Tax & Customs Museum Rotterdam
The Tax & Customs Museum is the national museum of the history of taxation in the Netherlands. Its display illustrates the historical development of tax laws and tax administration as well as the history of Dutch customs.
Since it started as a private collection in 1937, the Tax & Customs Museum has been renewed regularly and the last renovation in 2012, turned it into a modern museum of the twenty first century with many interactive displays: it is very much ‘hands on’. The museum visitor, who is also a tax payer, discovers the how & why of the Dutch tax system over many centuries. By visiting the museum the visitor will find answers to the questions: Why do I pay taxes? To whom do I pay taxes? And what are the sanctions if I don’t pay my taxes? The personal, everyday life of the museum visitor is the starting point of the presentation in the new Tax & Customs Museum. After a visit to the museum visitors will have a clear insight in the historical evolution of the Dutch tax system and the important role taxes play in everyday life and society.
The Netherlands Customs are part of the Tax Administration. As the museum is based in Rotterdam, the harbour, field of work for Dutch customs, is just around the corner. But the history of the borders with Germany and Belgium is also presented in the museum. Every year, two major exhibitions are organized. Educational programs are run throughout the year. The museum’s collection of artefacts and works of art illustrates the evolution of one of the cornerstones of the Dutch society: taxes & customs.
