COVID-19

Whilst homeworking is no longer the norm in Belgium, a number of employees who work abroad remain unable to return to their workplace.

On Friday 12 February 2021, the Inner Cabinet agreed to extend a comprehensive package of support measures until the end of June 2021. The Inner Cabinet also announced a number of additional support measures.

From Monday 2 November, our country will enter another, stricter lockdown period. This will be accompanied by various new and far-reaching measures. The proposals include a generous range of support measures for entrepreneurs in the catering industry and other sectors.

Do you usually work abroad, but have you worked mainly from home in the past few months due to the coronavirus? Under normal circumstances, this would mean that you now had to pay tax and social security contributions in Belgium instead of your country of employment. To prevent this, two measures were created. These measures have now been extended through 31 December 2020.

Many companies have resumed activities in the past few months. Such relaunches are not always straight-forward, however. Numerous measures and constantly changing legislation make it hard to determine the precise requirements. This can lead to unpleasant surprises in the event of an inspection. Now that the chance of an inspector dropping by is increasing likely, it is best to be well-prepared.

The federal government has taken a number of far-reaching measures in an effort to limit the economic consequences of the pandemic. One of these measures is the option to deduct losses in advance, known as a carry-back. In a previous article, we discussed the application of the corporate early tax loss carry-back. The current article delves more deeply into the early loss carry-back for personal income tax.

This summer’s second COVID-19 wave occurred sooner than expected. This has led to the implementation of various stricter measures. The government also took the opportunity to reconsider support measures for SMEs and companies. So, what support measures can you still rely on today? We have explored your options.

The one-off investment deduction is an extra deduction that companies (SMEs and self-employed persons) can enjoy on top of the ordinary write-off. This can be done specifically for new, professional investments that are depreciable over a period of at least 3 years.

A common discussion during tax audits concerns the classification of costs related to the organisation of a particular event. Entrepreneurs organise events to highlight their products and services to customers and prospects with the aim of boosting sales.

Enterprises that were forced to put one or more employees fully on furlough during the coronavirus crisis can now make use of a temporary partial withholding tax exemption. The Chamber approved this legislative proposal on 9 July 2020.

The coronavirus pandemic has greatly affected this country’s labour market. The easing of the rules on temporary unemployment due to force majeure is intended to give companies the breathing room they need until the summer and to prevent dismissals. What if these dismissals prove unavoidable, however?

For many businesses, the repercussions of the corona crisis may be felt for a long time to come. The House has consequently approved a bill that permits the early deduction of corona losses from taxation. Indeed, companies can now advance the deduction of such estimated corona losses by offsetting them against the taxes liable in the previous financial year. An overview of this carryback scheme is provided below.

In the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, the authorities introduced a system of temporary unemployment due to coronavirus force majeure. This easing of the rules was intended to offer companies some financial breathing room and prevent dismissals. Though initially, an employee’s notice period continued while on furlough as usual, the legislators have now decided to suspend this period until the employee has resumed work. Who will be affected by this new law?

Last week the Belgian federal cabinet’s ‘Superkern’ again approved a series of additional measures from the third phase of the Federal Plan for Social and Economic Protection. There are two sets of measures, focusing on stimulating investment on the one hand and the organisation of work on the other. In the first phase on 6 June, the ‘Superkern’ already agreed to a previous series of additional measures.

This week, the Flemish Government decided to extend the duration of the corona nuisance premium for entrepreneurs who have been obliged to keep their business closed for a while longer. An additional compensation premium will also be paid to entrepreneurs who have suffered a large loss of turnover.

Last week the Belgian federal cabinet’s ‘Superkern’ agreed to a series of additional measures from the third phase of the Federal Plan for Social and Economic Protection. These measures are intended to shore up the purchasing power of vulnerable groups and help boost the economy.

The coronavirus is having a huge impact on the workplace, both in the short and long term. From the very beginning of the lockdown, companies were forced to organise their operations in a more flexible way. For many employers, this was also the impetus for adopting more structured and sustainable flexible working practices for the future. What can your company do to facilitate a flexible workforce both during and after corona? And which operational and personal requirements must you consider? We provide an overview below.

Under certain conditions, companies may qualify for a subsidy to help with costs for business-related travel abroad or participation in foreign trade fairs that cannot be recuperated due to the coronavirus.

The Walloon Region has established a compensation premium for Walloon enterprises that do not qualify for the coronavirus premium. This compensation premium amounts to EUR 2,500. Applicants are subject to the following conditions:

It took a while, but on 14 May the Brussels Capital government finally announced the application conditions for its EUR 2,000 support premium. It should be possible to apply for this compensation in early June.

Many Belgian employees, who normally work full or part-time in the Netherlands, must presently work from home. Working from home can have negative repercussions in terms of pay, which is currently taxable in Belgium. Belgium has consequently concluded an agreement with the Netherlands to address this issue.

The coronavirus epidemic is seriously affecting the turnover of many companies and sole traders. Unfortunately, there is no insurance coverage available to compensate for such loss at this time. As an entrepreneur, however, it is possible to insure yourself against loss of turnover due to your own absence as a business manager.

An increasing number of construction companies realise projects abroad. Even though these concern Belgian companies executing projects using a Belgian workforce, it can have significant repercussions abroad. The implications of the ongoing corona crisis should also not be overlooked.

Working from home is not so straightforward for today’s employees. Combining work and family life is not an easy exercise. To support families, the Cabinet approved a corona parental leave policy last weekend. But what exactly does this entail? And how can you apply for corona parental leave? We list the key principles for your convenience.

On 2 May, the Cabinet decided to temporarily reduce the VAT rate for face masks and hydroalcoholic gels from 21% to 6%. This reduced rate applies to supplies, imports and intra-Community acquisitions from 4 May 2020 up to and including 31 December 2020.

Meeting in times of corona is anything but obvious. However, every year the spring months are the top months when it comes to general assemblies. Many companies and associations are currently experiencing practical difficulties in organizing these general assemblies. How to bring together shareholders or members while respecting the rules of social distancing but without affecting their respective rights? Our experts conducted the investigation for you.

Flemish enterprises and self-employed workers to whom the nuisance premium for mandatory closure was granted until the 5th of April 2020, will automatically receive further compensation of 160 euros per mandatory closure day for the subsequent period.

After the Flemish Region, the Government of the Brussels-Capital Region also introduced additional support measures for companies affected by the Covid-19 virus. The exact terms for these measures are currently being defined. Below you will find an overview of the announced measures.

Cyber criminals are active, even during the corona crisis. In recent weeks, an increasing number of phishing emails have been sent around the world. These often exploit the coronavirus and other topical events. But how can you recognise a phishing email?

The National Security Council resolutions agreed on March 17, 2020 in the context of combatting coronavirus, have resulted in numerous mandatory measures for businesspersons and companies. These prevention measures are essential for enabling the continuance of company operations.