WOZ Value: How It Affects Your Taxes

Key Takeaways

The WOZ value (Waarde Onroerende Zaken) is the government's official valuation of your property, reassessed every year by your municipality.
It directly affects your eigenwoningforfait, municipal taxes (OZB), waterschapsbelasting, and Box 3 taxation of investment properties.
The WOZ value is based on the market value as of January 1 of the previous year (peildatum).
If you believe your WOZ value is too high, you can file a free objection (bezwaar) within 6 weeks of receiving the assessment.
Approximately 3-5% of all WOZ objections result in a reduction — it is worth checking.

What Is the WOZ Value?

WOZ

Every January, municipalities in the Netherlands reassess the WOZ value of all properties within their boundaries. The valuation is based on the peildatum (reference date) of January 1 of the previous year.

For the 2026 tax year:

Peildatum: January 1, 2025
Based on: Market data from sales around January 1, 2025

This means the WOZ value always lags the actual market by approximately one year.

How It Is Determined

Municipalities use a combination of methods to determine WOZ values:

Residential Properties

The primary method is the vergelijkingsmethode (comparison method):

Reference sales: The municipality collects data on all property sales near the peildatum
Comparable properties: Your property is compared to recently sold properties with similar characteristics (size, location, condition, type)
Adjustments: Differences between your property and the reference properties are accounted for (larger garden = higher value, worse condition = lower value)
Final valuation: The estimated market value on the peildatum

Non-Residential and Unique Properties

For commercial properties, farms, and unique buildings, municipalities may use:

Huurwaardekapitalisatiemethode (rental value capitalization) — based on rental income potential
Gecorrigeerde vervangingswaarde (depreciated replacement value) — for properties that are rarely sold

What the WOZ Value Affects

The WOZ value ripples through multiple taxes and assessments:

Tax/Assessment	How WOZ Affects It
Eigenwoningforfait	0.35% of WOZ value added to Box 1 income
OZB (Onroerende-zaakbelasting)	Municipal property tax — a percentage of WOZ value
Waterschapsbelasting	Water authority tax — partly based on WOZ value
Rioolheffing	Sewage charge — some municipalities base it on WOZ value
Box 3 taxation	For investment properties, WOZ value is the asset value in Box 3
Mortgage limit	Banks may use the WOZ value to determine maximum mortgage amount
Building insurance	Some insurers use WOZ value as a reference for rebuilding costs

Financial Impact Example

A €25,000 reduction in WOZ value from €400,000 to €375,000 saves approximately:

Item	Saving
Eigenwoningforfait (0.35% × €25,000 = €87.50 less income, at 37.56% tax)	~€33/year
OZB (varies, approximately 0.1% of WOZ)	~€25/year
Waterschapsbelasting (varies)	~€5–15/year
Total annual saving	~€63–73/year

Seems modest — but over 10 years, that is €630–730. And for properties with larger overvaluations, the savings multiply.

How to Check Your WOZ Value

Where to Find It

WOZ description (WOZ-beschikking) — sent by your municipality in February/March each year, often combined with your municipal tax assessment
MijnOverheid.nl — your personal government portal (login with DigiD)
WOZ Waardeloket (wozwaardeloket.nl) — public database where you can look up the WOZ value of any property in the Netherlands
Your tax return — the pre-filled return (vooringevulde aangifte) includes the WOZ value

What to Compare

When evaluating whether your WOZ value is correct, compare with:

Recent sales of similar properties in your neighborhood (check Funda, Kadaster, NVM)
WOZ values of comparable properties (check WOZ Waardeloket)
Your property's condition — the WOZ should reflect the actual state, including any defects

Filing an Objection (Bezwaar)

If you believe your WOZ value is too high, you can file an objection. This is free and relatively straightforward.

Timeline

Receive WOZ Assessment

Your municipality sends the WOZ-beschikking, typically in February or March.

