De Wever I – Federal government agreement – Main considerations from a tax perspective
Further to the new Belgian federal government agreement which was reached on 31 January 2025, various new tax measures and related changes can be expected soon. Hereafter we will provide you with a (non-exhaustive) overview of the key changes included in said agreement. Note that all of these announced measures can still be subject to
New Belgian Federal Government Agreement and Upcoming Tax Reform and its impact on Entrepreneurship & Economic Climate in Belgium
On January 31, 2025, Belgium presented a new federal government agreement announcing major tax policy changes that will affect entrepreneurship and competitiveness. Some first key highlights based on the info currently available: Competitiveness: labour costs for low and middle incomes will be reduced, but the impact might be mitigated due to updated compensation practices related
New withholding tax exemption for variable shifts adopted in Parliament
On 3 May 2024, the Belgian Parliament adopted the law concerning the new exemption of withholding tax for shift work with variable shifts. The law introduces the “variant bis”, aiming to ensure clarity and legal security, mitigating recent judicial decisions that restricted the definition of qualifying shift. For more information, we refer to our previous
End of the “old” special tax regime for expatriates: key changes starting January 2024
As of January 2024, the special tax regime applicable to certain expatriates in Belgium under the administrative tolerance (i.e. Circulaire n°Ci.RH.624/325.294 dd august 08.1983) has come to an end. If you are an expatriate who was in scope of the ‘old’ special tax regime until the end of December 2023, it is crucial to understand
R&D Wage withholding tax exemption – Strict interpretation of start dates confirmed in case law leading to altered interpretation of fiscal authorities
The tax audits with respect to the application of the partial withholding tax exemption for research and development with respect to income year 2021 are ongoing. With recent case law on the subject, two critical elements should be considered during these types of audit. Upfront notification with Belspo Recent case law of the Belgian Court
Tax Treaty concluded between Belgium and Luxembourg – The 24-day limit officially becomes the 34-day limit
In line with the OECD Model Convention, the treaty for the avoidance of double taxation concluded between Belgium and Luxembourg applies the ‘Work State’ principle. This means that a resident of a country working in another country is taxable in the country where the activity is performed. The Work State principle implies that a Belgian
European Commission temporarily relaxes State Aid measures in support of the Green Deal Industrial Plan
The European Commission has approved new measures via the Temporary Crisis and Transition Framework (TCTF) in support of the transition towards a net-zero economy. The Commission’s goal is to speed up investment and financing for clean tech production within the Union which, in turn, supports the European Green Deal as well as delivering on specific
Formal adoption of the EU Directive on ensuring a global minimum level of taxation
What has happened? The EU Member States have reached an agreement to implement Pillar 2 to ensure a global minimum taxation for large groups. Political support is confirmed now that Pillar 2 has been enshrined legislatively in an EU Directive which was adopted unanimously by all EU Member States. The Directive should be implemented into
