73,000 Belgians fined for not filing taxes in 2015

The Belgian tax authorities have imposed fines on some 73,000 people in Belgium after they neglected to submit a tax return before the 15 July deadline last year, writes Het Nieuwsblad. The state issued a total of about €13 million in fines.

Belgian residents who have not filed a tax return by the deadline first get an official notice, followed by a reminder letter and, finally, the threat of a hefty fine. In spite of all the warnings, however, tens of thousands of Belgians ignore the tax authorities each year. "Every Belgian nevertheless has a tax obligation," FPS Finance spokesperson Francis Adyns told the newspaper. "So we have a zero tolerance policy: no declaration means a penalty."

The penalties, which range from €50 to €1,250, were mailed to about 73,000 Belgians over the past few months, for a total of €13 million. The amount that is to be collected in the end will likely be much higher, as the tax authorities are able to add charges of 10- to 200% of the undeclared amounts.