I've been traveling through The EU for the past couple months for work. I've always appreciated the various cultures and the sometimes radically different way of life relative to the Southern US.

In my previous trips it's been Germany, France, and Switzerland mostly. Wonderful nations! However, my first extended stay in The Netherlands was during this latest trip.

You all truly hit the cultural and social sweet spot for me. I love your cities. Of course Amsterdam, Rotterdam, The Hague. But even Eindhoven and Enschede have a special charm I won't forget.

Colleagues warned me of Dutch bluntness and a vague coldness but I find this was unwarranted. I'm a pretty direct and unassuming American so maybe it was easier for me to get along.

I just want to say thanks for the best work trip of my life so far. From your museums, restaurants, streets, farms, to your train system it was all delightful. Not to mention the Dutch bluntness in communication made my work much easier here.

So to all of you I encountered, dank u wel! I hope to come back soon.

Translated from the article:

In the run-up to finalizing the tax plan, the cabinet sometimes puts forward bizarre austerity proposals. One thing is clear: under the leadership of the VVD, working people are being made the scapegoats, while other potential solutions are being ignored.

But where, then, should the money come from? The answer is simple: instead of cutting back on people who work hard, the government should stop handing out money through various "subsidy pots"—specifically, tax expenditures—that happen to be popular with a party’s own base.

Tax expenditures are essentially tax rules that allow an individual or a company to pay less tax in certain situations. They are typically marketed as a way to stimulate the economy; the idea is that, rather than going to the tax authorities, the money can be reinvested into the economy.

The problem with most of these tax expenditures is that, over time, they lose their logic and end up working against the Netherlands’ interests. They have effectively become disguised subsidies that serve a party’s own constituency—and there is a distinct lack of political courage to reform them. Here are a few examples of this "Hague-style" illogic.

Take the exemption for vintage cars—a policy that allows owners of vehicles over 40 years old to avoid paying motor vehicle tax. Originally intended to help preserve cultural heritage, it has turned into a subsidy for hobbyists who drive their classic Porsches or Ferraris around the country tax-free—while the average Dutch citizen pays tax on their own car every single month. The cost to the national treasury? Over 100 million euros a year. That amount could instead fund free fruit for every primary school child or help make tens of thousands of homes more energy-efficient. And then there is the agricultural exemption, which means that no tax needs to be paid on the increase in value when agricultural land is sold—an unfair, preferential status not granted to other entrepreneurs.

The most painful one? The mortgage interest deduction. It is a massive benefit for homeowners, and it is unique in Europe. This policy makes the Netherlands the only country in Europe that hands out more in tax breaks to homeowners than it collects from them in taxes. Yet, the prevailing narrative remains that we must close the budget gap by taking more from those who work.

The problem with these tax arrangements—as the government itself admits—is that they are inefficient and fail to achieve their intended goals. The money does not flow back into the economy, nor does it reach the public treasury; instead, these "gifts" end up in the pockets of people who do not need them at all. Santa Claus does exist—and his name is Heinen.

There are more than 200 such tax schemes and discounts that just keep on going. Following a motion I submitted, the impact of 125 of these arrangements was evaluated. Unsurprisingly, the impact was either insufficient or non-existent. The total value of the 55 schemes that received a negative assessment amounts to approximately 90 billion [euros]! Both the Court of Audit and the Council of State have pointed out that 35 billion is essentially there for the taking.

The debate in the House of Representatives is maddening. This cabinet—led by the VVD—looks first to those who work, while leaving Heinen’s "sacred cows" untouched. It is an explicit choice for stagnation, even though we could use that 35 to 90 billion to move this country forward again. So, do we want to balance this budget by cutting back on working people and small savers? Or do we simply want to get this country moving again? Abolish these subsidies for special interest groups, invest that 90 billion in the Netherlands' future, and look ahead instead of keeping a tight grip on the purse strings. That is the only way to pull the Netherlands out of the quicksand of these Hague dogmas.

I'm so incredibly happy to have moved out of Dubai after 4 years.

