The mobility budget: new features

The mobility budget: new features

April 2022 – The "Law of 25 November 2021 organising the fiscal and social greening of mobility" has also introduced several changes to the mobility budget. It seems that this regulation has not been as successful as expected. The legislator intends to remedy this by further simplifying, making it a more flexible, sustainable means of transport and providing greater… ⟶

Share purchase price after a court decision

Share purchase price after a court decision

April 2022 – The Accounting Standards Committee (CNC/CBN) recently issued a statement on the accounting for an adjustment of the purchase price of shares in the context of a court decision. Is this an income or does it require a revision of the purchase price? Company A acquires a group of companies B. As is customary in this type… ⟶

Flemish renovation obligation for non-residential buildings

Flemish renovation obligation for non-residential buildings

April 2022 – Since 1 January 2022, there has been a "renovation" obligation in the Flemish Region when a non-residential building is transferred. This means that certain installations must be replaced within five years after the transfer. Also, within five years after the transfer, the facilities must meet specific minimum... ⟶

Charging stations: VAT regime

Charging stations: VAT regime

April 2022 – At the end of 2021, the legislator issued a law that aims to green our mobility, on the one hand, by abolishing the tax deduction for vehicles powered by fossil fuels and, on the other hand, by encouraging investments in C02 emission-free travel. Businesses benefit from an increased deduction for the installation of charging stations. Private individuals are… ⟶

Overtime and tax benefits: new limits

Overtime and tax benefits: new limits

April 2022 – In 2005, in the implementation of the interprofessional agreement, the government reduced the cost of shift work and overtime. For employees, it did so by means of a tax reduction. For employers, it has provided for an exemption from the obligation to pay the withholding tax to the Treasury. But there are limits to these tax benefits. ⟶

Does your contractor have debts to the NSSO or the tax authorities?

Does your contractor have debts to the NSSO or the tax authorities?

April 2022 – Companies and self-employed persons who use a contractor for construction work must ensure that the contractor does not have any debts to the NSSO or the tax authorities. If this is the case, a withholding obligation applies. You can easily check whether such a deduction is necessary by using this link. ⟶

Tax havens

Tax havens

April 2022 – When a company makes payments to persons or permanent establishments established in a tax haven, it must declare them. The administration has recently clarified what this means exactly... at least according to the tax authorities. If your company makes "direct or indirect" payments to persons or permanent establishments that are established in a… ⟶

The recovery reserve

The recovery reserve

March 2022 – The recovery reserve was introduced at the end of 2020 as part of the fight against the consequences of the coronavirus crisis. The legislator's intention is to strengthen the solvency and equity capital of companies affected by the crisis. The law on this recovery reserve was commented on by the tax authorities in mid-January. Companies have the… ⟶

Attempted theft can lead to dismissal for serious reasons

Attempted theft can lead to dismissal for serious reasons

March 2022 – Dismissal for serious reasons is an important decision. It follows a misconduct by the employee that ruins the trust placed in him by the employer and leads to the termination of the employment relationship without notice or compensation. No proportionality is required between the extent of the damage on the... ⟶

New thresholds for attachment or assignment from 1 January

New thresholds for attachment or assignment from 1 January

March 2022 – If an employee has debts, a creditor may approach his or her employer and ask him or her to pay part of the salary directly, without going through the employee. However, this attachment is subject to thresholds, which are indexed each year. Traditionally, a distinction is made between... ⟶

Remuneration ceilings: what are they and what purpose do they serve?

Remuneration ceilings: what are they and what purpose do they serve?

March 2022 – The application of certain labour law provisions depends on the remuneration of the employees concerned and on certain remuneration ceilings. These salary ceilings are adjusted annually. The amounts referred to in this article are the amounts for 2022. In which situations are earnings… ⟶

Renovation work on private dwellings: no VAT certificate

Renovation work on private dwellings: no VAT certificate

March 2022 – A private individual who renovates an older house can, under certain conditions, benefit from a reduced VAT rate. The client must usually confirm to the contractor that the house is sufficiently old. The contractor then issues a certificate to the client for the application of the reduced rate. This certificate will no longer… ⟶

Company cars: benefit in kind 2022

Company cars: benefit in kind 2022

March 2022 – When an employer provides a company car to an employee or a company director, the employee or company director is taxed on the resulting benefit. The calculation of the benefit depends, among other things, on the CO2 emission of the vehicle in relation to the average emission of the Belgian car fleet. In 2021, this average emission has fallen and your... ⟶

Employer's energy budget: no pasarán

Employer's energy budget: no pasarán

March 2022 – Last year, a major energy supplier suggested a fiscal engineering that allowed employers to offer free heating or free electricity to their employees. The employee was taxed on this benefit, but the tax base was much lower than the real value of the benefit. But the Minister of Finance recently objected. When an employer grants a… ⟶

A staff party in the age of the coronavirus

A staff party in the age of the coronavirus

March 2022 – For the past two years, virologists have strongly advised against the organisation of parties. In most cases, the government has put this advice into practice by banning large physical gatherings. Online parties were not - and still are not - as user-friendly, but they are allowed. What about tax? ⟶

What will it cost to file annual accounts in 2022?

What will it cost to file annual accounts in 2022?

March 2022 – In the first half of December, the National Bank of Belgium usually publishes the rates applicable for the publication of annual accounts for the following year. These rates are linked to the consumer price index, so that filing annual accounts will cost a few euros more in 2022 than in 2021. There are three mod… ⟶

Green mobility

Green mobility

March 2022 – The law organising the fiscal and social greening of mobility was published in the Belgian Official Journal on 3 December 2021. Even though some of the provisions will not come into force for a few years, it is important to take action in good time. The law consists of five main parts. The first part aims to encourage employers to green the cars they provide for their staff. ⟶

Less Flemish inheritance tax on "vriendenerfenis"

Less Flemish inheritance tax on "vriendenerfenis"

February 2022 – In mid-2021, Flanders introduced the 'vriendenerfenis' (friend inheritance). This technique allows you to leave part of your estate to non-family members or 'distant' relatives, without the taxman taking the lion's share. If you are making a will because you want to benefit certain people.... ⟶

Further relaxation of the rules on the assessment of secret commissions

Further relaxation of the rules on the assessment of secret commissions

February 2022 – If a company does not declare to whom it has paid certain sums, it must itself pay tax on these payments. This tax is not insignificant, but there are ways to avoid it. A new loophole was added to the list in mid-2021. As a company, if you pay a salary, a fee, a commission, etc… ⟶

Housing at the company's expense... sometimes yes, sometimes no

Housing at the company's expense... sometimes yes, sometimes no

February 2022 – The case law is not unequivocal: when a company owns a house and this house is used solely or mainly as accommodation for the manager, are the costs for this house deductible? The Court of Ghent recently ruled no, but at almost the same time the Court of Appeal of Ghent ruled yes. A man and a woman have... ⟶