Belgium to abolish the cost-sharing VAT exemption for Financial Services
Belgium will abolish the VAT exemption for cost-sharing associations (independent groups of persons) in the financial sector (banking – insurance). A draft law has been approved. This position follows the judgments of the CJEU cases DNB Banka (C-326/15) and Aviva (C-605/15) of 21 September 2017. The benefit of the exemption will be abolished as of
New Tax on Securities Accounts: Exemptions for the Financial Sector
On 5 January 2021, the Government published its bill introducing an annual tax on securities accounts in the Code of Various Duties and Taxes. As a recall, the tax is an annual tax on the holding of a securities account, levied at the rate of 0.15% on the average value of the account in excess
Proposal of 27 March 2019 introducing provisions on the basic banking service for companies in Book VII of the Economic Law Code
On 27 March 2019, a proposal of law was submitted in the Belgian Parliament aiming to introduce the basic banking service for companies. Similar provisions on the basic banking service already exist, but they only apply to consumers. The new provisions will be inserted in Book VII of the Economic Law Code. In practice, companies
Belgian Tax on Securities Accounts: a Practice Note provides further guidance
The Belgian tax administration has issued on 25 May 2018 a (welcomed) Practice Note providing further guidance regarding the Belgian Tax on Securities Accounts (BTSA). For recall, the BTSA applies to (foreign) individuals holding one or several (Belgian) securities accounts which totalized (on average) more than 500.000 euros during the reference period. In such a
Belgian tax reform: impact on the FS industry
On 26 July 2017, the Belgian federal government reached an agreement on an important corporate tax reform. The contemplated changes go far beyond corporate tax as they also have a direct impact on the taxation of financial products, hence on the FS industry in general. Wealth Management Belgian Tax on Savings Income (art. 19bis ITC)
Innovation income deduction, an opportunity for the financial sector!
The new corporate income tax regime labelled as ‘innovation income deduction’ (IID) is about to be enacted. Given its new scope of application, it opens new opportunities for the FS sector in Belgium. Indeed, the IID regime is now applicable to a broader range of intellectual property (IP) assets and, as such, could be of interest
Brexit: Financial Services Tax outlook
On Thursday 23 June 2016, a historic referendum on the UK’s membership of the EU was held, with the ‘Leave’ result announced the following day. The aftermath now requires careful consideration of the potential short and medium term scenarios the UK government could take in the following months and years and the potential effects each