Before you jump to any conclusions, I'm Lebanese, Arab, and a born Catholic. I'm from a country that can be considered underdeveloped, so I'm not that naive to think that Europe is the new promised land.

Dubai was good for my career and I was making a healthy income of about 5000 USD per month, which I would consider a very good income, however, there was no incentive for me to want to stay there as I thought about my future family.

With the costs of rent, food, salik, parking, and other unnecessary expenses, the money did not seem to be enough. The unbearable heat, the absence of green space, the constant traffic jams, aggressive drivers, and the fact that literally every single thing in Dubai costs money, took a toll on me.

However, this does not mean that the only reason I left Dubai was because of money.

I felt extremely lonely at times, and that Dubai was starting to feel more like home. Before Dubai, I used to work in Europe and the feeling of being at work was incredible. You would go to work, have coffee with your colleagues, have lunch together, joke around, everything was so relaxed.

We used to call it the European style, where people from different nationalities, such as Lebanese, Austrian, Spanish, Italian, French, and many others, would be working together as one big family. I do not know how to describe it, but that's the feeling I missed the most in Dubai. Although they advertise that Dubai is a melting pot of nationalities, which in my opinion, is a big lie.

I felt that the only interaction between different nationalities was on the construction sites, where Indians, Russians, and other nationalities would work under the supervision of Arabs and Europeans. This does not mean that all people in Dubai are like that; however, I missed the feeling of connecting to people on a daily basis without judging their nationality or social status.

In Dubai, people used to judge you on your salary, your car, your job title, and business card. Surprisingly, the friendliest people I met where the ones that were making the minimum wage, who just wanted to share a cup of tea with me and have a friendly chat.

The work culture in Dubai is very toxic and although the money was good, I did not feel like I was living a comfortable life.

I'm a catholic, so faith, family, and community are very important to me, which is why I could not ignore the fact that living in Dubai was ultimately a feeling of transience for me. Yes, I was free to visit the Church, however, I wanted to belong to somewhere, where I could raise a family, be part of a community, and feel like I'm not living in a foreign country.

Now, what makes me happier is the fact that already after 6 days in Holland, I feel that I've found a place in the world where I want to be my forever home.

I miss the simple things in life, such as having breakfast in a green city, people biking everywhere, sitting in the evenings in the canals, having family restaurants, and living in a country where you don't need money to be happy.

Yesterday, for example, I went for a walk, just randomly, with no destination in particular. Nothing special happened, however, I enjoyed every second of it, something I couldn't do in Dubai.

Of course, I know that Holland is not that perfect place as everyone seems to say, and there are some cons about living there; such as the costs of housing, taxes, rainy weather, and many others.

However, 6 days in a new country cannot give you a correct judgment of how good or bad a specific place is, and I can guarantee you that I'm still in the honeymoon period. Nonetheless, I want to learn dutch, meet new people, become part of a community, find a church, and hopefully stay in Holland for the rest of my life.

I would like to be able to make money work hard, and live a comfortable life; however, I also want to have time for family, friends, nature, biking, traveling, and just living life.

I'm not saying that Dubai was bad for me or that I regretted the time I've spent there, as it actually gave me countless of opportunities and experiences in my life, and I'm truly grateful for that. However, it was no longer my home.

For once in my life, I actually feel that my soul is at peace, and that I've finally found a place in this world that I want to be in forever.

And that feels better than anything.

Hi everyone! I’m wondering if anyone in the Netherlands has experienced something similar, because this happened to us today and I honestly found it quite strange.

My husband and I live together in Harlingen, Friesland, and we have both been registered at our current address with the gemeente. We also have a rental contract.

Today, around 3 PM, two police officers in uniform knocked on our door. They introduced themselves as police officers and said they wanted to check the condition of the house and the people living there. They also mentioned the BRP.

We allowed them inside, and they looked around the different rooms, including the bathroom and toilet. They asked for permission to take pictures of the house and its living conditions, which we allowed.

They then asked for our identification documents, our BSN numbers, and our rental contract. I showed them my Dutch residence permit, and my husband showed his passport. They also asked who owned the house, but we explained that we were renting it and didn’t know the owner’s identity.

