My situation:
- Born and raised in the Netherlands, but living in the U.S. (for over twenty years now).
- Dual Dutch and U.S. citizen.
- Wife is U.S. citizen, but she lived in the Netherlands from 1998-2000, and she had a residence permit (and 'sofi-nummer') at the time (living with her partner, i.e. me).
- 10-year-old twin daughters, who are both U.S. and Dutch citizens.
- Working for large international IT company, with offices around the globe, including the Netherlands.
- No longer registered as a resident in the Personal Records Database (BRP) in any municipality in the Netherlands (not since December 2000, when we left for the U.S.).
- Currently not tax-liable in the Netherlands (not since we left for the U.S. more than twenty years ago).
- No major property in the Netherlands, but homeowner in Seattle, WA, with a lot of equity in our house (several $100K's).
We're considering living in the Netherlands for at least one year to give our girls "the real Dutch experience." Plus it would significantly improve their Dutch. This would most likely be from the summer of 2022 to the summer of 2023, so the girls would go to school in the Netherlands during the 2022-2023 school year. We might even stay longer (indefinitely?) if we really, really like it.
So for me it would be an expat experience in some ways (particularly given that I've been gone from the Netherlands for more than two decades), but not in other ways (no language issues at all).
This is what we're thinking (along with some questions):
- We'd very likely rent a house in the Nijmegen/Arnhem area. Ideally, the girls would go to the Rivers International School in Arnhem. We have yet to reach out to that school, but does anyone know if international schools also cater to situations like ours? Is it hard to get into a school like that?
- Both I and our girls are Dutch citizens, so there are no visa concerns for us. However, my wife is not a Dutch citizen. QUESTIONS: what would be required for her to stay in the Netherlands for, say, one year or so? Would it make a difference that she already lived in the Netherlands before and had a residence permit (and 'sofi-nummer') at that time? It's been 20+ years ago, though. Also, how long could my wife stay in the Netherlands without requiring a residence permit of some sort? Is it 90 days? Or do other rules apply, since she'll be staying with her husband and kids, who are all Dutch citizens (but currently not Dutch residents)?
- Is there a point at which you're required to register as a resident in the Personal Records Database (BRP) of the municipality where you live? Or can you stay in the Netherlands for an extended period of time without ever registering?
- The plan is for me to continue to work for my current employer doing the same job as now, but just in a different time zone (NL vs. Pacific Time). My company would not officially reassign me to the Netherlands, but rather just allow me to work remote from a different location. I would prefer to remain officially employed for the U.S. company, with my U.S. salary, etc. QUESTIONS: would it be possible to do that if we lived (and worked) in the Netherlands for, say, a year? Or would I officially need to transfer to the Dutch office at some point in time? How long could I be in the Netherlands working for the U.S. company? What are the conditions for me to have to (or not have to) pay Dutch taxes and social security contributions? Does it make any difference that I'm both a U.S. and Dutch citizen?
- What are the tax and financial ramifications for a long-term stay in the Netherlands, particularly given that I am both a U.S. and Dutch citizen now?
- What would happen tax-wise if we sold our house in Seattle, and brought several $100K's with us to the Netherlands? Would we be taxed on that when we move to the Netherlands? Or is money you gain from selling your primary home exempt from taxation?
- Does anyone know a great financial and/or tax adviser that we could consult to help us figure out all the financial and tax implications of a scenario like this? So that person would need to be an expert on both Dutch and U.S. tax rules.
We're still very much in the exploratory phase of this adventure and I'm sure I'll have lots more questions, but any pointers or thoughts in this early stage would be much appreciated!
Thanks!
--Ron