What is deducted from your AOW pension?

If you live in the Netherlands, tax and/or national insurance contributions (loonheffing) and health insurance contributions (Zvw) will be deducted from your AOW pension. 

If you live in a care home or another institution, we can also deduct a personal contribution for long-term care (Wlz) or social support (Wmo).

If you live outside the Netherlands, click on ‘What is deducted from your AOW pension if you live outside the Netherlands?’ 

Choose what you want to know more about:

Loonheffing is a combination of wage tax and social insurance contributions. If you receive an AOW pension, you pay contributions for Dutch survivor benefit (Anw) and long-term care (Wlz). You do not pay any AOW pension contributions. 

You are entitled to a tax credit

If you use the tax credit for your AOW pension, you will pay less tax and keep more of your AOW pension. 

However, you may prefer to use the tax credit for another source of income. You can read more about this on the page about tax and social insurance contributions.

Everyone pays two types of health insurance contribution. 

The Zvw contribution is deducted automatically from your AOW. You do not have to do anything yourself. 

The other contribution or ‘premium’ is for your mandatory basic health insurance (‘basispakket’) with a Dutch health insurance company. You have to pay this contribution yourself directly to the insurer. 

How much you pay depends on your choice of health insurer and insurance package.

If you live permanently in a care home or other institution where you also receive care, you will have to pay part of the costs yourself. We call this the Wlz personal contribution. 

If you live in supported housing, you will have to pay part of the costs yourself. We call this the Wmo personal contribution. 

The CAK decides how much Wlz or Wmo contribution you need to pay based on your income from 2 years ago. If your income has gone down in the meantime, you can ask the CAK to make a new calculation. 

We will deduct your personal contribution from your AOW pension if the CAK asks us to.