Indirect Tax

Understand your (domestic) indirect tax exposure and limit your liability

VAT. Speaking of an ever evolving and notoriously complex tax. In a rapidly changing and digitalising economy, with changing VAT rates, rules and regulations, access to the latest and reliable information is vital.  Quickly and correctly, right from the start, because VAT is a transaction-based tax.  

Full or partial VAT exemptions, available in various sectors (e.g., financial, health care, real estate and public sector), give rise to increasingly targeted government audits. The mixed or VAT-exempt status of these taxpayers is not absolute and is often subject to strict conditions and/or restrictions or exclusions of VAT deduction. 

Whichever business you work in, our VAT specialists make it their mission to fully delve into your activity. In this way, they can anticipate opportunities and problems, and offer solutions quickly, while you continue to focus on your daily business with confidence.  

Moreover, our experts never forget the most important aspect of any VAT and indirect tax solution. The solution must be practical so that you know what to do (how to remain compliant), it must be legally correct, and it must not lead to a new problem elsewhere. 

At the same time, our specialists support you to tackle the increasing digital challenges (such as mandatory electronic invoicing in Belgium). This is because an increasing number of governments are moving towards real-time and fully digital reporting. They invest in data mining tools for controls, whereby non-compliance leads to ever greater financial risks. To be avoided, indeed. 

You also have all the other existing and new indirect taxes, such as environmental and energy taxes, with which the Belgian government tries to achieve its health, energy and environmental goals, while also tapping into new sources of income. At BDO, we can also offer you specialised advice and compliance support on these indirect taxes.