparent, for instance) is not eligible for kinderopvangtoeslag.
- Where to find your real numbersUse the Belastingdienst's own "Proefberekening toeslagen" tool with your actual household income to get your exact reimbursement percentage, and check the current year's maximum hourly rates on belastingdienst.nl or rijksoverheid.nl - then plug both into this calculator to see your actual expected net cost.
- How it worksChildcare allowance (kinderopvangtoeslag) pays part of the cost of registered childcare, such as a daycare centre, after-school care or a registered childminder, when you and your partner both work. The Belastingdienst pays a percentage of the hourly rate, up to a maximum hourly rate per type of care; the percentage depends on your joint income. Hours above the maximum hours or the part of the rate above the maximum you pay yourself.
- Applying and avoiding repaymentsApply within three months after the month the childcare starts, through Mijn toeslagen. The allowance is paid in advance on your estimated income and hours, so report changes, such as more hours, a new job or a different provider, straight away. After the year the amount is fixed on your real income; a big difference means paying back or getting money back.
Frequently asked questions
Does kinderopvangtoeslag cover an informal babysitter or grandparent?
No - only care from a provider registered in the Landelijk Register Kinderopvang (LRK) qualifies. Informal or unregistered care is entirely excluded, however trustworthy the arrangement.
What if my provider charges more than the maximum reimbursable rate?
You still pay your provider's full rate, but the reimbursement is calculated only on the capped rate, not your actual (higher) one - so a higher-priced provider costs you more out of pocket than the headline percentage might suggest.
Does the percentage depend on my income or my partner's too?
It depends on your combined household (toetsings)inkomen, not just your own - a higher-earning partner can bring your reimbursement percentage down even if your own income alone would qualify for more.
Sources: belastingdienst.nl (Proefberekening toeslagen) | rijksoverheid.nl
The maximum reimbursable hourly rate and the reimbursement percentage are both editable inputs here, not fixed figures - they change annually and the percentage depends on your combined household income on a sliding scale set by the Belastingdienst. Look up your own current figures using the official Belastingdienst "Proefberekening toeslagen" tool before relying on this, then enter them here to see the resulting cost. This also assumes both parents (or the sole parent) already meet the work/study eligibility requirement, and that the provider is registered (LRK-geregistreerd) - unregistered care is not eligible at all.