Officials warned ministers about the consequences of transfer tax changes

According to Vastgoedmarkt, research shows that officials from the Ministry of Finance advised their minister and state secretary against exempting first-time buyers from transfer tax. They feared higher house prices. Nevertheless, Minister Wopke Hoekstra and State Secretary Hans Vijlbrief implemented the measure. Member of Parliament Wybren van Haga is demanding clarification from them regarding this course of action.

The Royal Dutch Association of Real Estate Agents (KNB) warned a year ago that the differentiated transfer tax would not achieve its intended goal: improving first-time buyers' access to the housing market and discouraging private investors from purchasing homes as investments. A Freedom of Information Act (Wob) request from Vastgoedmarkt revealed that officials from the Ministry of Finance also issued this warning. According to the ministry, it is still too early to draw conclusions about the price impact of the measures based on the current figures.

Laundry list
Van Haga wants to know from Hoekstra and Vijlbrief what prompted them to implement the transfer tax changes. According to Van Haga, their officials presented a laundry list of reasons not to do so: it's unfeasible, ineffective, and inefficient. He also wants to hear from Hoekstra and Vijlbrief why the recommendation to present the effects to market participants through an online consultation was ignored.