€50 fine for genuine mistakes in tax returns

Anyone who accidentally makes a mistake when filling in their tax return will be liable to pay a €50 fine, De Standaard and Het Nieuwsblad report today. Until recently, the taxman turned a blind eye when a taxpayer made a genuine mistake, but the period of leniency is over. "First offense: €50," it says clearly in the government’s official journal, Le Moniteur. Penalties will also increase for repeat offenders. "Those who, whether in good faith or deliberately, failed to fill in their tax return, or do so too late, were served with a  €620 fine,” says tax expert Jef Wellens.” Now it’s €1,250 - the amount that was previously reserved for those who deliberately and repeatedly tried to deceive the taxman." The only way for a taxpayer to escape the new €50 fine is to prove that any mistake they made was  "due to circumstances beyond their control."