Tax deadline for Belgian self-employed

29 July 2004

BRUSSELS – Friday 30 July is the final deadline for self-employed workers to file their tax returns, the Belgian government warned on Thursday.

Finance Minister Didier Reynders extended the usual deadline by a month to encourage people to make their tax returns on the internet – more than 110,000 individuals have already used www.taxonweb.be to do this.

Accountant Anthony Florizoone told La Libre Belgique that even filing a tax return on July 31 could be considered by a finicky tax inspector to be late.

Businessmen and women who file a tax return through an accountant, a tax expert or a lawyer can return their forms later, by 31 October.

Anyone who cannot complete the form in time should phone their local tax inspector and explain the reason why they needed extra time.

Contact numbers are in the phone book or on the tax form itself.

Florizoone said individuals should then send a letter of confirmation stating the new deadline they have been granted.

The authorities can take action against anyone who doesn’t respect the deadline of 30 July, with or without permission.

This could involve an inspector levying tax automatically and it would later be up to the taxpayer to prove he or she had been charged too much.

A self-employed person making a late or incorrect tax return could be hit with a 10 percent tax increase and repeat offenders or anyone intentionally defrauding the system might even have to pay 200 percent more.

Subject: Belgian news