Netherlands or United Arab Emirates: how many months of your year do you work for the tax authority?

Netherlands or United Arab Emirates: how much of your year is truly yours? In the Netherlands, on a gross income of EUR 100,000, you work the equivalent of almost five months per year for the tax authority before a single euro is truly yours. In the United Arab Emirates: zero income tax. Why in months rather than an amount? A euro figure assumes you take your salary with you to the new country, and almost nobody manages that. The share that goes to the tax authority, your average effective rate, does travel with you everywhere. That is why we calculate in months. The calculation, on EUR 100,000 gross employment income: in the Netherlands you keep EUR 62,711 net (effective rate 37%), meaning the equivalent of almost five months per year goes to the tax authority. In the United Arab Emirates you keep EUR 100,000 (effective rate 0%), zero income tax. The difference: EUR 37,289 per year. Important: the more you earn, the larger that share, because the system is progressive. The figures here apply at EUR 100,000 gross; for your own income the outcome will differ. Calculate your own figure at libaros.com. The Netherlands now taxes at a level where raising rates further barely increases revenue. That is not an opinion, it is the Laffer curve. Figures: average effective rate on employment income (income tax plus employee social contributions), single individual, current tax year. Indicative, not tax advice. Calculated with the Libaros calculation engine.