Leaving the Netherlands for Dubai: The Protective Tax Assessment on Your Company Shares

By Bill Anderson, FCCA, Chief Executive Officer, Assetica · Published 2026-11-13

Direct Answer: If you own at least 5% of a company and you emigrate from the Netherlands, the Dutch tax authority treats you as having sold your shares and issues a protective assessment on the gain. Payment is normally deferred, but it becomes due if you later sell the shares or take dividends. The assessment is based on the market value of the shares when you leave, so an independent valuation sets the figure.

Dutch founders call it the conserverende aanslag. It is a tax bill that is raised when you leave and then kept on file. Whether you ever pay it depends on what you do with the company afterwards.

This guide explains who gets one, when it is collected and what the valuation has to show. It is for owners of Dutch private companies moving to the UAE.

Who gets a protective assessment

The rule applies to a substantial interest, which the Dutch call an aanmerkelijk belang. You have one if you hold at least 5% of the shares, voting rights or profit rights in a company. Most owner-managers of a Dutch BV are caught.

When you emigrate, the law treats you as having sold that interest at market value. No real sale is needed.

How much is assessed

The gain falls in box 2 of Dutch income tax. For 2026 the box 2 rates are 24.5% on the first band of income and 31% on the rest. The gain is the market value of the shares when you leave, less what you paid for them.

When the tax is actually collected

The assessment is not usually paid on departure.

Moves within the EU or EEA. Deferral of payment is automatic.
Moves outside the EU or EEA, including the UAE. Deferral is given on request, and you have to provide security.
What ends the deferral. Selling the shares, or receiving dividends from the company, makes some or all of the tax due.

For a substantial interest, published guidance says the assessment does not lapse after ten years, as some other protective assessments do. Plan on it staying in place for as long as you hold the shares.

Where the valuation comes in

The protective assessment is raised without a sale, so the valuation on the day you leave is the tax base. It also sets how much security you may be asked to give.

On departure. A market value of your shares on the day you stop being resident, which is the figure the tax is calculated on.
For the Golden Visa. A report showing your own equity is worth at least AED 2 million, net of debt. Our Golden Visa valuation guide covers what it must contain.
On a later sale or restructuring. A value a buyer, a funder or a tax authority will accept.

Use one valuation for all three. We fix the valuation date, the method and the normalised earnings once, then format the result for each reader, so the figures never disagree.

The Dutch tax authority publishes the emigration return and current rates. Our guide to moving a business from Europe to Dubai compares the exit rules across countries.

Leaving the Netherlands for the UAE?

Tell us your departure date and what you own. At the scoping call we confirm the valuation date, the readers and the scope, then quote a fixed fee in writing.

Business valuation for Dutch owners in the UAE

Frequently Asked Questions

Does the Netherlands have an exit tax?

Yes, for people with a substantial interest. If you hold at least 5% of a company and emigrate, you are treated as having sold the shares at market value, and the tax authority issues a protective assessment on the gain.

Do I pay the Dutch protective assessment when I move to Dubai?

Not usually on departure. For a move outside the EU or EEA, deferral of payment is given on request and you have to provide security. The tax becomes due if you later sell the shares or receive dividends.

What rate applies to a Dutch substantial interest?

The gain is taxed in box 2. For 2026 the rates are 24.5% on the first band of box 2 income and 31% above it.

Why do I need a valuation when I leave the Netherlands?

Because the assessment is raised without a sale. It is calculated on the market value of your shares on the day you emigrate, so an independent valuation is the evidence for that figure.

This article is general information, not Dutch or UAE tax, legal or investment advice. Tax rules, rates and thresholds change. Confirm the current position with a qualified Dutch tax adviser before you act.

Disclaimer. This article is general information about valuation practice in the UAE and is not a valuation, an opinion of value, or tax, legal or investment advice. Any figures or reference ranges are indicative and are not a quotation for any specific business. Rules, rates and the requirements of individual authorities change, so confirm the current position before relying on anything here. For your own circumstances, book a scoping call.

Speak to Assetica about Business Valuation

Assetica is an independent business valuation firm in Dubai. We do not audit and we do not broker deals, so the number carries no conflict. Read more about business valuation, or book a scoping call. Standard reports are issued in five to seven business days.