Income Taxes and VAT

Students and grant holders (PhD students and postdoctoral researchers) are not liable to tax as individuals unless they earn above a certain amount: see studentatwork.be. Only PhD students and postdoctoral researchers will receive a tax return form. Contact the Human Resources Department for more information about tax exemption conditions for grant holders.

Non-grant-assisted PhD students, as well as researchers and lecturers, with an employment contract must complete an individual tax return if, on 1 January of the tax year in question, they:

  • are included in the National Register;
  • have their domicile or centre of financial interest in Belgium;
  • are not exempt from the requirement to submit a tax return.

Individual tax returns must be submitted annually to the department specified on the tax return.

In Belgium, the normal rate of VAT is 21%. However, lower rates of 6% and 12% are applied to certain categories of goods and services. More information.