It's tax time: 2017 Belgian income tax filing now open

Income tax season has officially begun in Belgium - with online declarations for your 2017 revenue now open and the printed form due to land in letterboxes in the coming days.

The deadline for filing a paper return is 29 June, while if you use the Tax-on-web service you have until 12 July, or 25 October if your accountant files on your behalf.

Finance minister Johan Van Overtveldt said this year's return had been made slightly simpler, with 40 fewer codes to choose from.

But there are still more than 800 different codes based on the type of income you receive. Representatives from the federal finance ministry will be touring town halls offering help to file your return.

The explanatory brochure that normally accompanies the paper tax return is now only available online, saving half a million euros in postage costs.

More than three million taxpayers - about 40% of the total - will receive a simplified tax declaration in the post shortly, with known revenue already filled in. "If you agree with the figures, you do not have to do anything," a finance ministry spokeswoman said.