The Illusion of Value, the Certainty of Tax
Here’s the headline:
In 2025, the average WOZ value of Dutch homes is up 5%.
That’s €398,000 on average, the benchmark figure municipalities use to calculate how much you owe in property tax, income tax, and water board levies.
But before you sigh in relief because “it’s less than last year’s +16%”, let me stop you.
This isn’t cooling. This is calibration.
A controlled adjustment to avoid political backlash while still tightening the screw.
The value might not scream anymore. But the bill still arrives.
And trust me: it speaks fluent Dutch.
WOZ ≠ Market Price. It’s a Tax Fiction with Legal Teeth
Let’s be very clear.
The WOZ value is not what your house is worth on the market today.
It’s a retroactive appraisal of what your house was probably worth on January 1st, 2024. The municipalities calculate this based on past sales, meaning, you’re taxed on yesterday’s perception of today’s problem.
So while interest rates rise, energy costs explode, and liquidity dries up, the WOZ climbs up too.
And with it? Your taxes.
Because the system doesn’t care if your house is unsellable, mortgaged to the bone, or has a leaking roof.
It only cares about the number that lets it charge you more.
Geography Doesn’t Lie. But Politics Hides Behind It.
Let’s unpack the numbers:
- Leidschendam-Voorburg +14.1% (average WOZ: €444,000)
- Limburg +7.6% (€312,000 average)
- Utrecht & Noord-Holland tied at €480,000
- Kerkrade: lowest in the country at €214,000
- Bloemendaal: still king at €923,000
So what?
So the tax base for the same type of house varies wildly, based not on equity but on postcode.
A terraced house in Kerkrade costs half as much in taxes as the same house in Bloemendaal, not because it’s “worth less,” but because the local WOZ index says so.
Welcome to the land of horizontal injustice.
They Call It “Indexing.” I Call It Manipulation.
The WOZ is not a real reflection of market conditions. It includes:
- Owner-occupied and rental homes
- Properties under construction
- Buildings marked for demolition
- Homes never sold
And yet, this bloated average becomes the tool that decides your contribution to the state.
Averages are not neutral. They are engineered.
And in this case, they are engineered to extract.
The Dutch tax system uses the WOZ as a foundation for cascading obligations. And because that number is pushed quietly, behind bureaucratic curtains, the citizen rarely challenges it.
But if you think you’re “worth” more just because your WOZ went up, think again.
You’re not richer. You’re just more taxable.
Let’s Talk About the Numbers No One Talks About
In 2025:
- Most municipalities saw an increase.
- Only a handful dropped — like Wierden and Eersel (-1.4%).
- Limburg climbed faster than ever, yet remains structurally under-valued.
These are not economic facts. These are governance signals.
Because when values in Utrecht rise faster than in Noord-Holland, it’s not the market speaking.
It’s the result of targeted municipal evaluations, policy lag, and economic pressure points being massaged into “objective” metrics.
Don’t get fooled.
The WOZ doesn’t measure property value.
It measures how much the system thinks it can extract from you without protest.
The Uncomfortable Truth? Most People Don’t Even Know What WOZ Is.
And that’s by design.
The system works because people don’t question the assumptions.
They see the letter, they pay the bill, they complain at dinner, and they move on.
But if you’re an entrepreneur, a homeowner, a landlord, you cannot afford that ignorance.
WOZ is not a formality.
It’s a fiscal lens. A structural tool. A quiet mechanism of redistribution, precision-targeted by the very municipalities who claim to “represent” your interests.
So here’s your test:
- If your WOZ went up, did you get better roads?
- Better schools?
- Lower crime?
- Cleaner streets?
- Or just a higher tax bill?
You Don’t Fight Numbers. You Fight the Logic Behind Them.
At Xtroverso, we don’t just read numbers.
We decode them.
Because behind every percentage point, there’s a policy.
Behind every index, a decision.
Behind every “neutral” calculation, a worldview.
WOZ is not about houses. It’s about how the State sees you.
And how willing it is to squeeze a little more without telling you why.
Don’t fall for the averages.
Look at the logic.
And if that logic doesn’t serve you, challenge it.
Respectfully. Structurally. Relentlessly.
Rules are sacred. Until they stop serving the people. Then, they must be rebuilt. From the inside.
Co-Founder of Xtroverso | Head of Global GRC
Paolo Maria Pavan è la mente strutturale dietro Xtroverso, unendo la competenza nel compliance alla visione strategica dell’imprenditore. Osserva i mercati non come un trader, ma come un lettore di schemi—tracciando comportamenti, rischi e distorsioni per guidare una trasformazione etica. Il suo lavoro sfida le convenzioni e ridefinisce la governance come forza di chiarezza, fiducia ed evoluzione.
