Belgian Ruling Commission confirms tax-free crypto gainsIn the absence of a legal framework and a regulatory body controlling crypto assets in Belgium, we need to rely on the existing general tax and accounting principles. Considering the lack of specific tax rules, a...

Did you forget to file your 2020 Belgian tax return on time ? The tax authorities have announced this week that the online filing system (Tax-on-web) for both the 2020 resident and non-resident tax return (income year 2019) will be closed on April 1, 2021. This means...

New reporting requirement for foreign real estate: homeowners beware! We recently announced that as from income year 2021 (tax year 2022) onwards, new rules apply to Belgian tax residents owning foreign real estate. Resident taxpayers need to report their worldwide...

How is a referral bonus taxed in Belgium ? A referral bonus is an incentive given by a company to motivate its employees (or third parties) to recruit candidates from within their professional network. This practice is common among those seeking specific profiles that...

Are director fees paid by a UAE company tax exempt in Belgium ? In a decision of 15 September 2020 (Nr. 2019/AR/579), the Court of Appeal in Antwerp provides some further clarification on the concept of ‘tax relief’ as stipulated in the double taxation agreement (DTA)...

When do COVID-19 working days qualify for the foreign travel exclusion ?If you have an approved expat status, you are only taxed in Belgium on the salary earned for actual work performed in the country. Therefore, remuneration that relates to activities performed...

Administrative tolerance for expats unable to travel to BelgiumThe formal request for the expat tax status needs to be submitted to the tax office normally within 6 months as from the 1st day of the month following the start date of employment or secondment in Belgium...

Does the tax office know what is on your bank accounts ? Although we have no formal banking secrecy, every bank in Belgium has a duty of confidentiality to its clients. To a certain extent, it is generally accepted that this duty is not applicable in dealings with the...

New tax rules in the making for foreign real estate We have covered this topic already back in April 2018 and January 2019. On 12 November 2020, the European Court of Justice (ECJ) imposed a lump-sum fine of €2 million and a daily penalty of €7,500 for each day that...