Do you have an untidy house, not enough time to clean it, and the means to get help?
If so, you might be thinking about getting professional assistance with household chores. Here are some steps on how to get a cleaner in Brussels.
The Brussels-Capital Region uses the ‘service voucher’, also known as Titres-Services in French, and dienstencheques in Dutch. Each of the three Belgian regions has its own system.
This voucher system is the only legal way of paying for a domestic cleaner in Belgium. Users buy vouchers to acquire cleaning hours from an official cleaning company.
It can be confusing for newcomers, but put simply, the service vouchers are officially "a payment method, pre-financed by public authorities, to purchase personal household services".
They are seen as a safer way to employ people, and reportedly lower the risk of loss or theft.
The electronic format also helps people avoid having expired vouchers, as the oldest purchased vouchers will be first used in every user’s online wallet.
What is offered?
The service voucher system is used for domestic help, ironing, shopping or transport for people with reduced mobility.
For domestic help, it can also include window cleaning, repairing clothes (i.e. holes and tears) and meal preparation.
It is also possible to request having your ironing done outside your home, at the ironing centres of approved companies.
Small errands to meet daily needs, e.g. a trip to the post office, bakery or chemist, can also be included, even if these types of service are rarer.
What is not offered?
It is prohibited to use service vouchers to pay for activities other than those mentioned above.
You may not use them for repairs, building work or alterations, for wallpapering, painting or garden maintenance, or for childcare and care for the elderly or sick.
For small daily errands, the following are not considered daily necessities (and are therefore prohibited): the purchase of furniture, household appliances, audio-visual equipment, hot meals, regular newspaper and magazine deliveries.
How do I register?
Registration is free and can be done via the online form. You will need your eID with the appropriate card reader. Your registration will be effective immediately.
Registration can also be done manually (filling out details), but takes seven working days to become effective.
There is also a paper form to download, which can be completed and returned via email or by post to: PLUXEE service vouchers, 36 Rue Ravenstein, 1000 Brussels.
You can find your nearest Titres-Services agency by entering your postcode here.
How much do the vouchers cost?
Once registered, users are invited to buy service vouchers to buy cleaning sessions. This can be done via bank transfer, using the QR code inside your Espace Sécurisé [Secure Space].
The price of one voucher is €10 for the first 300 ordered per person (or €10 for the first 800 ordered per household).
The price increases to €12 when purchasing the next 200 Titres-Services per user or per household.
You are required to buy a minimum of three hours per visit, even if the time taken to clean the house is shorter.
One of many service voucher agencies in Brussels. Credit: Belga
The prices of service vouchers will be revised once a year, in January, depending on economic developments and inflation.
There is no longer a minimum order. You can now order individual electronic service vouchers. Paper vouchers were retired last year.
How do I manage the vouchers?
The Espace Sécurisé is the platform that allows you to manage your service voucher account, your orders, personal data and services.
It is user-friendly and secure, and can be accessed online or via the mobile application Titres-Services Bruxelles, where you can manage your electronic service vouchers on a daily basis.
Special requirements?
Official companies will do their best to meet any requests you have (such as a preference for a cleaner speaking a certain language or with specific experience). But they can only offer people who are part of their employee pool.
It can also take some time for a cleaner to be assigned to you, but the official companies will do their best to send replacement whenever possible.
If you cannot find someone to suit your needs, there are numerous forums or groups on social media platforms where people search for or advertise their services.
Tax deductions?
Users are entitled to a 15% tax deduction on each of the first 172 service vouchers purchased per person.
For people married or cohabiting, you can both benefit from the 15% service voucher reduction if you are both registered with a user number with Pluxee.
The tax deduction concerns the service vouchers purchased, and not just the ones used.
The amount of the reduction depends on the location of your main residence (as registered in the Population Register) on 1 January of the year following the purchase of the service vouchers.
On 1 March each year, you will receive a tax certificate from Pluxee. The amounts shown on your tax certificate will be automatically added to your TAX ON WEB tax return.
How to benefit from tax advantages?
In principle, a tax reduction applies to the tax you owe. So how can you benefit from a tax reduction if you pay little or no tax? In such cases, the tax reduction is converted in whole or in part into a refundable tax credit.
Instead of subtracting the reduction from your tax bill, the amount equivalent to this reduction is refunded directly to you.
To benefit from this refund, attach the Pluxee tax certificate to your tax return. If you do not receive a tax form, contact your local tax office. For more information, contact the FPS Finance on 02/572.57.57 (standard rate).
