Belgium · Tax & Finance

Belgium tax for expats:
what you'll pay, what you'll save.

Belgium is not a tax haven and doesn't pretend to be. Income tax hits 50% early, and 2026 brought a new capital-gains tax. But there's no general wealth tax, US Social Security stays untaxed here, and the rules — while heavy — are predictable. Plan with real numbers.

Figures verified 16 September 2026

Income tax, 2026 (income year 2026, assessment year 2027)

Taxable income bracketRate
€0 – €16,72025%
€16,720 – €29,51040%
€29,510 – €51,07045%
Above €51,07050%

The first €11,180 is covered by the personal tax allowance (2026). On top of the federal tax, your commune adds a surcharge of 0–9% of the tax due — the national average is about 7% (non-residents pay a flat 7%). Filing runs through MyMinfin, FPS Finance's online portal.

New for 2026: Belgium taxes capital gains. From 1 January 2026, realised gains on financial assets (shares, funds, bonds, crypto, even physical gold) are taxed at 10%, with the first €10,000 per person per year exempt and gains accrued before 2026 grandfathered. Moving away later triggers an exit tax on unrealised gains. FPS Finance's Circular 2026/C/74 (22 July 2026) — the first official interpretation of the tax — confirms the €10,000 exemption is indexed annually, applies per person within personal income tax, and that the unused portion carries forward. Details in the retiree tax guide.
What Belgium doesn't have: a general net wealth tax (only a 0.15% annual tax on securities accounts averaging over €1 million) and — for US retirees — any tax on US Social Security, which the treaty reserves to the United States. What it does have, and North Americans rarely expect: regional inheritance tax that starts low but climbs fast, even between parents and children.
In this section

Guides

★ New

Belgian tax for US & Canadian retirees

Social Security vs IRA vs CPP/OAS, the new 10% capital-gains tax, and the inheritance-tax surprise.

Read the guide →
Coming soon

The 2026 capital-gains tax, in depth

The €10,000 exemption, the 31 December 2025 step-up, and the exit tax if you leave.

Coming soon

Filing via MyMinfin, step by step

Your first Belgian return, the foreign-account declarations, and the deadlines that matter.

Sources

  1. FPS Finance — tax rates and personal allowance (2025/2026): fin.belgium.be
  2. FPS Finance — municipal tax: fin.belgium.be
  3. US–Belgium income tax treaty (2006, in force 2008): IRS.gov
  4. 2026 capital-gains tax: EY Belgium; corroborated by PwC Belgium
  5. FPS Finance — Circular 2026/C/74 on the capital-gains tax on financial assets (22 Jul 2026), via Fisconetplus; commentary: PwC Belgium
Vetted under the hood — free referral

Need a cross-border tax adviser?

The US–Belgium and Canada–Belgium overlaps have traps — IRAs, Roths, RRSPs, the exit tax. We'll introduce you to a cross-border tax professional we've independently vetted.

Get matched — free Ask us anything
The Unlock — free weekly email

Every rule that changed, in one email a week.

Visa, tax, residency and healthcare changes across 22 European countries — dated, sourced, and explained in plain English. One email, every Saturday. Unsubscribe anytime.

Free weekly. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.