Volunteer compensation policy for 2025-2026
Limits to volunteer compensation
There are three limits in the Netherlands for volunteer compensation:
2025
Yearly: €2.100
Monthly: €210
Hourly*
2026
Yearly: €2.200
Monthly: €220
Hourly*
BOTH yearly and monthly limits apply at the same time: your compensation cannot be more than either. For example, if you receive less than €2.100 for 2025 but more than €210 for any month, you have to pay taxes for the entire compensation.
This limit includes ALL other volunteer compensations PLUS travel or other reimbursements you have received from Colored Qollective and any other organisation.
* In Colored Qollective, we don’t count the hourly limit. We make use of an exemption because we have not previously agreed on any hourly compensation, and because the compensation is not proportionate (as compared to the ‘market’ and what we pay our freelancers and staff).
Volunteer compensation for 2025-26
The compensation for 2025-26 consists of two tiers:
- Active months: €40 per month
- Meetings attended, assuming a maximum of 2 meetings per month*: €85 per meeting**
- * This is to keep the compensation within the limit of €210 per month.
- ** Trans Clinic Team meetings already include a compensation of €85 per meeting. These cannot be counted to avoid double compensation, which is not allowed.
We are basing compensation on meetings attended to align it with the compensation for the Trans Clinic Team. With compensation per meeting, this includes voluntary work done in preparation for and during the meeting, and voluntary work done as part of action points (resulting from the meeting).
Important note on the limits and your tax obligations!
Based on the above, you can claim an average of 10 active months with 2 meetings per month without being required to declare this to the Belastingdienst and pay taxes on this. You can always claim less than what you have done to stay below this limit!
However, if you want to claim more than €2.100 (€2.200 in 2026), or if you have received other compensations or reimbursements from Colored Qollective or other organisations in 2025 (or 2026) and this makes your total more than €2.100 (€2.200 in 2026), you must declare this to the Belastingdienst and pay taxes on this! Colored Qollective does not declare volunteer compensations to the Belastingdienst on your behalf, this is your responsibility.
Below are some examples of situations where you don’t have to and have to pay taxes:
| Example 1: only receiving compensation from CQ, within limit: | Example 2: only receiving compensation from CQ, beyond limit: | Example 3: multiple compensations and reimbursements from Colored Qollective and other organisations, beyond limit: |
| 10 active months, 2 meetings per month: 1 month: €40 + €85 + €85 = €210 (at monthly limit) 10 months: €210 * 10 = €2.100 (at yearly limit) = Not taxed! | 12 active months, 2 meetings per month: 1 month: €40 + €85 + €85 = €210 (at monthly limit) 12 months: €210 * 12 = €2.520 (above yearly limit) = You must declare this and pay taxes! | 10 active months, 2 meetings per month + travel reimbursement from CQ: 10 months: €2.100 Reimbursements: €200 Total: €2.300 (above yearly limit) = You must declare this and pay taxes! |
| 12 active months, 1 meeting per month: 1 month: €40 + €85 = €125 (below monthly limit) 12 months: €125 * 12 = €1.500 (below yearly limit) = Not taxed! | 3 active months, 3 meetings per month: 1 month: €40 + €85 + €85 + €85 = €295 (above monthly limit) 3 months: €295 * 3 = €885 (below yearly limit) = You must declare this and pay taxes! | 5 active months, 2 meetings per month + volunteer compensations from other organisations: 5 months: €1.050 Compensations: €1.500 Total: €2.550 (above yearly limit) = You must declare this and pay taxes! |
Urgency and monetary support
If due to personal circumstances you need this compensation urgently or other monetary support, please reach out to Anh (penningmeester@coloredqollective.org).
If you have any questions or need clarification or help with this form, please reach out to Srish (srishagon@coloredqollective.org).
Donating your compensation
Colored Qollective is designated by the Belastingdienst as an ANBI foundation, which means donations to Colored Qollective can be declared as a tax-deductible gift.
Do you choose not to receive your compensation and instead want to donate your compensation to Colored Qollective? Then you may deduct the amount of this compensation as a donation in your income tax! Colored Qollective can then use this compensation to continue funding our projects!
For more info, see the website of the Belastingdienst.