Organisation
The Ministry of Finance is responsible for financial-economic policy in the Netherlands, the management of government finances and the policy concerning the financial markets. The Ministry has a central role to play in drawing up the national budget and the Budget Statement, and it monitors budget expenditures.
The most well-known task of the Ministry of Finance is perhaps the levying of taxes. Taxes are the most important source of income for the national government. The Ministry is responsible for tax policy, tax legislation and the enforcement of these laws.
A total of 31,800 employees work at the Ministry of Finance. More than 30,000 of them work for the Dutch Tax Administration.
The Ministry of Finance consists of the following directorate-generals:
- The Directorate-General for the Tax and Customs Administration ensures, together with the Dutch Tax Administration, that the national tax policy is implemented.
- The Directorate-General for Tax, Customs Policy, Legislation gives shape to the tax policy.
- The Directorate-General of the Budget co-ordinates the government’s budget policy.
- The Treasury is responsible for the financial-economic policy.
- The Secretary-General Cluster (provides support to the policy departments).