In Belgium, the tax return is a tax return for the whole family. Parents file jointly and declare their children’s income, unless they receive maintenance or had a student job. Filing jointly or separately? Spouses and registered partners (in Belgium they are called legal cohabitants / wettelijke samenwonenden) don’t get to choose whether they file jointly or separately. Couples who live together but have not …
Tax Return: is this your first time?
If this is the first time you file a tax return, here are a few things you need to know. The first time, you will receive a brown envelope with a tax return and some documents to help you file (see Filing on Paper). but you will be encouraged to access your online tax return (tax-on-web) and activate you online mailbox “my e-box” for all …
2022 Tax Return: the Guide
Post Covid, many of us have gone back to work with no desire to be back full time. We all have more or less enjoyed working from home and the government is trying to make life a bit easier with some tax measures (see “Taxes in Corona Times”). It sounds worse than it is. 40% of all the taxpayers fill out less than ten codes. …
Condolences, or is it congratulations for you?
Your mother who was living in New Zealand passed away and you inherited a nice sum of money. You want to bring this back to Belgium. Is any inheritance tax due? You sold your share of the family farm in Kansas and you made a nice capital gain, you paid capital gains tax in the US, is any capital gains tax due in Belgium? You …
Non-doms, what’s in a name
By a bizarre twist of events, while Rishi Sunak, the Chancellor of the Exchequer introduced an increase of the national insurance contributions, it came to light that his wife, Akshata Murthy has non domicile status and avoids an estimated ÂŁ20 million in taxes in the United Kingdom. She is the daughter of N. R. Narayana Murthy, the founder of the Indian IT multinational Infosys, and …
TEP-talks
EU officials: An Introduction to Taxes 21 April 2022 @ 18:00 The tax status of an EU official is governed by the articles 12 and 13 of the Protocol (No 7) on the Privileges and Immunities of the European Union.Article 12 states that the remuneration they receive from the European Institutions is exempt from national taxes in the Member States. The exemption of the remuneration paid by the international institutions …
Hosting Ukrainian refugees, and taxes?
On 23 March 2022, The Belgian Federal Service for Finance has issued clarifications on the tax consequences of hosting Ukrainian refugees who have fled their country following the invasion by Russia. The main clarifications are Hosting refugees at home (for free!) does not impact the tax regime of your home. An owner-occupied house continues to be fully tax exempt for income tax purposes. Moreover, the …
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The tax deduction for alimony payments
The Court of Justice of the European Union has rendered a decision that will give more non-residents a personal allowance, an allowance for dependent children and the right to deduct the alimony or maintenance they pay. Belgian residents can deduct 80% of the alimony or maintenance payments they made during the year (Article 104 ITC 1992 if they meet the conditions following conditions : they …
Bringing back the bitcoins
In recent months, there have been reports in the press about the problems investors in crypto currencies have transferring their gains to their bank accounts. Not only gains from crypto platforms, but also large-ish inheritances or sales of properties abroad are monitored with questions about the origin of the money, and if no acceptable answer is given, a freeze of the assets. Cryptocurrencies pose a …
Belgium replaces its Expatriate Tax Regime by an Inpatriate Tax Regime
Belgium has introduced an inpatriate tax regime starting from 2022 that will phase out the expatriate tax regime. The new rules must give the tax regime the legal certainty that the 1983 tax regime lacked while promoting Belgium to foreign investors and enable international companies to post or recruit qualified personnel at an acceptable and competitive cost. The 1983 expatriate tax regime Foreign executives have …