Government lowers entry threshold TEK scheme

The government has determined that it is not justified to make energy tax a variable rather than a fixed component of the calculation used to determine energy intensity in the Energy Cost Contribution (TEK). This does not change the TEK's target group: several tens of thousands of smaller SMEs. But it does result in the percentage of energy-intensity an entrepreneur has to meet going down from 12.5% to 7%.

Some of the energy-intensive SMEs are already in acute trouble and still have the winter of 2022/2023 to go. It was therefore decided earlier to be accommodating to individual entrepreneurs applying for tax deferral until the opening of the TEK. Financial service providers, such as banks, have also been found willing to be faster and more lenient in dealing with requests for liquidity such as advances. The government has also made an additional €500 million of sustainability financing available to SMEs and opened the BMKB Green Scheme.

Minimum consumption and threshold price

The TEK allowance is for companies with up to 250 employees registered in the Dutch Trade Register. To qualify, in addition to the requirement of energy intensity (the amount of energy costs corresponds to at least 7% of turnover), they must have an annual consumption exceeding 5,000 cubic metres of gas or 50,000 kilowatt hours of electricity. The threshold price is set at €1.19 per cubic metre of gas and €0.35 per kilowatt-hour of electricity.

Rijksoverheid.nl