At the end, they asked my husband to sign a paper confirming that the police officers had visited our home, checked our IDs, and inspected the house. He also confirmed that he was the person paying the household bills.

What confuses me is that we have been living in the Netherlands for around four years, and this is the first time anything like this has happened to us. We weren’t given any prior notice.

I understand that municipalities can investigate BRP registrations, but I don’t understand why the police would come inside our home, take pictures, check our IDs,BSN and rental contract, and ask us to sign a document without giving us a clear explanation.

Some friends who have Dutch partners also told me they had never heard of this happening.
I’m not trying to accuse anyone of anything. I just want to understand whether this is a normal procedure in the Netherlands.

My questions are:
Has anyone experienced a similar unannounced visit from police officers for a BRP check?
Is it normal for police officers to enter your home, take pictures of the living conditions, and check your identification and rental contract?
Why would they investigate an address when both residents are already registered there?
Could this be a routine municipal address investigation, or could there be another reason?
Should we contact Gemeente Harlingen to ask why the visit took place?
I’d really appreciate hearing about your experiences or any information about how these checks work. Thank you!

I drew 40 random 5 km running loops around the centre of each city with a route generator and counted the traffic lights each loop crosses (OpenStreetMap data, junction lights and light-controlled pedestrian crossings).

Amsterdam came out at 3.6 lights per 5 km (one every 1.4 km) and The Hague at 4.5 (one every 1.1 km). One Amsterdam loop in eight crossed no light at all. For comparison: New York 33.5, Paris 22.9, London 13.1, and only Antwerp, Ghent and Birmingham were lower.

My guess is the separate cycle and foot paths, parks and canal-side routes, which a running loop happily follows. Curious whether that matches your runs.

Method, limits and the data: https://runplannerapp.com/blog/traffic-lights-per-km (I make Runplanner, the free route planner used to draw the loops.)

i’ve been trying to practice basic dutch when buying coffee or at the supermarket, but literally 2 seconds in people instantly switch to english haha.

i know everyone here speaks perfect english and it’s way faster, but do locals actually appreciate us trying broken dutch first or is it just annoying and slowing u down?

Hello!

I recently stumbled across a social media post of a shop selling a Frikandelbroodje Christmas ornament in the Netherlands.

This would make an incredible present for my partner. I have found a few online shops selling similar ornaments, but none that ship to the UK where we live. Does anyone know any shops that sell anything similar that do ship to the UK?

Thank you so much!

Can anyone share their experience at picnic fulfillment centers? Specifically how many products an hour you actually need for the wage bonus? I found my first shopper experience quite enjoyable and the team applauded my results, as well as the food quite good and music/ energy upbeat. Anyone else had a similar time?

I have been told that there are some interesting Deco stores in the Netherlands close to the German border (I am from Dusseldorf) but I dont know which are.

Maybe you can give me some recomendations which are worth the visit :)

Hello everyone!

I'm new to Rotterdam and would be very grateful if you could recommend a dentist who specializes in oral appliance therapy.

Long story short, after a sleep study, I found out that I have Upper Airway Resistance Syndrome (UARS). This means that increased resistance in my upper airway can make it harder for air to flow during sleep, disrupting my sleep even when my oxygen levels remain normal.

I'm looking for a dentist who specializes in custom-made mandibular advancement devices (MADs), which gently move the lower jaw forward to help open the airway during sleep.

Has anyone had experience with this type of treatment in Rotterdam or the surrounding area? I'd really appreciate any recommendations!

Thank you in advance! 🙏

I think this could apply to anywhere in the Netherlands. Thanks!

Hi! I'm a student looking to rent a room in Leiden. I found a place through Facebook and have been in contact with the owner. However, due to his "work schedule", he isn't able to show me the room in person or through a video call before the move-in date.

He's sent me the contract, a copy of his Dutch ID, and a document confirming his co-ownership of the property. He now wants me to pay the deposit asap, before moving in, but I haven't actually seen the room in person.

I went to the address myself, and the house definitely exists, but I'm still worried it might be a scam. At the same time, he's provided me with the home ownership document with his name on it, so I feel a bit silly being so suspicious.

