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✎ EN Tax Advice in Belgium
    

Discussion in 'Belgium' started by Tax&Residency, Jan 28, 2013.

  1. Tax&Residency

    Tax&Residency Member

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    I am an Indian citizen currently living in France but considering a move to Belgium. I need specific tax advice in Belgium - if I were to move there and live on my foreign sourced Investment Income then do I have to pay any taxes in Belgium at all? All my income is from rented properties and some interest on bank deposits all in India as well as capital gains from time to time when I buy and sell properties. I read somewhere that foreign sourced passive income is not taxed in Belgium. Can I live in Belgium foever like this and become a Belgian citizen as well but not be taxed on my foreign sourced income at all - I am already paying full taxes in my country on all my income. If

    What if I were to invest a bit in Belgium and create some income there as well either passive income or by starting a business then do I only pay belgian taxes on my locally sourced Income? Hope someone can answer this for me...Thanks!!
     
    #1 Tax&Residency, Jan 28, 2013
  2. Cyrilexpat

    Cyrilexpat Administrator
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    I cannot advise you on Belgium tax law. However this is true that capital income and gain are lightly taxed in Belgium (a sort of tax heaven denounced by many in the EU). However I doubt very much that you'll be able to live entirely without paying any tax (as I doubt that you will be able to become a Belgium citizen mainly to avoid tax).

    If you were running a business in Belgium, I assume you would pay tax on both income, however as i said above the tax on capital gain is very small. Those are the workers who are bearing most of the tax in Belgium.
     
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    #2 Cyrilexpat, Jan 28, 2013
  3. Tax&Residency

    Tax&Residency Member

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    Well i would invest a lot of money in Belgium before asking for citizenship and the income I earn in Belgium - I have no issues in paying tax on that but I am just looking for a tax efficient way to manage my overseas income while I reside in Europe most of the time.....Thanks for your responses.
     
    #3 Tax&Residency, Jan 28, 2013
  4. Cyrilexpat

    Cyrilexpat Administrator
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    Tax efficiency is another way of calling it. Bear in mind that I am not criticising at all, that is the way business works and if people find it to be an issue they law makers should change the rules. If they don't, then it is perfectly fine (or nearly perfectly fine, as we can argue about moral issues etc...).
    You might find that if you have a lot of capital gain, Belgium might be a much better choice indeed... but I've heard that citizenship was not that easy to get.
     
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    #4 Cyrilexpat, Jan 28, 2013
  5. Tax&Residency

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    Well the thing is capital gains is very tricky in my situation....there are different types of capital gains... from stocks, business and property and even in property there is inherited property vs new property --- property as a business vs. property to live in. Each of these different types of capital gains are treated differently in international taxation...i've discussed this with a lot of professionals and most of them seem to be of the opinion that capital gains arising in my home country from inherited assets cannot be taxed in a country that I just moved to...think about it...it doesn't even make common sense. Only those capital gains are taxed which are from a business or selling stocks that you might be managing while resident in Belgium or France etc... the worldwide taxation rules in all these countries are basically meant for people who base themselves in these countries and operate their overseas business from there. ...but in my situation i am not operating any business... I moved to france for the culture, cuisine, language etc... not to make money.
     
    #5 Tax&Residency, Jan 28, 2013
  6. Cyrilexpat

    Cyrilexpat Administrator
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    Ah, if you could explain to some politicians quick to criticise the tax system that sometime those things (culture, cuisine, language...) are more important than money :) Indeed one doesn't move to France to pay less tax, but to benefits from a better environment, better health cover, transport...etc. Real life :cool:
     
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    #6 Cyrilexpat, Jan 29, 2013
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