In view of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Belgian federal government has implemented several relief measures to support the economy.
An automatic filing extension is granted for periodic VAT returns, European Sales Listings, and Annual Sales Listing. Furthermore, an automatic extension of two months is also granted for the VAT payments resulting from the February, March, April, and Q1 2020 Belgian VAT returns.
Individual businesses can file a COVID-19-motivated request for additional aid in the form of a payment plan or exemption of late payment interests or fines.
Conversely, taxpayers filing monthly Belgian VAT returns can, under certain conditions, request accelerated refunds of credits resulting from their February and March VAT returns.
Subject to certain formalities, businesses can donate medical instruments and protective gear (for example, face masks, protective clothing, soaps and hand gels, and so on) to medical institutions without reporting VAT due on the ‘self-supply’.
Following the European Commission’s decision 202/491, Belgium implemented a relief from import duties and a VAT exemption on goods imported by approved organisations to combat the effects of COVID-19.
Pascal Dauw
pascal.dauw@bdo.be
Mazen Al Haffar
mazen.alhaffar@bdo.be