For investments in energy-saving business assets, business owners can claim a (tax) subsidy in the form of the Energy Investment Allowance (EIA) apply. To do so, the asset (or part of it) must be listed on the energy list. The EIA is deducted from the profit on which income tax or corporation tax is calculated, thereby providing a direct tax benefit. If the business asset is disposed of within five years, part of the EIA must be repaid.
In 2015, the EIA amounts to 41.5% of the investment sum. In 2016, provided the tax bills for that year pass the Senate unamended, the deduction percentage will be increased to 58. The total budget for the EIA in 2016 is €101 million.
An EIA application must be submitted to the Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO) within 3 months after the final order for the acquisition of the asset has been placed. The application is submitted via the RVO’s E-loket (www.rvo.nl). To do this, private individuals will need their DigiD. Non-private individuals must have E-herkenning.
The higher deduction rate makes it worthwhile to defer investment in an asset eligible for the EIA until early 2016. This can be achieved by not entering into the final commitment until after the turn of the year. You should bear in mind, however, that the energy list is drawn up annually. The asset in which you wish to invest may therefore not feature on the 2016 energy list. The 2016 energy list will be published at the end of 2015. The decisive factor for determining which energy list applies is the moment at which you definitively enter into the investment commitment, not the moment at which the asset is delivered to you.