Working in Belgium -What is the tax on salary for 44000euro?

Hello raselmahbub and welcome on board

I invite you to read this thread while waiting for members to revert back

>tax and net salary

Regards
Kenjee

Hi All,
Just got an update from the employer. They increased the offer to 60000 euro.

@Kenjee, thanks for the link, have checked it, couldn't understand everything.

Any help would highly be appreciated.

Good evening,

Due to the fact that Kenjee give you the link where I try to assist one person for knowing his monthly salary. I will do the same for you.

With a gross salary of 5000€, you're gone receive 3031.94€ --> 2131 GBP

I do not know if you will consider that enough or not. But I will gone give some advice:
- You are doing a big mistake by asking a higher salary. In Belgium, it is more interesting to ask extre advantage like company car, meal voucher (chèque-repas in french), extra health insurance, ...
- Why did you not ask for expatriate contract if you will not relocate your family in Belgium too http://www.kpmg.com/be/en/issuesandinsi … egime.aspx
- in Belgium, we are use to compare almost everything. But unfortunatly, lot of relevant informations are not given to foreigners...

phipiemar wrote:

Good evening,

Due to the fact that Kenjee give you the link where I try to assist one person for knowing his monthly salary. I will do the same for you.

With a gross salary of 5000€, you're gone receive 3031.94€ --> 2131 GBP

I do not know if you will consider that enough or not. But I will gone give some advice:
- You are doing a big mistake by asking a higher salary. In Belgium, it is more interesting to ask extre advantage like company car, meal voucher (chèque-repas in french), extra health insurance, ...
- Why did you not ask for expatriate contract if you will not relocate your family in Belgium too http://www.kpmg.com/be/en/issuesandinsi … egime.aspx
- in Belgium, we are use to compare almost everything. But unfortunatly, lot of relevant informations are not given to foreigners...

Thank you very much phipiemar. You are a STAR.

This is really helpful. I have already spoken to the employer regarding all those extra elements which they can look into to boost my net monthly income. My current earning is 2000 GBP and I told them in no way I am going to accept the offer with a net salary equals to or less then my current salary.

I have got another offer from a UK based employer within the same range of net salary. Both are from big brand's as well. Now I am even more confused ...... which one to accept ???

I believe you work and live in Belgium. If I accept the offer my work place will be in Laakdal. How is life and living in Belgium feels like? with this 3000 euro net earning how much would I be able to save on an average?

I would really appreciate your help and support in this.

Hello raselmahbub,

Hahaha, no problem.

Choosing a job or another, this applies only your family and yourself. By cons, not knowing what level of your professional career you get situated, I will simply say that any international offer is always good to take. Because this is very good on a CV.

I am in the international since childhood and even if some issues (climate, cost of living, taxes, ...) in Belgium are not perfect, I think we lives there well. Life in Belgium could bring you and your family an important cultural development if you take the time to integrate and bring you such as your child in a Belgian school. It is a country with three national languages recognized at European level, three cultures ... The only thing that will annoy you at first, is that we drive on the other side of the road ... And it is especially stressful in the roundabouts.

I live there permanently but I work as an expatriate to benefit from more attractive financial benefits.

Knowing if you are going to save money will depend solely on how you're going to live in Belgium. That will depend on the budget you're going to decide your housing and your operating costs. A basic calculation is to do this: one third of the net salary for housing and rental costs, one third for living expenses and the remaining for tier credits / fun trips / economy / ...

In all cases, you will have to calculate whether you plan to leave your family in UK. As this will double your expenses.

phipiemar wrote:

I live there permanently but I work as an expatriate to benefit from more attractive financial benefit

Hi phipiemar,
What exactly do you mean by working as an expatriate? Is it like working as contractor through your limited company? The company I have got offer from is not a Belgiun company, rather an international company with branch in Belgium and they want to hire me as FTE to put me as a consultant in one of their clients project. I have a meeting with them tomorrow.  Could you please tell me what exactly do I need to discuss with them regarding the salary?

Many thanks once again my friend.....I owe you a cup of coffe.... if I move to Belgium ;-)

Hi,

Yes, it is simply the fact to work as freelance and to benefit of all opportunies provided by european laws. What do you  mean by FTE?

Once we reach a certain skill level, work as an employee is mismanagement. It frankly worth more become a freelance for reap the benefits of our labor. Therefore, if you really want to stay employed, during the discussion for your wages, it worth you better focus on all non-taxable fringe benefits rather than wages can be highly taxed ... Or requires the use the Belgian freelance contract as I told you during one of my previous posts. Check once again the weblink for KPMG...

Let us take a belgian beer instead of a cup of coffee...

Hi phipiemar,

They have come back to me today with a breakdown of the salary.
Assumptions:
- Married
- 1 dependent child (less than 3 years old)
- Application of the special tax regime for foreign executives
- Earns at least 75% of professional income in Belgium (assumption of full year income in Belgium)
- Country of origin: United Kingdom
- Costs proper to the employer limited to EUR 11.250,00
- Costs proper to the employer calculated based on the technical note
- Subject to Belgian social security contributions for employees
- Salary paid in 13,92 instalments
- Gross annual salary: EUR 60.000,00
- Travel exclusion 0% (estimate)
- Rent: EUR 6.000,00 (EUR 500,00 per month) (estimate)
- Additional communal tax 7%
- No other income or deductions taken into account
- Tax scales of income year 2015

Salary Calculation
Gross salary 60,000.00
Less: costs proper to the employer  -5,784.99
Total salary 54,215.01
Less: Belgian social security contributions  -7,050.27
Subtotal 47,164.74
Less: Belgian income taxes (*) -11,447.41
Less: Special social security contribution -513.51
Add: costs proper to the employer 5,784.99
Net salary (yearly basis) 40,988.81
Net salary (monthly basis) 3,415.73

They have mentioned this is an estimated breakdown and not an exclusive figure. I am quite happy with the figure if this works out correct. Just one thing I forgot to ask is about Healthcare.

