In the Chamber's Finance Committee, several tax amendments were approved to strengthen business competitiveness.
MR Group Leader Benoit Piedboeuf is delighted that parliamentary work is continuing and bearing fruit: "I had announced that the weeks before the elections would not be wasted weeks, as I had heard suggested, but that work would continue in committee. We are keeping our word and, in full coordination with Deputy Prime Minister David Clarinval and colleague Wouter Beke for the majority, we managed to get a series of amendments passed aimed at sustainably supporting our businesses."
Among these measures, a crucial provision concerns the innovation income deduction in the biopharmaceutical sector. This provision aims to ensure that investments in innovation are not taxed above the minimum threshold of 15%. "If we want to boost employment, we need to boost research and development in the sector, because that is precisely where tomorrow's jobs are created," explains Benoit Piedboeuf.
Other beneficial measures were also adopted, such as the extension of the 6% VAT rate for demolition-reconstruction operations, the increased tax exemption for overtime on road works, as well as initiatives to support independent press shops and workers who commute to work by train.
"These advances build on previously implemented reforms, notably the modernisation of the investment deduction, whose rates are increasing significantly, and the extension of deadlines to benefit from the exemption from remitting withholding tax following the floods," adds Benoit Piedboeuf.
Specifically, the rates planned for the new investment deduction are as follows:
- the base deduction is set at 10% for individuals and SMEs, with an additional 10% increase to this base deduction specifically provided for digital fixed assets, including electronic invoicing;
- the deduction for certain environmental investments is set at 40% for individuals and SMEs and at 30% for other companies;
- the technology deduction is set at 13.5% for the one-off investment deduction and at 20.5% when applying the spread investment deduction for research and development.
The MR Group in the Chamber welcomes this significant progress for the Belgian economy and remains committed to promoting policies aimed at boosting the country's growth.