R&D wage withholding tax exemption – Practical implications of the stringent implementation by tax authorities partly clarified. Your action required by August 1st, 2023
Executive summary: The new position of the Belgian tax authorities regarding the notification of R&D programs and projects to Belspo is requiring a more proactive and detailed reporting As a result, the existing Belspo procedure of annual updates is temporarily abandoned in favor of multi-year applications including relevant R&D information Applicants are advised to update
Carried interest structured via stock option plan – no taxation as professional income at exercise of the option as per Belgian Court
A Belgian Court annulled the tax assessment levied by the Belgian tax authorities regarding carried interest income structured via the means of an option plan. The Belgian tax authorities claimed the setup was fraudulent and simulated and therefore the income gained at exercise of the options should be taxable as employment income. On 27 February
2023 proxy season – Belgian Companies brace for Shareholder Vote on Remuneration Policy
Belgian companies are gearing up for their annual general meetings and preparing for the vote on their remuneration policy and report, as mandated by the revised shareholder directive (SRD II). This vote, known as “say on pay,” allows shareholders to have a say in the company’s remuneration policy and report. Under the SRD II, companies
Pay transparency is coming! How to get it right?
On 30 March 2023, the European Parliament adopted the Pay Transparency Directive with the aim of eliminating the gender pay gap by providing workers with access to information necessary to assess whether they are being paid fairly compared to other workers in the same organization. The directive also introduces enforcement mechanisms enabling workers to claim
Possible important amendments to the stock option legislation and the introduction of a specific tax regime for free shares
A government proposal regarding new legislation with respect to stock options and stock plans was announced in the Belgian press last week. Below you can find a short overview of the proposed changes with some initial high-level reflections. It is however important to note that no texts are currently available and that it is currently
Benefit in kind – Private use of a company car: updated formula for 2023
The Royal Decree implementing the new reference CO2 emission for calculating the taxable benefit in kind for the private use of a company car in the hands of company directors and employees has been published in the Official Gazette on 16 December 2022. For income year 2023, the following CO2 emission will be applied to
The directive on pay transparency: what you need to know
The Pay Transparency Directive has been adopted by the European Council, but still needs to be voted on by the European Parliament. It aims to eliminate the gender pay gap by empowering workers to access the necessary information to assess whether they are paid in a non-discriminatory manner compared to other workers in the same
PwC’s Workforce Podcast – The 2022 Labour Deal
The 2022 Labour Deal The Chamber of Representatives has voted the Belgian government’s 2022 Labour Deal into law: a set of labour market reforms that introduce increased flexibility and redeployment measures. The goal of these reforms is twofold: improve employees’ work-life balance and increase the employment rate in Belgium to 80% by 2030. Listen to
