Dutch software on a Mac: tax returns, DigiD, banking, bookkeeping and more

If you live in the Netherlands and you’re thinking about a Mac, the worry usually isn’t Office or Photoshop. Everyone knows those work. The question is: can I still file my Dutch tax return, log in with DigiD, do my banking, keep my books and check my kid’s grades in Magister? Those are very Dutch things, and good information in English is hard to find. This whitepaper is part of the series Mac and the rest of the world, about the friction between a Mac and everything that isn’t made by Apple. I go through the common Dutch software and services and tell you for each one whether it runs natively on a Mac, in the browser, or only through Windows. Everything was checked in October 2026, on macOS Golden Gate (macOS 27) on an Apple silicon Mac. Where I couldn’t confirm something with the vendor myself, I say so.

The good news first

Almost everything a normal household or a Dutch freelancer (zzp’er) needs now runs in a browser. The tax office, DigiD, MijnOverheid, the big banks and the popular online bookkeeping packages all work fine in Safari, Chrome or Firefox on a Mac. The problems are mostly with older Windows programs you install locally: some bookkeeping packages, practice software in healthcare, point of sale systems and building software like Revit. For those you need a workaround.

Belastingdienst: filing your tax return on a Mac

The Belastingdienst (Dutch Tax Administration) used to offer a downloadable tax program, including a Mac version. That’s gone. For the 2025 income tax return, filed in 2026, the Belastingdienst lists exactly three ways: online through Mijn Belastingdienst, with the Aangifte Inkomstenbelasting app, or on paper. You can’t download the paper form; you order it by phone. Business owners have to file online.

On a Mac that simply means Mijn Belastingdienst in your browser. You log in with DigiD and fill everything in in Safari. Nothing to install. Moved to or from the Netherlands during the year? Then you file the M form, which is also online for recent years.

The tax app is meant for phones and tablets and works together with the DigiD app on the same device. I couldn’t confirm whether the iPhone app can be installed on an Apple silicon Mac. You don’t need it anyway: the browser version can do more, since the app only handles simple situations.

Running a business? VAT returns and other business taxes go through Mijn Belastingdienst Zakelijk, also in the browser. With a sole proprietorship (eenmanszaak) you log in with DigiD. With a BV or other legal entity you need eHerkenning, level 3 for VAT returns. Many online bookkeeping packages can also file your VAT return directly through a link with the Belastingdienst.

DigiD: now also a Mac app

This is the biggest news of the autumn. Since late September 2026, the DigiD app is also available for the Mac, through the App Store. You no longer have to scan a QR code on your screen with your phone. When you log in, you choose the DigiD app, then On this device, and confirm with your PIN or Touch ID. The Mac version needs macOS 15 or later and only runs on Apple silicon Macs. On an Intel Mac you’re still using your phone.

The Dutch government presents this as a solution for people without a smartphone. I couldn’t fully confirm how you activate the Mac app if you have no phone at all, or whether an ID check is part of that. The ID check with your passport or ID card needs a device with an NFC reader, and a Mac doesn’t have one. So check the activation steps on digid.nl before you assume you can put your phone away.

MijnOverheid, the government’s personal portal with your message box, works in the browser with DigiD.

Banking

All major Dutch banks support online banking on a Mac. The pattern is the same everywhere: the website works in Safari or Chrome, but to log in and approve payments you almost always need the bank’s app on your phone, or a separate card reader.

• ING. Mijn ING works in the browser. You confirm your login with the ING app on your phone. Without a smartphone you can use the ING Scanner.
• Rabobank. You log in on your computer by scanning a QR code with the Rabo App. You register your browser once. The Rabo Scanner still exists for people who bank without a smartphone, and the bank may still ask for it for large amounts.
• ABN AMRO. Explicitly supports every macOS version Apple still maintains and the latest two versions of Safari, Chrome, Firefox and Edge. You log in with the app, the e.dentifier or a security key.
• ASN Bank. SNS and RegioBank have been merged into ASN Bank. Online banking works in the browser. Which app and login method you use depends on when your account was moved over: check with the bank.

Some features only live in the app, like sending a payment request, blocking your card or setting up notifications. None of these banks has a separate Mac app.

Bookkeeping and payroll

This is where packages differ most. Most are online and work on any Mac. A few are classic Windows software.

• SnelStart. There are two versions. SnelStart Web runs in the browser and supports Safari. SnelStart 12, the full program, can’t be installed on a Mac according to SnelStart itself. For Mac users SnelStart offers SnelStart 12 Plus, an online environment where the Windows program runs for you. The SnelStart app works on a Mac with an M1 chip or newer.
• AFAS Profit. AFAS doesn’t formally support the Mac, but Profit runs in the browser and Safari is on its list of supported browsers. Older setups run through Citrix, and Citrix works on a Mac.
• Moneybird, e-Boekhouden.nl, Jortt, Exact Online, Twinfield, Yuki, Informer. All online packages you use in the browser. None has its own Mac app, though they do have phone or tablet apps. I couldn’t find a current official browser list for Exact Online and Twinfield, so check with the vendor whether Safari is supported. Chrome is the safe choice.
• Nmbrs and Loket.nl for payroll are online platforms too. I found no official Mac requirements: check with the vendor.

