Update COVID-19 and cross-border employment: agreements with Germany and the Netherlands extended
As announced in our previous newsflashes, Belgium has concluded several agreements with almost all of our neighboring countries (i.e. Germany, the Netherlands, France and Luxembourg). These agreements implement a mutual force majeure tolerance for cross-border employees in relation to the COVID-19 (travel) restrictions. Based on the specific Belgian-German agreement of 6 May 2020, if certain
Update – Fast Track Ruling – Homeworking (Expense Allowance)
We refer to our newsflash of 19 March on the implementation of the Fast Track Ruling (Fast Track Ruling – Homeworking, Expense Allowance). On 29 May, the Rulings Office (Dienst Voorafgaande Beslissingen in Fiscale Zaken/Services des Décisions anticipées en Matières Fiscales) published on its website a new COVID-19 application model document that has been slightly adjusted
Update COVID-19 and cross-border employment: agreement between Belgium and Luxembourg on home working
As highlighted in our previous newsflashes, Belgium has recently concluded mutual agreements with the Netherlands, Germany and France regarding a “force majeure” approach for cross-border workers. An agreement with Luxembourg was still missing. However, the Belgian government has now published the Belgian-Luxembourg agreement recognising the ‘force majeure’ character of the COVID-19 health crisis and introducing
COVID-19: impact on the expatriate tax regime in Belgium
Even though national containment measures, to flatten the curve and ultimately stop the further spreading of the coronavirus, are gradually being phased out by many countries and we can even start to see a silver lining, the COVID-19 pandemic has a major impact on how people and organisations are functioning today and how they will
Update COVID-19 and cross-border employment: agreement between Belgium and France on home working
The exceptional COVID-19 situation resulted in various government introduced measures which are themselves also exceptional and which are aiming to combat the spread of the coronavirus. Measures such as international travel restrictions, quarantine and lockdown (in whatever form or degree), also impact international business travel and prevent cross-border workers from carrying out their professional activities
Update COVID-19 and cross-border employment: Belgium reaches agreement on “force majeure” tolerance for cross-border workers with Germany
As described in our newsflash of 7 May 2020, Belgium has reached an agreement with the Netherlands on a more general force majeure approach. And things are still moving forward. Recently Belgium has concluded a mutual agreement with Germany concerning the situation of cross border workers working from home in the context of the COVID-19
Parliamentary Committee approves corona tax measures
Next to the impact on human health and lives, the COVID-19 pandemic also has a worldwide economic impact. Businesses are being impacted, the economy slows down and families have less purchasing power. In Belgium, the latter is compensated to a certain extent by temporary employment due to force majeure. This week, various measures have been
COVID-19 and cross-border employment: Belgium reaches agreement on “force majeure” tolerance for cross-border workers with the Netherlands
International travel restrictions and COVID-19 lock down measures, imposed by governments during the coronacrisis in order to “flatten the curve”, are pushing cross-border workers into a continuous home working scenario for many weeks now. Working days abroad are no longer an option. As stated by the OECD guidance, exceptional circumstances call for an exceptional level
