Is a work visa the same as a work permit or single permit?
The term “work visa” is a commonly used term in practice but not entirely correct according to Belgian immigration rules. In Belgium we speak about a work permit and a residence permit or a single permit when it comes to employment situations. In the event of a self-employed activity a professional card is delivered. The visa that is delivered by the competent diplomatic post is generally a long stay D-visa which can be delivered based on a preliminary employment authorization, or a family reunification process, or other grounds that were granted prior to the visa D issuance.
Can I have a work permit and a professional card at the same time?
Yes, this is possible, although the work permit linked to the employment activity always supersedes the activity in secondary occupation as self-employed person. This means that if the primary activity as an employee comes to an end, automatically the self-employed activity comes to an end, unless the expat decides to become self-employed in primary activity and requests an official change of the professional card to the competent authorities.
What is the difference between and work permit and a professional card?
A work permit is delivered to someone working as an employee whereas a professional card is delivered to a self-employed person. The work permit and professional card are both delivered by the competent regional employment authorities.
Do I need to pay taxes if I work abroad?
As an employee, the answer will depend where your employer is located and where you have performed your professional activities physically. If you are on the payroll outside Belgium and physically perform your activities in that specific country, Belgium will in principle need to exempt this income subject to progression. All other workdays will become taxable in Belgium. Be prepared and safe proof of your physical activities outside Belgium!
What are the advantages of setting up a company?
Through a (management) company we are able to set up our own salary package depending on the needs of the director. The company itself only pays 20% corporate tax on the first 100.000 EUR profits and has the possibility to distribute the profits as dividends at a rate of 15% under certain conditions. If we maximize profits and set our gross salary to a minimum, the net salary will increase significantly. We would be pleased to provide you with comparable tax simulations!
How can I benefit from the special tax regime for foreign executives?
If you are assigned to Belgium or recruited outside Belgium, you may benefit from the special tax regime in Belgium either as incoming taxpayer or either as incoming researcher. The tax benefits are exactly the same for both groups but an incoming researcher does not need to have a minimum yearly gross base salary of EUR 75.000 like an incoming taxpayer. Both may not have been taxed as a resident or non-resident in the 60 months period before employment. Once granted, part of the salary on top of the base salary is considered to be non-taxable!
Import a car
Moving your vehicle from an EU-country to Belgium might seem complicated, but it isn’t. Follow our steps and off you go!
Global and oversea insurances
As the name suggests, overseas mediclaim policy is a health insurance policy which covers you against the risk of hospitalization expenses in a foreign country. This policy covers medical expenses while the insured is outside India. It covers medical expenses both as inpatient as well as outpatient.
Hospitalization insurance and basic health insurance fund: what’s the difference?
It is extremly useful to compare hospitalization insurance policies carefully. Private hospitalization insurance policies differ alot from health insurance funds. The main difference is that private insurers usually exclude pre-existing conditions. Basic health insurance funds are generally cheaper than from a private insurer, but it also usually covers less (f.e supplements for single room stay in a hospital could be excluded).