Healthcare, schools, signing and construction

Healthcare software

GP systems (HIS), patient record systems for physiotherapists and billing software are often older Windows programs. Many practices run them centrally and you work in them through Citrix or remote desktop. Citrix Workspace and Windows App (for remote desktop) both exist for the Mac. Whether your system and your IT partner support that differs per practice. Ask your vendor and IT provider beforehand; this is patient data.

Schools

Magister and Somtoday, the systems Dutch secondary schools use for grades, schedules and homework, are web applications and work in the browser on a Mac. They also have phone and tablet apps. Microsoft Teams, used by many schools, has a regular Mac app. If your child’s school uses exam software that must be installed locally, ask the school whether there’s a Mac version.

Electronic signing and eHerkenning

eHerkenning, the business login for Dutch government services, works in the browser, with confirmation by text message or your eHerkenning provider’s app on your phone. Signing services like DocuSign, ValidSign and Signicat run in the browser. The exception is anything using a USB token or card reader: check with the vendor whether the drivers support macOS.

Point of sale

Modern POS systems often run on an iPad or in the cloud and fit well with a Mac. Older POS software is often Windows only and tied to specific receipt printers and payment terminals. Check with your vendor.

Construction and engineering

Autodesk Revit doesn’t exist for the Mac, and that’s not going to change. On an Apple silicon Mac you run it in Windows 11 on Arm through Parallels Desktop, which is workable for small and medium models. Large projects get tight. AutoCAD does have a Mac version, and Archicad and Vectorworks are full Mac programs. Archicad 29 runs natively on Apple silicon.

The overview

What if something only runs on Windows?

You have three options. First, ask the vendor whether there’s a web version or a hosted version, like SnelStart 12 Plus. That’s usually the easiest route. Second, run Windows 11 on Arm in Parallels Desktop on your Mac. Most Windows programs run fine there through emulation, but programs that need their own driver, for a card reader, dongle or receipt printer, can be trouble. Third, use a Windows PC in the cloud, like Windows 365, which you connect to from your Mac. How all that works is explained in Windows apps on your Mac.

Deciding: can you switch?

• You only handle personal matters (taxes, DigiD, banking, school): go ahead and switch. It all works in the browser.
• You’re a freelancer with an online bookkeeping package: no problem either. Just check which browser your package recommends.
• You use a locally installed Windows package like SnelStart 12: first see if there’s a web or hosted version. Otherwise, add Parallels and a Windows licence to your costs.
• You work in healthcare, run a shop till or use Revit: sort it out properly beforehand with your vendor and IT partner. That’s where the real traps are.

Step-by-step plan

1. List every program and website you use in a normal month. Include things you do once a year, like your tax return and closing your books.
2. For each one, note whether it’s a website or something you install. Anything in the browser is usually fine.
3. For each installed program, look up the vendor’s system requirements. Search for “systeemeisen” (Dutch for system requirements) together with “Mac” or “macOS”.
4. Look at connected hardware: card readers, USB tokens, receipt printers, payment terminals, scanners. Ask whether there are Mac drivers.
5. Check your login methods. Do you have the DigiD app, your banking app and eHerkenning if needed working on your phone? Consider the DigiD app on your Mac too.
6. For whatever’s left, choose a route: web version, hosted version, Parallels or Windows 365.
7. Test before you switch. Many packages have a trial period, and so does Parallels.
8. Keep your old Windows PC around for a few months, until you’ve done everything you normally do at least once.

When you’re ready to make the move, Switching to a Mac helps with the rest: files, passwords and habits.

And with Apple?

Apple does little for Dutch software, and it doesn’t need to: most of it has moved to the browser. Safari handles the login methods of the government and the banks well. With an iPhone you always have your DigiD app and banking app at hand, and with the new DigiD app on the Mac you log in with Touch ID. Keep Rosetta 2 in mind, though: macOS 27 is the last version with full support for Intel apps. If you still rely on an old Intel program, like an older download program or a card reader driver, look for a replacement now.

This whitepaper describes the situation in October 2026, with macOS Golden Gate (macOS 27) on an Apple silicon Mac. Dutch vendors update their system requirements regularly. Where it says “check with the vendor”, I couldn’t confirm it myself. When in doubt, always check the vendor’s website before you make a decision.

This article is part of the Mac and the rest of the world series, where you’ll find every part in one place.