Toezichtkosten

Toezichtkosten are the fees charged by regulatory authorities to organizations that are subject to supervision to cover the costs of supervision, enforcement, licensing and related oversight activities. They are intended to fund public supervision and to prevent the costs from falling entirely on taxpayers, allowing the industry to share the burden of regulation.

In the Netherlands, the main regulators are De Nederlandsche Bank (DNB) and the Autoriteit Financiële Markten (AFM). They levy toezichtkosten on banks, insurers, asset managers, investment firms, payment institutions and other financial service providers, as well as for licensing processes and supervisory activities. The exact amounts and the structure of the fees are typically defined by law and published in annual fee notices or regulatory documents.

Calculation and collection of toezichtkosten: Costs are generally assessed annually and can be divided into fixed and variable components. The calculation often depends on factors such as the organization's size, risk profile, complexity, the scope of supervised activities, and the intensity of supervision required. Invoices may be issued directly to the supervised entities, with payment deadlines or instalment options. In some cases, fees are integrated into licensing charges or annual supervisory charges.

Use and implications: The funds collected through toezichtkosten support the regulator’s activities, including inspections, licensing, market surveillance, enforcement actions, data collection and policy development. For supervised entities, these costs represent ongoing compliance expenditure. Critics note that high or volatile fees can affect smaller firms more; authorities may review fee schedules to improve proportionality, transparency, and cost-efficiency.