One-man businesses

In an increasingly globalized world, more and more self-employed people feel the need to work internationally. However, it is important to understand that there are complex tax implications when working as a self-employed person abroad. We take a brief look at income tax, VAT and social security.

In only a few more weeks, the current year will come to an end. Perhaps your employees have not yet taken their full holiday allowance, especially if they were temporarily unemployed due to the Covid pandemic this year. What happens to such leftover holiday allowance? Must it be used up, carried over to the next year or paid out by the employer?

From 2023 there is a new procedure for ‘mixed’ and ‘partial’ taxpayers who want to base their VAT deduction on actual use. Amongst other things, prior notification is now required. We provide you with an overview.

On 10th November a new law about transparent and predictable working conditions came into force, which was the transposition of a European directive. This law stipulates that specific information of an individual or collective nature has to be provided. The law also provides for a number of new minimum requirements in respect of working conditions for employees. We would like to explain it to you.

In principle, all employees must take all their statutory holiday days before the end of the year. If they fail to do so, they lose those days. The days that they do not take must not be transferred or paid out. But what if an employee was unable to take all of his or her holiday days because of certain circumstances?

Last week, the authorities published a new law containing various provisions on incapacity for work. Among other things, the law stipulates that up to three times per calendar year, employees are not obliged to present a medical certificate for their first day of incapacity for work. This article briefly explains to what extent this law is applicable to all companies and how a company may deviate.

The VVPRbis (reduced tax) scheme allows certain companies to pay dividends subject to a lower rate of tax at source (withholding tax). Where the normal rate of tax on dividends would normally be 30%, businesses that fall under the VVPRbis scheme can apply a reduced rate of 15% or 20%.

On 1 July 2022, the Belgian Official Gazette published the Law of 28 April 2022 containing Book 1 “General Provisions” of the Civil Code. These provisions stipulate that working days are all days other than public holidays, Sundays and Saturdays. The law enters into force on 1 January 2023, meaning that from this date, Saturday is no longer considered a normal working day.

In June 2022 the Council of Ministers approved a preliminary draft bill which includes an exemption of employees’ obligation to present a doctor’s note for their first day of inability to work up to three times per calendar year. A doctor’s note remains required if it is the employee’s fourth sickness absence or they are off sick for longer than one day.