This year, the tax authorities will complete four million tax returns in advance

As of today, more than 7 million citizens are faced with the task of completing their annual tax return – or checking and validating the VVA form previously completed by the tax authorities. The group of taxpayers who receive a ready-made VVA declaration from the FPS Finance has already grown to 4 million. Anyone who submits their own tax return via the digital tax portal Tax-on-web will also notice that a lot of data about income and expenditure from the year 2023 has already been filled in by the tax authorities.

If you use Tax-on-web for your tax return, you have until July 15 to do so. The same date also applies to those who hire a representative, such as an accountant, to do the work. Only those who submit a complex tax return, for example with foreign professional income or profits from a company, can request a postponement until October 16.

Anyone who wants to change or supplement a paper VVA, or who wants to submit a paper tax return themselves, must complete the homework by June 30. According to the FPS Finance, barely 200,000 tax returns were filed on paper last year, which is 6 percent of the total.

Ten codes less

With a total of 833 codes, the size of the tax form this year hardly differs from last year. For residents of the Flemish Region, there are barely 10 fewer than in 2023; For Brussels residents, the downsizing is even more limited, with 4 fewer codes. Due to the failed negotiations in the Vivaldi government on tax reform, the promised simplification – last year Minister of Finance Vincent Van Peteghem (CD&V) hoped to scrap 70 codes – has not materialized.

The minister regrets the missed opportunity to achieve a thorough reform and simplification of the declaration, but expresses the hope that steps will be taken in the next government period. “This year there are 10 codes less than last year. But of course more is needed. I advocate that the necessary tax reform be included in black and white in the next coalition agreement. In the meantime, we are trying to improve services to citizens by expanding the number of VVAs.”

Heavy indexing

The declaration form does not contain many novelties or changes this year. Of great importance: with a one-year delay, the FPS Finance has passed on the high inflation at the end of 2022 and beginning of 2023 in the so-called tax limit amounts, such as the ceilings that apply to all kinds of tax deductions. According to tax expert Jef Wellens of Wolters Kluwer, the average indexation is 9.59 percent.

This is clearly reflected, for example, in the increase in the tax-free amount – that is the part of the income that is not taxed. For the first time, the tax-free amount exceeds the limit of 10,000 euros.

New Tax-on-web in 2025

The digital tax portal Tax-on-web is in need of a thorough overhaul, the FPS Finance acknowledges. The layout and user-friendliness will receive a complete makeover from next year. From 2025, the codes and sections to be completed will no longer be arranged according to the old system of the paper declaration form, but according to a thematic division that structures the declaration from the citizen’s point of view. The five thematic chapters are: my personal situation, my family, my income, my real estate and loans, my benefits. In this way, the tax authorities hope to make filling out “easier, faster and more intuitive” and “reduce the risk of errors or omissions”.

Telephone assistance

Anyone who needs help from a tax administration expert with their tax return can make an appointment for ‘tailor-made assistance’ by telephone in the months of May and June. This helpline is free, but only available during office hours, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The tax administration will also actively contact citizens to offer help. This is done on the basis of the list of people who requested and received telephone help last year. That active search has already started in recent weeks.

In addition, sitting days will be organized in 400 municipalities this year to help citizens complete their tax returns.