Importing & exporting in Belgium
If you are in one of the following situations, you might be wanting to create an optimum strategy for importing into and exporting from Belgium, and you:
- need to minimise your company’s duty exposure
- would like to streamline your indirect tax management systems in order to optimise cash flow
- want to find ways of maximising your commercial marketing opportunities through more efficient - and effective - import and export tax planning
- require advice on how to create an up-to-date, compliance-sensitive customs & duty planning system
- believe that if your company could lower the indirect tax burden you might be able to boost shareholder value, but you don’t know where to begin
- would like to find a way to better integrate your customs and duty planning with your company’s overall business strategy
Some of the key information you will find in this section:
Description of the Belgian customs context
Three major factors determine the fiscal treatment of products cleared through customs upon importation into Belgium:
- their commodity code (based on the Harmonised System)
- their origin
- their value
Since these three factors will affect the products' fiscal treatment, they need to be considered carefully and determined correctly to ensure proper import clearance into the European Community.
More information on the Belgian customs context
Import restrictions
Import export licensing requirements, prohibitions and restrictions are aspects of customs controls that can give rise to particularly difficult problems if the rules are not carefully followed.
More information on import restrictions
Customs warehousing
A customs warehouse is a facility where imported goods can be stored without being subject to import duties, VAT or other import taxes, or to non-tariff trade policy measures.
More information on customs warehousing
Use of local representation & exports
Importing goods into Belgium (or into the EU as a whole) means having to deal with import formalities. Depending on what is agreed (e.g. the Incoterms used), the importer can take care of these formalities himself or a customs agent can be appointed.
Exports
When goods are exported from the EU, as a general rule, no customs duties are due. There are rules with respect to the place of exportation and the person or entity able to act as the exporter. These rules have immediate repercussions on the VAT treatment of the export movement. For VAT purposes, the principal rule is that no VAT is due when goods are exported from Belgium to outside the EU and the exporter can prove that the goods have actually left the European Community.
More information on the use of exports
If this information does not answer all your questions, our professionals can work with you to create efficient and effective cross-border and indirect tax management systems that will help you cut operating costs, boost cash flow and reduce the amount of time you spend dealing with customs and duties issues.
All information in this Site is provided "as is", with no guarantee of completeness, accuracy, timeliness or of the results obtained from the use of this information, and without warranty of any kind, express or implied, including, but not limited to warranties of performance, merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose.