Belgian Tax at BUX
Inside BUXBUX has identified five relevant tax rules that may apply to your activities on the financial markets. Before you trade or invest, it’s important to be aware of these so you can make well-informed and efficient investment decisions.
1. Tax on Stock Exchange Transactions (TOB)
As a Belgian tax resident, you pay a small tax every time you buy or sell financial instruments like shares or ETFs. This is called the Tax on Stock Exchange Transactions (TOB). The rate depends on the type of instrument:
- Shares: 0.35% of the transaction amount
- ETFs: 0.12% or 1.32%, depending on how the ETF is structured (the higher rate applies to certain dividend-accumulating ETFs registered in Belgium)
Example: If you buy €1,000 worth of shares, you’ll pay €3.50 in TOB.
BUX automatically withholds this tax for you and pays it directly to the Belgian tax authorities, Each month, BUX sends you an overview showing how much was paid on your behalf.
For more details about this tax, please consult the official Belgian government page: https://financien.belgium.be/nl/experten_partners/investeerders/taks-op-beursverrichtingen
2. Tax on Investment Accounts
If your investment account has an average yearly value of more than €1,000,000, you’ll need to pay a 0.15% tax on the total value. This is called the Tax on Investment Accounts.
Example: If the average value of your BUX account during the year is €1,200,000, you will owe €1,800 in tax (0.15% of €1,200,000).
BUX does not withhold this tax, so you have to declare and pay it yourself. We include the average yearly value of your account in your annual tax statement to make your tax return as easy as possible.
For more details about this tax, please consult the official Belgian government page: https://www.minfin.fgov.be/myminfin-web/pages/public/fisconet/document/f4cddec8-5135-4b91-b054-608fc7580980
3. Reynder’s Tax (on ETF Profits from Bonds)
This tax applies to ETFs (or similar collective instruments) that invest at least 10% in bonds or other fixed-income products. If you make a profit when selling such an ETF, 30% of that profit is taxed. A few examples of ETFs subject to this tax are IE00B3B8Q275 (iShares Euro Covered Bond), IE00B4PY7Y77 (iShares USD High Yield Corporate Bond) and IE00B7LW6Y90 (iShares Italy Government Bond).
Example: You buy an ETF for €1,000 and sell it later for €2,000. If it holds more than 10% bonds, you’ll pay 30% on the €1,000 profit—that’s €300.
BUX does not withhold this tax, so you have to declare and pay it yourself. We include all the necessary info in your annual tax statement to help you declare it easily.
4. Capital Gains Tax
There is no general capital gains tax yet in Belgium, but the government is working on introducing one. This would mean that in the future, any profits you make from selling investments (stocks, ETFs, etc.) could be taxed.
Example: If you buy stock at €500 and sell it for €800, a future capital gains tax could apply to the €300 profit. For now, this tax does not exist.
Once it is introduced, we will clearly show the relevant details on your annual tax statement to make tax reporting easier.
5. Withholding Tax & Withholding Tax on Investment Income
When you receive a dividend from a company abroad, the country where the company is based usually deducts a tax before the dividend reaches you. This is called a withholding tax.
For example, the Netherlands deducts 15% in withholding tax from dividends. So if a Dutch company pays a €100 gross dividend, you will receive €85 — the €15 goes to the Dutch tax authorities and is automatically withheld by BUX.
As a Belgian tax resident, you are also required to pay a 30% tax on investment income , such as dividends, in Belgium. This tax applies to the €85 you received, which means an additional €25.50 in Belgian tax is due. Other tax rules might apply such as exemptions or income tax return
BUX does not automatically withhold this Belgian tax, so you have to declare and pay it yourself. However, we will provide you with all the necessary documents to help you report this correctly in your Belgian income tax return.
6. Foreign Account Reporting
Please note: Since BUX is based in the Netherlands, your BUX account is considered a “foreign financial account” for Belgian purposes. You are required to declare the existence of this account to the National Bank of Belgium (via the yearly tax form or online portal). In practice, when you file your Belgian income tax, you must tick the box and provide details of any foreign accounts you hold (including your BUX account). BUX’s annual statement will show your unique depot account number at ABN AMRO Clearing (which is the number you need to declare).