File Objection Within 6 Weeks

You have exactly 6 weeks from the date on the assessment to file your objection (bezwaar). Do not miss this deadline.

Municipality Reviews

The municipality has up to one year to decide on your objection, but most are resolved within 3–6 months.

Decision (Uitspraak)

You receive a written decision. If your WOZ value is reduced, all related taxes are automatically adjusted.

Appeal if Needed

If you disagree with the decision, you can appeal to the tax court (belastingrechter) within 6 weeks.

How to File

You can file an objection:

Online: Through your municipality's website or MijnOverheid.nl
By letter: Send a written objection to your municipality's tax department
Through a WOZ objection service: Commercial services that file objections on your behalf (usually for free — they receive a cost award from the municipality if successful)

What to Include in Your Objection

Element	Description
Your details	Name, address, BSN
Property details	Address, WOZ assessment number
Your estimated value	What you believe the correct WOZ value should be
Reasoning	Why the current value is too high
Evidence	Comparable sales data, photos showing defects, valuation report

Strong Grounds for Objection

Ground	Example
Comparable sales at lower prices	Three similar houses in your street sold for €20,000–€30,000 less around the peildatum
Property defects	Foundation problems, asbestos, outdated kitchen/bathroom (if not reflected in the WOZ)
Environmental factors	New highway, airport noise, construction project reducing value
Incorrect property data	Wrong floor area, number of rooms, or lot size in the municipality's records
Recently purchased below WOZ	If you bought the property near the peildatum for less than the WOZ value, this is strong evidence

Tip

If you bought your home within 6 months of the peildatum (January 1) for a price lower than the WOZ value, this is one of the strongest possible arguments for a reduction. Your actual purchase price is the best evidence of market value.

WOZ Objection Services (No-Cure-No-Pay)

Several commercial services offer to file WOZ objections for you at no cost. Their business model:

They file the objection for free
If successful, the municipality pays them a proceskostenvergoeding (procedure cost award) — typically €300–500
If unsuccessful, they charge you nothing

Popular services include WOZ-verlaging.nl, Eerlijke WOZ, and Bezwaarmaker. These services are legitimate and widely used.

Good to know

Approximately 30–40% of objections filed by professional WOZ services are successful, compared to about 25–30% for self-filed objections. The difference is mainly in the quality of the supporting evidence and argumentation.

WOZ Value Going Up: What to Expect

Dutch property values have risen significantly since 2015. This means WOZ values have been increasing too:

Year (Peildatum)	Average WOZ Value (Netherlands)	Change
2020	€270,000	+7%
2021	€290,000	+7%
2022	€315,000	+9%
2023	€345,000	+10%
2024	€360,000	+4%
2025	€370,000	+3%

As WOZ values rise, your eigenwoningforfait, OZB, and other related taxes also increase — even if the tax rates themselves do not change.

WOZ and Moving

When you buy a new home, the WOZ value in your first year may not yet reflect recent sales (including your own purchase). In subsequent years, the municipality will reassess based on new market data.

If you bought at a significantly different price than the current WOZ value, keep this in mind:

Bought above WOZ: The municipality will likely raise the WOZ value in the next reassessment
Bought below WOZ: You have grounds to object to the current WOZ value

Common Mistakes

Not checking the WOZ value — Many homeowners accept the WOZ value without question. Check it every year — it takes 5 minutes on WOZ Waardeloket.
Missing the 6-week objection deadline — The deadline is strict. If you miss it, you cannot object until next year's assessment.
Objecting without evidence — "I think it is too high" is not enough. Provide comparable sales data, photos, or a professional opinion.
Not objecting because the savings seem small — Even a small reduction accumulates over years. And using a free no-cure-no-pay service means zero risk.
Assuming WOZ only affects property tax — The WOZ value impacts your eigenwoningforfait, Box 3 taxation, waterschapsbelasting, and potentially your mortgage. A high WOZ value costs more than just OZB.