To apply for childcare benefit (kinderopvangtoeslag), you'll need to gather several details and complete a series of steps. This may seem daunting, but in this article we'll walk you through it step by step. What information do you need to provide?
You apply for the benefit yourself via toeslagen.nl using your DigiD. You'll need the following information:
- Personal details for yourself, your child, and your partner if applicable
- Your childcare contract (number of hours, hourly rate, and type of care)
- The LRK number of the childcare location
- Your WOZ value (property valuation)
- Your assessment income (and that of your partner) — we explain this in more detail below.
Calculating your assessment income
Your assessment income is your gross annual salary (before taxes are deducted) plus any additional income (such as assets or business profits), minus deductible items. These are the most common examples of deductions and taxable benefits:
- Deductions: mortgage interest relief
- Additions: company car benefit, Christmas bonus, 13th month payment, and holiday allowance
Entering the correct income is very important — you can make a calculation here.
Don't know the exact amount or is your income variable? The safest approach is to round up or report a slightly higher income. This means you may initially receive slightly less benefit, but if it turns out you received too little, you'll get the difference back later. However, this happens retroactively (in the summer of the following year, after your final tax return), which means you'll need to cover the childcare costs yourself in the meantime. Do keep this in mind.
If it turns out you earned more than you reported, you may have received too much childcare benefit and will need to repay part of it.
Confirmation and reporting changes
You can apply for childcare benefit from the moment you have a contract with a childcare provider, your child is born, AND has a BSN number. The final deadline for applying is 3 months after the start of childcare. Within 5 weeks of your application, you'll receive confirmation by letter and via your Berichtenbox on MijnOverheid.
Always report changes to the Dienst Toeslagen (Benefits Office) as soon as possible, such as changes in income, address, family situation, or your childcare contract. Also report any deviations in hours: when your child is sick you continue to pay and receive benefit, but when the childcare is closed you don't continue to pay and don't receive benefit either.
Getting started
Gather your details one evening, request the hourly rate and LRK number from your childcare provider, and work through the steps on toeslagen.nl. Haven't found childcare yet? On kiddie.nl you can compare daycare centers (kinderdagverblijven/KDV), after-school care (BSO), and childminder/host parent care (gastouderopvang) by location, price, and quality. This way you can choose a provider for which you can apply for benefit right away.
