Belgium · Tax & Finance

High rates.
Known rules.

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 9 July 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. 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
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2026 rewrote Belgian capital taxation. Stay current.

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