AOW and pension in Sweden: the treaty is tipping — but not yet
Under the 1991 treaty your occupational pension and annuity are taxed exclusively in Sweden; AOW and government pension stay Dutch. But on 24 June 2026 both countries signed a new treaty that pulls all Dutch pensions to the source state — not yet in force, but the direction. Plus the country-of-residence factor that jumped from 0.78 to 1.0 in four years.
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Written and checked by Auke on , against the sources at the bottom. Is something no longer right? Report it below and I'll fix it.
If you live in Sweden, Sweden today taxes your occupational pension and your annuity. The Netherlands may keep taxing your AOW and a government pension.
Three things to know up front:
- That allocation comes from the 1991 treaty, which applies today.
- On 24 June 2026 a new treaty was signed that will turn things around. It is not yet in force. Whoever knows the difference plans better.
- With the Swedish 2026 rates added, you know what is left of a Dutch pension.
Today: the 1991 treaty
Under the treaty in force the allocation is favourable and clear. Article 18 assigns pensions and annuities exclusively to your state of residence, the country where you live. The article names annuities explicitly. So Sweden taxes, and the Netherlands lets go.
You request an exemption statement for wage tax from the Dutch Tax Administration. After that your pension fund pays out gross, without withholding anything.
| Income | Who taxes under the 1991 treaty |
|---|---|
| Occupational pension and annuity (article 18) | only Sweden |
| AOW (social security, article 18) | the Netherlands may tax, via wage tax |
| Government pension, such as ABP from government service | the Netherlands |
| Rented-out house in the Netherlands (article 6) | the Netherlands, in full |
| Dividend (article 10) | the Netherlands withholds 15% as source state, Sweden credits it |
| Interest, including Dutch savings interest (article 11) | only Sweden |
Tomorrow: the treaty of 24 June 2026
On 24 June 2026 the Netherlands and Sweden signed a new tax treaty that replaces the 1991 treaty. The biggest change hits exactly this chapter: the Netherlands may from now on tax all pensions accrued in the Netherlands. So also the occupational pension that is currently taxed exclusively in Sweden. With that the Netherlands extends the line it has been securing in new treaties for years.
But signed is not in force. The treaty still has to pass the Council of State and both parliaments. Until that ratification, the approval by both countries, is complete, the 1991 treaty applies in full.
The lesson for anyone leaving now: plan on the old treaty, but count on the tipping in the long run. The exemption statement you get now is not a lifelong promise.
The Swedish side: declaring, and counting
As a resident of Sweden you declare your worldwide income, including your Dutch pensions. Skatteverket, the Swedish tax agency, says it plainly: income from home and abroad. Pension is taxed there as earned income, in a system made up of two layers.
| Swedish income tax 2026 | Rate or threshold |
|---|---|
| Municipal tax (kommunal skatt) | on average 32.38%, varying by municipality |
| State tax (statlig skatt) | 20% on the part above the brytpunkt |
| Brytpunkt for anyone not yet 66 at the start of the year | SEK 660,400 |
| Brytpunkt for anyone 66 or older at the start of the year | SEK 760,500 |
| Grundavdrag (tax-free allowance) | depends on income, built into the tables |
In practice: up to the brytpunkt, the threshold above which state tax starts, the tax office keeps roughly three hundred of every thousand kronor. Above it, that is roughly five hundred. The higher brytpunkt for over-66s makes it slightly milder for pensioners. What the Netherlands already taxed under the treaty is credited via the treaty. How those two systems bite on your particular mix is the one conversation with a tax adviser every corridor deserves.
The healthcare side: the factor that jumped to 1.0
Pensioners without work in Sweden fall under the CAK treaty route. With the S1 form you enrol in the Swedish system, at the expense of the Netherlands. For that you pay a treaty contribution.
That contribution follows the country-of-residence factor: the figure that shows how expensive care in your country of residence is priced in this system, compared with the Netherlands. There lies a silent cost increase. For Sweden the factor stood at 0.7751 in 2022, in 2026 at 1.0000. Swedish care is by now priced in this system as dear as Dutch care, and you notice that in the monthly contribution. What you still pay in Sweden itself is in healthcare in Sweden.
One deadline dominates the planning of early retirees. From — expectedly — 1 November 2026, early retirement no longer gives access to the CAK route; anyone registered before that keeps their rights. Anyone wanting to go to Sweden on an RVU or an early occupational pension therefore plans the registration before that date, or budgets for their own cover until AOW age.
The protective assessment on your pension and annuity accrual is a formality within the EU: automatic deferral, no security, and after ten years without surrender remission on request.
The M return for the year of emigration you file online. Keep your Dutch annual statements, because that return only comes the year after.
In Vertrekklaar this is phase 2 of 5 of the journey, step 2.2: the same steps, but on your situation — in your order, tickable, and with the deadlines watched. See the whole journey to Sweden or go straight to step 2.2 in the open plan.
What this means for your numbers →
What this rests on
The facts in this article come from these official pages. Rules change. When in doubt, go by the source, not this article.
- Tax treaty Netherlands–Sweden 1991 — wetten.overheid.nl
- Rijksoverheid — the Netherlands and Sweden sign a new tax treaty (24 June 2026) — rijksoverheid.nl
- Skatteverket — foreign pensions for residents of Sweden — skatteverket.se
- Skatteverket — the marginal tax burden — skatteverket.se
- Skatteverket — amounts and percentages 2026: municipal tax 32.38% and the brytpunkt of SEK 660,400 — skatteverket.se
- Dutch Tax Administration — request for exemption from wage-tax withholding — belastingdienst.nl
- Staatscourant 2025, 38064 — the 2026 country-of-residence factors — zoek.officielebekendmakingen.nl
- CAK — early retirement and the closure from November 2026 — hetcak.nl
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