The Federation of Belgian Cinemas has announced it will challenge the government’s decision to increase VAT on the sector from 6% to 12% through legal action if the measure is upheld.
President Alain Courtois made the announcement on Monday during a radio interview on Bel-RTL.
He described the federal government's move, announced in the budget, as "an aberration". They argue that people need opportunities to dream, especially given the current climate of anxiety.
Courtois, a former MP for the MR party and ex-director of Anderlecht football club, criticised the government for targeting leisure sectors like cinema and sports.
Legally, he believes the decision creates unfair competition between subsidised cinemas, where tickets would remain taxed at 6%, and commercial cinemas, which would face the higher 12% rate for screening the same films.
The Federation claims the government has arbitrarily created a distinction between cinemas under associative non-profit status, which are still categorised as “cultural,” and commercial cinemas, raising VAT for the latter.
This distinction, they argue, discriminates against non-subsidised cinemas operating outside the associative framework.
If the decision is not reversed, the Federation plans to escalate the matter to the Council of State, Belgium’s competition authority, or explore other legal avenues.
The Federation represents more than 85% of cinema visits in Belgium.
