Stopping work earlier: what do you keep?
You want to stop before your AOW age. Here you see what you keep net of your pension, what that becomes once your AOW starts, and how much you have to bridge yourself.
Work it out
Enter what you know. The calculator uses the Dutch Tax Administration's tables and rates for 2026 and the AOW amounts of the SVB.
Aukje Lonhard · pension adviser for more than 30 years
Will this be enough to live on?
That is the question behind every calculation, and a calculator cannot answer it. For many people, pension is a pile of letters full of difficult words, with choices whose meaning for you is unclear. I take you through it step by step, in plain language:
- first we list what you have and what will come in later;
- then we look at what you need to live the way you want;
- after that I explain which choices you have and what each one means for you.
You do not need to prepare anything or know any jargon. By the end you know where you stand.
Go through it together with AukjeNo obligation. Your result comes along, so you do not have to enter your amounts again.
Employer or HR? Have Aukje explain it to your employees in plain language.
Do you reach the AOW age during 2026? Then different monthly rates apply in that year. Aukje will work it out for you. The calculator gives general information and is not personal tax advice.
Why stopping earlier costs more than you think
Until your AOW age you do not yet receive the state pension. You live on your pension alone, or on savings. You also pay the higher tax rate on that pension, because the AOW premium still applies. Only from your AOW age does the AOW come in and the rate go down. The calculator puts both periods side by side.
What you enter
Enter the gross pension you receive if you stop earlier. Your pension fund's planner shows that amount. A pension that starts earlier is lower, because it is spread over more years. Often you can also choose to receive more in the first years and less later. When your AOW starts is explained in Retirement age and AOW age.
How accurate is this calculator?
The calculator follows the calculation rules of the Dutch Tax Administration and has been tested against them. The monthly wage tax has been compared with all 2,465 rows of the 2026 monthly table for pensions and benefits, without any difference. The net AOW matches the SVB amounts from 1 July 2026 to the cent. What the calculator does not know are your deductions, your assets and your partner's income. So the result is a good start, and not personal advice.
Frequently asked questions
Can I stop working earlier?
Usually yes. In most schemes the employer pension can start earlier. The AOW cannot: it always starts at your AOW age. You have to bridge the years in between yourself.
How much money do I need to stop earlier?
That depends on how many years you want to bridge and what you need per month. The calculator shows how much less you have per month until your AOW starts, and what that adds up to over the whole period.
Do I pay more tax if I retire before my AOW age?
Yes. Until your AOW age the rate on the first part of your income is 35.75 percent. After that it is 17.85 percent, because you no longer pay the AOW premium.
Would you rather have someone go through it with you?
Aukje explains what the figures mean for you and which choices you have. Without jargon, and without obligation.
Request a no-obligation conversation