How to Read Your Dutch Payslip (Loonstrook) Step by Step

At first the loonstrook (Dutch payslip) looks like a table full of Dutch words, and most people only scroll down to the bottom line. But it shows how many of your hours were paid, at what hourly wage, and what was deducted from you. Let's go through the most common lines, and what you should check every payday.

What is a loonstrook, and when do you get it?

The loonstrook is the statement you get with every payment. If you are paid weekly, you get it every week; if every four weeks or monthly, then at those times. Many agencies now send it online, in an app or on a worker portal.

Save every one. You may need them later, for example to prove a mistake, to rent a flat, or for tax questions.

Payslips look different at each agency, but the main lines are similar almost everywhere. The names below are the most common; on yours they may be written a little differently.

The top part: who, when, how much time

At the top of the payslip you usually find:

• Werkgever: the employer, meaning the name of the agency.
• Werknemer: your name, your BSN (burgerservicenummer, Dutch citizen service number) and often your employee number.
• Periode / week: which week or period the payment is for.
• Uurloon: your gross hourly wage.
• Gewerkte uren: the number of hours worked.

It is worth stopping here already: do the week, the hourly wage and the hours match what you know?

The gross part: what your pay is made of

• Bruto loon / basisloon: your basic pay, meaning the hourly wage times your normal hours.
• Overuren: overtime, often on a separate line, together with the allowance percentage.
• Toeslagen / ploegentoeslag: allowances, for example for shifts, night work or weekend work.
• Reiskosten: travel cost refund, if you get it.

Added together, these give your total gross pay. Agency workers must get a package equivalent to that of the hiring company's own employees in a similar job, so if the company has an overtime or shift allowance, it must show up on your payslip too.

Deductions: what is taken from your gross pay

• Loonheffing: wage tax and contributions together. This is usually the biggest deduction. The amount depends on your income, and also on whether the tax credit (loonheffingskorting) is applied for you. The payslip often shows yes or no for this.
• Pensioenpremie: the worker's share of the pension contribution. Agency workers build up a pension in the sector pension scheme; the percentage can differ by agency.
• Inhouding huisvesting: the housing deduction, if you live in the agency's housing. At most 25% of the minimum wage can be deducted for this, and only for certified housing (for example SNF).
• Zorgverzekering: the health insurance premium, if you are insured through the agency's group insurance and it is deducted from your pay.
• Overige inhoudingen: other deductions, for example paying back an advance, work clothes or transport, if you agreed on this.

What is saved for you: vakantiegeld and holidays

• Reservering vakantiegeld: holiday pay (vakantiegeld) that is not paid out straight away, but saved for you. It follows the hiring company's percentage, which is usually 8%. It is usually paid out in one go at the end of May.
• Reservering vakantie-uren / vakantiedagen: the holiday hours or days you have built up.

These lines show how much has been built up so far. They are not deductions; it is your money, which you get later.

The last line: netto loon

Netto loon (or "uit te betalen") is the amount that is actually transferred to your bank account. This is what should show on your bank statement.

If your net pay is suddenly much lower than in earlier weeks, do not only look at the total: go back through the lines and find which one changed.

What to check every payday

A simple five-point list:

1. Hours: do the "gewerkte uren" match your own notes? Write down every day when you started and when you finished.
2. Hourly wage: did they use the pay in your contract? From 1 July 2026 the gross minimum wage from age 21 is €14.99 per hour; it cannot be less than this.
3. Allowances: if you worked overtime, at night or at the weekend, can you see the allowance?
4. Deductions: are housing and insurance the amounts you agreed on? Is there a deduction you do not know about?
5. Vakantiegeld: does the saved amount grow week by week?

On Eyesonworks.eu you can also filter job ads by weekly net pay, but the real numbers are always on your own payslip. That is why it is worth comparing the two after the first weeks.

What to do if you find a mistake

1. Collect the evidence: the payslip, your own record of hours, your contract and any messages.
2. Write to the agency: briefly, in writing (by email or in the app), saying exactly which line of which week is wrong. Many mistakes are fixed this way by the next payday.
3. Ask for a written answer: if they promise a correction by phone or in person, ask them to put it in writing too.
4. If they do not fix it: the Juridisch Loket (free legal information) or the FNV or CNV trade union can help. For tax questions, for example about the loonheffingskorting, the Belastingdienst (the Dutch tax office) is the right place.

Good to know: the hiring company and the agency are jointly responsible for making sure you get your pay.

In short

• The loonstrook shows your hours, hourly wage, gross pay, deductions and net pay, so save every one.
• The main lines: bruto loon, loonheffing, pensioenpremie, inhouding huisvesting, reservering vakantiegeld and netto loon.
• Every payday, check the hours, the hourly wage, the allowances and the deductions.
• Vakantiegeld is money saved for you, not a deduction, and you usually get it at the end of May.
• If there is a mistake, report it to the agency in writing, and if that does not help, ask for help.