What COVVID and CROO will change for your tax return

1. Mon Argent
2. Analyse
3. Impôts

The federal government recently gave the green light to several tax measures.We can already cite the increase in the deductibility of daycare fees and a tax advantage for caregivers.

These new tax advantages are added to the many measures taken to help families and businesses are going through the coronavirus crisis.They may have an impact on income and expenses that you will need to resume next year in your tax return.Glance at the main novelties.

Daycare

To help more parents who work, the government wishes to lighten daycare costs by expanding the deductibility of certain costs, such as the crèche or the reception of children before and after school, the summer camps of youth movements,etc.For years, families have been able to declare for their children under 12 (18 for children with a heavy handicap) up to 12.20 euros per day of daycare on their tax sheet.The tax reduction depends on the income of the parents.It rises at least 45% and can rise up to 75% for low -income single -parent families.

The daycare fees you have paid this year will benefit from better deductibility.The maximum amount per day was noted at 13 euros.A tax advantage has also been planned for older children, as age limits have been raised at 14 and 21 respectively.Another novelty: sick children for sick children can be declared.From the 2021 income year, the maximum amount will be increased again and will increase to 13.70 euros per day.

Following the cancellation of numerous youth camps and sports courses during the Easter holidays, it was decided that parents who did not claim the reimbursement of canceled activities will be able to benefit from the tax advantage.We will then deviate from the rule which requires that the camp has indeed taken place.This exception applies to all the activities planned and canceled between March 14 and December 31.

Caregivers

The government has decided to help caregivers, namely people who take care of an elderly parent living under the same roof.There is already a fiscal advantage for dependents (living in the same roof) in the form of a recovery of the exemption ceiling, that is to say the first non-taxed income section.Thanks to the raising of this ceiling, a large part of the income escapes the tax.

This recovery of the exemption ceiling - of 3.270 to 4.900 euros-applies to people welcoming a grandparent, parent, brother or sister over 65 years old dependent at home.The caregiver may benefit from a tax reduction of 534 euros.The definition of a dependent person depends on their level of autonomy.To benefit from this tax advantage, it must suffer from a reduction in autonomy of at least nine points.

Deductibility ceilings

The-program law provides that several tax ceilings for income from 2020 to 2023 will not be indexed."This non-indexation therefore affects all the amounts of this year.It is possible at the legal level, but its retroactive character does not really testify to a tax fair ", estimates Jef Wellens, tax in Wolters Kluwer.Annual indexing will resume from the 2024 income year.

A reduction in the ceiling of 10 euros corresponds to 5 euros in additional tax per year.Summary of the main frozen ceilings.

> Épargne long terme

Even if your insurer invited you to pay 2.390 euros as part of your long -term savings, you can only declare 2.350 euros of bonus for the year 2020.This long -term savings allows you to build up additional pension capital in a taxably advantageous manner.The amount you benefit from a 30% tax reduction is capped.In principle, this ceiling is indexed each year.In February, the ceilings indexed for 2020 were published in the instructor.Thanks to indexing, you could until 2020 pay up to 2.390 euros, 40 euros more than in 2019.But the federal government has brought this amount back to 2.350 euros, the level of 2019.

> Comptes d’épargne

The interest received on a Belgian regulated savings account are exempt up to 980 euros (10 euros less than in the event of indexing in 2020).These accounts must meet certain conditions, in particular at the level of the interest rate, the limits in terms of transactions and the method of calculating interest.

> Dividendes

You can recover the loss furniture paid on the dividends collected up to 800 euros (12 euros less).The maximum rate of loss furniture is 30%, which brings the maximum tax advantage to 240 euros.

> Assurance protection juridique

The premiums paid for legal protection insurance (unchanged ceiling of 310 euros) give the right to a tax reduction of 40%, which brings the tax advantage to 124 euros maximum.These insurances pay for them all the legal costs linked to a dispute.These must be specific fonts.Legal protection components of your home or car insurance insurance are not taken into account.

> Actions de votre employeur

Have you bought new actions from the company that uses you?In this case, you can request a tax reduction of 30% in a maximum amount of 780 euros (20 euros less), which brings the tax advantage to 240 euros maximum.

> Bonus-habitation fédéral

The federal bonus-accommodation amounts to 3.210 euros maximum (60 euros less).This tax advantage is granted to those who at the time borrowed to buy their family home, have not yet finished repaying, but no longer live in it.

> Épargne-pension

An exception is planned for pension savings, for which the indexing freezing will not be before 2021.This year, you can benefit from a tax reduction of 30% out of 990 euros maximum.If you pour up to 1.270 euros, you will be entitled to a tax reduction of 25%.

Student work

Students are considered to be dependent on their parents on condition that their own income is limited.To determine if this is the case, the taxman examines what are called net means of subsistence. Grâce aux mesures prises pour lutter contre le coronavirus, le travail presté par les étudiants entre le 1^er avril et le 30 juin ne sera pas repris dans le calcul des moyens de subsistance."This applies to all the sectors where the students worked, whatever the moment they perceived their remuneration," explains Wellens."For other quarters, these are the usual rules that apply.»»

In 2020, children whose parents are married or legal cohabitants can have a maximum of 3.380 euros net of livelihoods while remaining taxation for their parents.The son or daughter of a single parent or cohabitant in fact can have 4.880 euros in livelihoods.

Teleworking border workers

Do you live in Belgium but you work in the Netherlands, Germany, France or Luxembourg?For periods of work abroad, you are taxed in the country where you work and not in Belgium."Because of the coronavirus crisis, many border workers have been forced to work at home.In principle, they should therefore be taxed in Belgium for their period of telework and not in the country of their employer. Mais une exception a été prévue et les travailleurs frontaliers seront taxés dans le pays de leur employeur pour la période de télétravail entre le 11 mars et le 31 décembre 2020»», poursuit Wellens."This exception does not apply to the usual telework independent of the measures taken to fight against the coronavirus.»»

