The Flemish tax authority, Vlabel, has demanded €4.9 million per year in vacancy tax for the Boerentoren in Antwerp, according to its owner, Katoen Natie.
With surcharges and indexation, the total bill could amount to tens of millions of euros over time.
Katoen Natie director Kurt Dupon says the company feels cornered, with few options to avoid the tax. “We’d prefer to invest that money in the tower to create added value,” Dupon said.
The company claims that restoration work began immediately after purchasing the tower, including extensive asbestos removal. Dupon said they were shocked upon receiving the tax notice, initially thinking it was a mistake. “But it wasn’t an error; the amount was correct,” he explained.
The firm emphasises that it is not opposed to the vacancy decree. However, it believes restorations of landmark buildings such as the Boerentoren require different treatment.
Under current rules, tax exemptions apply only to residential properties, not to commercial spaces like the Boerentoren.
Some opposition figures in Antwerp have criticised the situation as “unbelievable.”
Filip Dewinter of Vlaams Belang described the tax as financially draining a philanthropic project, warning that it might jeopardise the planned 2030 reopening of Europe’s first skyscraper.