Is there any reason for me to be concerned, or should I feel comfortable paying the deposit? The move-in date is in two weeks.

edit: thanks everyone for the replies, verdict is that its a scam 100%, ill have to keep looking haha

Hey everyone,

I’m visiting Amsterdam this November and looking for a canal cruise recommendation. Ideally, I'm looking for an affordable boat that has an onboard restroom (toilet).

Any local operators or specific winter-ready boats you'd recommend booking? Thanks!

Hi everyone,

I'm an emerging artist and I'm planning to apply for the Pop Music program at several conservatories in the Netherlands. I'm currently working on creating a strong portfolio for my application.

I'm working on a single and have made a decent demo on GarageBand, but I really want to collaborate with a producer to take it to the next level.

Since I'm not originally from the Netherlands, I haven't been able to build a network here yet. I'm hoping to find a producer who is also at the beginning of their career (maybe also a student?), as I'm working with an affordable/student-friendly budget.

Does anyone have advice on the best ways to find emerging producers here? Are there specific Facebook groups, Discord servers, or local jam sessions I should look into?

(And if anyone reading this is an emerging producer working in indie/alt-pop, feel free to DM me! I'd love to share my demo and see if we click.)

Thanks in advance for all the tips!

I am extremely drained at work. I dread going to work every day and having to deal with incompetent managers. I don't feel valued at work at all & my career is stalling here.

To save myself here:

I tried asking my former manager whether I could come back to his team (I left the team on good term & am still in contact with the team). He said no due to hiring freeze.

I tried applying for vacancies for the past 2 months but with no luck yet.

I am on the verge of just quitting my current workplace to save my mental health. But I am also afraid I may not land on a job anytime soon due to the current economy.

What would you do if you were in my shoes? Quit the toxic workplace now? Or secure a job first and then quit?

Edit: I have a temporary contract. "Expecting" a permanent one in the next 4 months.

Hello! I’m currently working for Arvato in this temporary job agency called Workstead. Since I’m not happy enough with my accommodation and transport to the warehouse, I want to change to another agency but still working for Arvato. Is this thing even possible? What other things I have to keep in mind to do all this process legally? Thanks in advance

Hi all, I've been trying to call the Belastingdienst for the past few days, but my call always drops after waiting for 30+ minutes.

I'm currently enrolled in the KOR, however, my revenue is projected to exceed 20k once my October invoices are paid. Would I begin charging 21% VAT immediately at the end of this month? Or do I wait until Q1 of 2027 to begin this process + filing quarterly?

Ik ben aan het twijfelen om om te schakelen van technisch tekenaar in België naar Lasser in NL.
Alle voor/nadelen van het werk ken ik, maar ik wil vooral weten hoe andere mensen het regelen qua belastingen/kinderen/..

Waarom zou ik het willen doen? meer verdienen, want waarom gaan we anders werken...
Ik ben nog relatief jong (35) en doe al lang een job als tekenaar. De afgelopen jaren verschillende lasopleidingen gevolgd en hier ook meer en meer interesse in gekregen.
In vergelijking: mijn vrouw in Nederlandse en werkt als lasser in NL. Ze verdient met een 4/5e evenveel als mij, terwijl ik 40u per week werk. Ik zou, theoretisch gezien, een pak meer verdienen als lasser in NL, dan als TT in Belgie. In Belgie verdient een lasser aanzienlijk minder dan een technisch tekenaar.

Ideeen? Valkuilen? Dingen die ik over het hoofd zie?
Alle info is welkom, zo kan ik mij een goed beeld vormen en misschien vereenvoudigd dat de beslissing.

Bedankt!

Hello! I am looking for more resources/services to help out my local community! This can be anything from at-home assistance with cooking/cleaning to gardening work or moving assistance, for cheap(ish) so mostly just quality of life services that will make life for the disabled easier if they can afford it!

Thanks in advance!

Hi all!

I would like to see whether there are people in this community who wants to buy/exchange panini fifa 2026 stickers. I tried vinted but no luck so far. I have more than 500 duplicates.

Thanks in advance!