Can you please have a look at the figures above and see if if seems right to you. And also I would appreciate if you can shade some light on Healthcare in Belgium. I believe its not free like here in UK.

Oh....FTE - Full Time Employee

Get ready for the Belgium beer ;-)

Many thanks

Hi raselmahbub,

It seems OK. Just in case of, it will maybe interesting to take a 5% of error in calculation.

Concerning healthcare system, everything will be put in place automatically, you will just have to go to one "mutuelle" to choose an additionnal plan to reduze health fees. There are several "mutuelles" in Belgium. Here is an example with MC. http://www.mc.be/que-faire-en-cas-de/si … /index.jsp and the additionnal plan is as example http://www.mc.be/mes-avantages/hospital … /index.jsp

An important tip, NEVER ask for a single bed room in belgian hospital!!! If you do that the hospital and doctors will not be any more in the obligation to respect the official price of healthcare system.

From what I know of quality level of UK public system, the belgian one is better.

For beer, we'll see when I'm back on Belgium. Either it will be in Brussels or in my region (Liège) with your family for you to discover another part of Belgium.

Friendly yours

Thanks phipiemar for a prompt reply.

I have checked your links and I must admit that the cost of insurance is not expensive!!! Thanks for the tip regarding single bed trick in hospital. Much appreciated.

I will be based in Laakdal and will definitely look forward to meet you when you are back.

I have already started to lookout for accommodation around this area and it seems that house rents are also affordable. Dont know much about utility bills but I believe the total living cost (just rent and utility except food) shuldn't exceed more thant 1200 euro.

Also wondering if I cant find accommodation near to the workplace I may need to get a car. Shall I take my car from UK with me or buying and insuring a car there would be less expensive.

Many thanks once again.

For a rental house or apartment, the easiest is to rent something for a month through the site Airbnb. This will allow you to start your work with the mind relax. And after a day you can visit the different places that you will select through newspaper want ads or through real estate agencies.

By cons, there are things to know about real estate lease in Belgium. It takes at least that the following conditions are met:
- An inventory of the leased property with the owner at the entrance and exit with photos and a precise description of each room
- A deposit of two months deposited on a blocked bank account. If the owner refuses then it is outlawed.
- The lease must be registered with the competent services of state

- airbnb.com
- belgium.be/en/housing/renting_a_home
- justlanded.com/english/Belgium/Belgium-Guide/Housing-Rentals/Leases

On buying a used car, I strongly advise you to do it because it will put you in position to drive in Belgium. Because you drive on the wrong side of the road ...

We can discuss over a drink so I put you abreast of Belgian tips on selling used cars.

I have a couple English friends and they have told me that the cost of living is much less here in comparison to the UK.  Housing is also less depending on where you live but as a whole is less. Schooling will be less out of pocket unless you elect to pursue an international school where as you won't be able to save much even with your projected salary. They have told me that the cost of private school in the UK is excessive so maybe it will not be a shock if you choose to go there...

Hey Zipper269,

Thank you very much for your two cents. Yes you are right..I have done a little research on accommodation and it turned out cheaper than UK. Only problem is I may not find any suitable place near to my work place. I will be working at Laakdal and all the places I find is at least half an hour commutable distance by car from Laakdal.

My company is paying for the first week stay in hotel and I believe I should be able to find a place within this first week.

@phipiemar I did have a look at the airbnb site. But dont seem to find anything nearer to my work place. And interestingly the money people are charging for a room in their house, I can easily rent a one bed room apartment with a little extra.

Oh I will be starting on 14/09/15 Monday. Wish me luck and let me know if you are back in Belgium.

Many thanks for your help and advice.

Just to let you know the train system is pretty good here. So even if you need to go out a little farther if it is near a train station it is really no big deal. Most companies here give a reimbursement for the train if you use it and ask them for it. There are the added benefits of it being peaceful living in the country. I live 40 minutes by car away from work and it is a good trade to be peaceful. I rarely hear any sirens from the police... It is mostly the SAMU out here and that isn't very often.
I would bring your car at least in the beginning. If you find a place and you don't need it just park it until you door take it back to the UK. My UK friends bring theirs and they say it isn't too difficult. They then drive from Calais.

Can someone tell me...
if my monthly gross salary is ~2100e, what will be my net?
but sometimes it can be gross salary ~2600e, what will be my net?

Married (partner doesn't work), no kids. Residence status.

Hi,

If 2100€, NET will be 1674.51€

If 2600€, NET will be 1883.53€

Hi phipiemar,

How are you doing?
Its been a while since we last spoke. I am already on my 5th month here in Belgium!
Everything is going well and I am enjoying here except the language barrier. But its OK as my work colleagues do communicate in English.

That's it... just thought about you and wanted to drop a line here....

Many thanks

Hi,

I am fine and back in Belgium for a while. Glad to know you find your marks. But really make an effort to learn French, it will open you new horizons.

Perhaps we shall have the opportunity to take a drink together one of these days ...

Hello,

Thanks for the reply.

I am staying in Geel. Here they speak Dutch... :-(

Yea.. we should catch up one day man... I am free during the weekends and do drive.

Thanks