International business
As an entrepreneur, do you see business opportunities abroad and would you like to expand your Belgian activity? Or do you want to expand your foreign activity to Belgium? Our specialized team of consultants is at your disposal to navigate you through a challenging international tax and legal context. In doing so, we have a special focus and expertise in cross-border situations between Belgium and the Netherlands.
Foreign company operating in Belgium
If you operate in one or more other countries and want to expand your activity to Belgium, you must take the Belgian legislation into account and comply with all legal and tax obligations. Of course, under certain conditions you may optimize your tax situation. SBB can support you in setting up your international business structure.
How can we help you? We advise you on
- We examine how the double incom tax treaty concluded between the country where your company is based and Belgium affects your business. A double income tax treaty states which country is authorized to tax which income.
- We then look at the concrete tax consequences based on the national tax legislation of the country authorized to tax your income.
- Belgian permanent establishment: when are you considered to have a permanent establishment in Belgium when you operate in Belgium, and what (especially tax) implications does this have?
- Belgian permanent establishment versus Belgian corporation or subsidiary: what is the difference between the two and which option is the most interesting for you? How do you possibly convert your Belgian permanent establishment into a Belgian subsidiary?
- Holding companies: does it make sense to place the shares of your companies, which you have in different countries, in a holding corporation, and if so, where is the best place to establish this holding company? And how does this structure affect dividend flows between countries?
- Management and director companies: does it make sense to incorporate your director activity in Belgium? What are the advantages, when is it interesting, what is the tax impact, etc.?
- Merger and (partial) demerger: how do you merge different corporations and what are the consequences? And how do you split off part of your activity into a separate corporation?
- Transfer of seat: when should or can you transfer the seat of your corporation and what are the tax and legal implications?
- Dividends: what rules apply to the payment of dividends from a Belgian corporation to another country and vice versa? Are those dividends taxed in both countries? What is the total tax burden on those dividends?
- Financing and interest payments: to what extent may your corporations grant loans to each other and how much interest may they charge between them.
- Transfer pricing: what price may be charged for supplies of goods and services between your branches in different countries? And how much income should be allocated to your branches in each country? After all, each country requires a correct declaration of your income.
- How do you put together a tax-optimized remuneration package for a company director? Which mix of financial and in-kind benefits is the most advantageous? What is the best bonus system?
- How do you minimize the tax burden on dividends? What preferential regimes exist and how do you make optimal use of them?
- What obligations must you comply with when setting up a branch, permanent establishment or corporation in Belgium?
- How do you set up a VAT unit and what is involved? How does such a VAT unit work and what are the benefits?
- We file your tax return(s) for you and take care of your contacts with the tax authorities.
- We help you answer enquiries from the tax authorities.
- We answer notices of change prepared by the tax authorities.
- We appeal on your behalf against tax assessments with which you disagree.
- We accompany you during tax audits.
- Moving to Belgium from another country, or moving from Belgium to another country: what consequences does this have and what do you need to consider?
- Structuring your assets: how do you separate your private assets from your professional assets? And how do you structure your private and professional assets optimally, e.g. in terms of inheritance planning (patrimony company, company restructuring, etc.)?
- Inheritance planning: who will inherit what from you and how much inheritance tax will he or she pay on it? How do you avoid a high tax bill and ensure that each part of your assets reaches the ‘right’ heir?
- Business transfer (to the next generation or to third parties) in a cross-border context: how do you approach this and how do you take full advantage of certain favourable regimes?
Belgian company active abroad or member of an international group
In order to offer our clients a perfect service, SBB is a member of an international network in which we cooperate in order to provide our clients with the necessary support abroad as well.
SBB is a member of The International Accounting Group TIAG, a global alliance of more than 119 independent accounting firms in 70 countries.
Thanks to its TIAG membership, SBB has excellent relationships with other quality accounting firms around the world. This allows us to offer you excellent consulting and accountancy services both in Belgium and abroad.
Want to know more?
Do you want to expand your activities abroad? Or do you want to expand your activity to Belgium? Our specialized advisers are at your disposal to navigate you through the tax and legal context.
