Tax returns: payment plans prove a popular way to settle bills

Tax returns: payment plans prove a popular way to settle bills
© Belga

Last year, 190,668 Belgians benefitted from payment plans to settle their tax bills, a significantly larger number than in 2016 when "barely" 139,263 taxpayers benefitted from this tool, it emerged from tax office figures quoted in L'Echo on Tuesday.

Whereas the sum total of these repayment schemes was worth 354.74 million euros in 2016, it rose to 482.55 million in 2018.

Last year, the average amount pertaining to these requests rose to 2,531 euros, a relatively stable level in relation to previous years. In 2017, it increased on average to 2,361 euros per plan, as against 2,547 euros in 2016.

"Since the summer of 2015, taxpayers have been able to request an online instalment plan via MyMinfin. And since 2017, it has been possible to request a payment plan spread over a maximum of four months with no fuss - even where there are conditions," tax office spokesman Francis Adyns emphasised.

"The provision of this facility makes things more flexible, but must be justified. The interest on late payments, in any case, continues to build up," said Adyns.

"The provision of a payment plan spread over more than four months is not automatic," he added. "The request is notably subject to an enquiry concerning the applicant's income and expenditure. It is extremely rare for the tax office to agree to a payment plan lasting more than 12 months."

The Brussels Times


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