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Freelance abroad...
Dear all,
With a Belgium citizenship, I will soon be a resident (population and fiscally speaking) abroad where i will start a freelance activity (sole proprietership). One of my customer will be a Belgium company. Regarding the payment on taxes on my incomes, are we 'crystal clear' that I will only pay taxes abroad in the country where I am fiscally imposed? Thanks for your replies.
"are we 'crystal clear' "
If you can't answer that question yourself, then no, you are not.
Make sure YOU know the law. Get advice from professionals if you need it.
Before you splash out what could be a lot of money on professional advice,
1) read up the bi-lateral tax agreement between your intended residential country and Belgium,
2) having done that, make an appointment to see your current tax inspector to ensure that he/she views aspects of that agreement in the same way as you do, especially in regard to any paid work you do for a Belgian company (and even more so if any of that work will actually be done in Belgium). If necessary you could discuss the arrangements with the inspector on the basis that you need to know how to handle the situation in the year (2013?, 2014?) when you are resident in both countries for part of the year.
Finally, don't forget to deregister from your commune when you actually move to your new country because you will remain potentially liable for at least some tax all the while that you remain registered.
Do not just take my word for it, but one Belgian accountant told me that when a Belgian citizen's official residence is abroad, they "do not exist" for the Belgian authorities; they do not even receive tax papers.
As a Belgian who has lived abroad for many years, yes, you don't pay any personal income tax in Belgium when you have your fiscal residency elsewhere. I was nonexistent for the Belgian taxman until I registered here again. However company taxes is something completely different. Are you offering your professional services in Belgium, or are they executed & billed in your new country of residence? You should actually check with the company laws of where you will be registered.
