Belgium has third highest tax burden, study shows

According to a report by the OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development), an alliance of the world’s wealthiest countries, Belgium’s income tax burden is 10% higher than the average tax burden of 34.1% in all 34 OECD countries.

The tax burden, or the entirety of tax revenues relative to gross domestic product (GDP), has risen in OECD countries to the same levels as before the economic crisis. The comparison of the ratio of tax revenues to GDP around the world is difficult and somewhat subjective, the OECD admits.

Belgium’s tax burden came out of the survey as the third highest, at 44.6%, or more than 10% above the average. The average tax burden of the 34 OECD countries surveyed increased by 0.4 percent to 34.1% between 2012 and 2013, bringing it up to a level similar to the record highs of 2007 (34.2%) and 2000 (34.3%).

Between 2012 and 2013, tax burdens increased the most in Portugal (+2.2%) and Turkey (+1.7%). Tax burdens fell in the same period in Norway (-1.5%), Chile (-1.2%) and New Zealand (-0.9%). In Belgium there was an increase of 0.6%.

Denmark is the leader when it comes to taxation (48.6% in 2013), followed by France (45%) and Belgium (44.6%). At the other end of the spectrum are Mexico (19.7%), Chile (20.2%), Korea (24.3%) and the United States (25.4%).