In addition to their work, many people put their heart and soul into clubs, associations, charities, etc. And as a retiree or single person, doing voluntary work is also a way to maintain social contacts. Sometimes there is even a nice expense allowance, or you can deduct expenses such as travel expenses from your taxes. Of course, it’s all about doing something meaningful, but a small reward or periodic compensation is always nice. About 5.6 million Dutch people aged 18 and older do volunteer work. So about 44 percent of adults. Men do it more often in associations, especially in sports clubs, churches, mosques and musical associations. And women are more often informal volunteers: they volunteer at school or in care. Rural residents are proportionally more active than city dwellers. Higher educated people more often than lower educated people. And then married couples are more likely to volunteer than singles.
Volunteer work in combination with benefits
If you receive social assistance benefits, your municipality’s social services can even help you find volunteer work. Some municipalities offer incentive payments to people on benefits who work as volunteers.
If you have a WAO benefit and want to do volunteer work, that is also possible. Volunteer work can also be a good way to maintain work experience or gain new experiences. It is also a method to maintain your social contacts and make business contacts. But if you are looking for paid work, volunteer work should not stand in the way of your reintegration. And what is also important: not all work is volunteer work. That is why UWV must always assess whether the work you are going to do is indeed volunteer work. Therefore, always inform UWV if you want to do volunteer work.
Sometimes the volunteer receives an expense allowance for the work. The maximum expense allowance is €170 per month. The total amount may not exceed €1,700 per year. Travel costs are not included and are not included. There is also a maximum compensation per hour. If you are 21 years or older, you may not receive more than 4.50 per hour. Do you not receive more than €170 per month and €1,700 per year? Then this has no tax consequences.
Do you receive a higher expense allowance? Then the UWV assumes that you do paid work instead of volunteer work. The amount you then receive will be deducted from your benefit. If you receive unemployment benefits, your benefits will be reduced by the number of hours you spend on volunteer work each week.
Walt wants you and what can you do
- If you would like to get involved in some way, but you don’t know how yet, consult volunteerwerk.nl where you can take a nice test to see which activities suit you best.
- Would you like to set up a charity as a volunteer and raise the necessary funds for this? Then it is necessary to first set up a foundation or association. See Goededoelen.nl for the necessary information.
- You don’t yet know in which type of organization you want to work? then volunteerwerk.nl is also the right source of information, as here you will find all volunteer centers that mediate between supply and demand.
- If you feel like going abroad to offer your services there, for example during the holidays, you will also find all international addresses on the site mentioned.
On a ,job application, interview
An introductory meeting is the ideal opportunity to coordinate wishes and conditions. Consider the following possible discussion points:
- there is a training period and a notice period
- job description, what work, working hours
- guidance, what frequency and in what form
- expense reimbursement (fixed, variable)
- insurance, (liability)
- training options, (costs?)
- participation, authority relationship with any permanent employees
- dispute resolution
No salary or compensation
If the employer wishes this, she may give you a maximum of €170 per month (but not more than €1,700 per year) in expense reimbursement. Do you incur a lot of expenses for your volunteer work? Then agree that you will declare the actual costs and keep the receipts.
tax
If you do volunteer work for a Public Benefit Organization (ANBI) and you do not declare any costs you have incurred, these costs count as a donation for income tax purposes and are in principle (within certain limits) deductible from your income. You can think of travel costs, printer costs, meeting costs, etc
Directors personally liable
Anyone who is a volunteer board member in an association can be held personally liable for damage resulting from these board tasks. Even private assets are at risk. Even if it concerns an unjustified claim, you as a private individual may be confronted with high legal costs. Be well informed about the risk you run. There are even special director’s liability insurance policies.