Donations and liberalities

Donations of at least 40 euros to recognized institutions such as the Red Cross, the King Baudouin Foundation, the Televie or the Théâtre de la Currency benefit from a tax advantage.For amounts paid in 2020, this tax reduction amounts to 60%, compared to 45% usually.The deductible ceiling goes from 10 to 20% of your net income.The absolute maximum amount remains unchanged at 397.859 euros.

Until now, these donations must have been paid in cash, but now, donations in kind to CPAS, hospitals, Red Cross and Institutions for less valid, elderly and protected minors can temporarily benefit from a tax advantage.It must be medical equipment or products to combat the coronavirus, such as protective masks, disinfectants, test kits, respiratory apparatus, clothing and protective glasses and tightly waterproof ponchos. Les dons doivent avoir été réalisés entre le 1^er mars et le 30 juin.

Pour soutenir l’enseignement à distance, les ordinateurs offerts aux écoles belges entre le 1^er mars et le 31 décembre seront également déductibles d’impôt.

“Entrepreneurs, traders or holders of liberal professions who offer goods produced or acquired in the context of their professional activity can exceptionally deduct these donations in the form of costs. Sont concernés les dons en natures effectués entre le 1^er mars et le 31 juillet. La déduction sous forme de frais professionnels ne peut pas être cumulée avec la réduction d’impôt pour les dons»», précise Wellens.

Tax Shelter for SMEs

The Shelter tax is an existing tax reduction of 30 or 45% on the purchase of new actions from a start-up or a growing company, up to 100.Euros.A new possibility is added temporarily, namely investments in SMEs whose turnover has dropped by at least 30% between March 14 and April 30 due to containment measures.

This fiscal advantage is granted to individuals who have subscribed to new nominative actions within the framework of a capital increase of maximum 250.Euros entre le 14 mars et le 31 décembre.In the event of payment or release of shares during the same period, a tax reduction of 20% will be granted for a maximum investment of 100.Euros, ce qui porte l’avantage fiscal maximum à 20.Euros.You will have to keep the shares for at least five years, otherwise you will have to partially refund the tax advantage.

Reception fees

Due to the coronavirus crisis, reception costs - such as staff festivals or receptions organized by a car dealer for the launch of a new model - will be rather limited this year.These costs can usually be deducted up to 50% in the form of professional costs.To support the event sector, the reception costs incurred between June 8 and December 31 will be fully deductible.However, they should not be confused with restaurant costs (deductibles up to 69%) and business gifts (deductibles up to 50%).

Compensation for teleworking

Because of the pandemic, many employees have been forced to do telework. Depuis le 1^er mars, les employeurs peuvent verser une indemnité forfaitaire pour couvrir les frais d’aménagement et compenser l’utilisation d’un espace de travail à domicile.It may be the rent or damping of the home, office furniture, computer or printer, small equipment such as staples and paper, property tax, insurance, water and electricity, heating, maintenance, etc..Part -time workers can also receive the maximum amount provided, regardless of the number of hours provided for in their employment contract.

This compensation is exempt from tax provided that it does not exceed 129.48 euros per month (126.94 euros in March) and that it is granted to workers who work at their home at least five days per month.

Consumption checks

The federal government's recovery plan authorizes companies until the end of the year to offer their employees exempt tax checks.The objective is to increase the purchasing power of employees and to give a boost to the sectors strongly affected by the crisis.Checks are exempt from tax up to 300 euros.You can use them until June 7, 2021 in Horeca establishments and small shops having had to close for a minimum month, as well as in approved or subsidized sports and cultural associations.

PROXE BRUXELLIS

The new PROX loan allows Brussels SMEs to contract a reduced rate loan of a fixed duration of 5 or 8 years with an individual, up to a total maximum of 250.Euros.The lender can invest up to 75.Euros par entreprise et par année fiscale, et maximum 200.Euros par an.

For this investment, he benefits from a tax credit of 4% per year (maximum) of the amount the first 3 years, then of 2.5% maximum until the end of the loan.If the borrower is unable to repay, the lender will recover 30% of the amount in the form of tax credit.

Clean house

À Bruxelles, "l’avantage du bonus logement 'bruxellois' pour un crédit conclu avant 2017 (l’avantage fiscal est supprimé depuis le 1^er janvier 2017, NDLR) ne sera pas perdu suite au report du crédit hypothécaire, qu’il soit lié à la crise du coronavirus ou non.In other words, the advantage lasts the duration of the loan, even if it is extended, "said the spokesperson for the Minister of Finance Sven Gatz.

En Wallonie, « un projet de décret est en préparation au sein du cabinet du ministre du Logement et devrait être soumis au gouvernement wallon prochainement»», explique le porte-parole de Christophe Collignon. « Il relèvera de la même philosophie, non seulement pour le bonus-logement, dont le régime a pris fin en 2015, mais également pour son remplaçant, le chèque-habitat, dès lors que seule la Région wallonne maintient ce type d’aide aux ménages»», précise-t-il.

En Flandre, le bonus-habitation (woonbonus) a été supprimé au 1^er janvier 2020.For mortgage loans subscribed before this date, the tax advantage is maintained.In order not to damage the borrowers who used the postponement of mortgage credit, the Flemish government has also decided to extend the tax advantage in additional months during which they will have to repay their credit.Concretely, the amounts of credits remain due, but the deadline is postponed a few months.These additional months will therefore benefit from the bonus-accommodation in Flanders.

Read