Dog tax in The Hague to remain

The dog tax in The Hague will not be abolished. The tax brings in a net amount of more than € 1.8 million per year to the municipality and is thus an important source of income for the city.

‘Abolishing the tax would mean there would be a budget deficit. There would be no way to make up for the deficit at the moment,’ explained The Hague Municipal Executive in answer to questions raised by a number of local political parties.

The Municipal Executive pointed out the fact that The Hague aims to have the lowest residential tax rates in the country. Low municipal tax rates make The Hague the third cheapest municipality to live in in the Netherlands.

The Municipal Executive explained that while proceeds from the dog tax are used for general purposes, facilities which profit from the tax includes ones which benefit dogs and their owners (such as municipal surveillance teams and the purchase of dog poop receptacles and poop vacuums).