Junior finance minister Erik Wiebes said on Wednesday he will look again at a voluntary redundancy package offered by the tax office which is proving far more successful than anticipated.

The department wants to cut 4,800 jobs and use the money to invest in IT. But according to current estimates, the package will lead to 8,000 job cuts by 2023, leaving the department struggling to carry out its duties.

By April, 4,200 people had signed up for the deal, the AD said at the time. The ruling was introduced at the beginning of February.

The payout, a maximum €75,000, is based on length of service and current salary. Unions say the success of the offer has raised concerns that too many well-qualified staff want to leave and that the jobs are being cut too quickly. The aim had been to phase in the redundancies between now and 2023.