Tax declaration 2021: Here is everything you need to know

The Minister of Finance and the Administration presented this Wednesday the characteristics of the tax declaration for 2021. Twenty new codes appear due to the coronavirus crisis.

Le “bond vers le haut” du nombre de codes est temporaire, assure le ministre des Finances Vincent Van Peteghem (CD&V). “Il est le résultat de mesures temporaires et ciblées prises par le gouvernement fédéral pour aider nos familles et les entreprises saines à traverser la crise. Nous compensons cette complexité supplémentaire en nous appuyant une fois de plus sur l’assistance téléphonique, mon objectif restant bien sûr de simplifier à terme la déclaration d’impôt dans le cadre de la grande réforme fiscale“, a-t-il ajouté.

Companies

These new codes relate in particular to reductions for new actions or shares of companies whose turnover has dropped sharply, exemptions for voluntary overtime, resumption of exemption for future professional loss, as well as increases for insufficientanticipated payments.

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In order to encourage entrepreneurs to invest, the deduction rate increases to 25% for investments made from March 12, 2020, until the end of 2022.

Children

It is now possible to deduct, by day of childcare, a maximum amount of € 13 instead of € 11.20.The age limit was raised from 12 to 14 years old, and from 18 to 21 for disabled children.

Donations

For donations made in 2020, the tax reduction will be 60% instead of 45%.The ceiling was increased to reach 20% of all net income, compared to 10% before.The absolute limit remains set at 392,200 euros.Donations in kind of medical devices to certain establishments between March 1 and June 30, as well as computers to schools carried out between March 1 and December 31, can also give rise to tax reductions.

In addition, the Brussels Region introduced the Proxis loan in 2020. If you have granted a loan to an independent or an SME in the Brussels region, you can obtain a tax credit under certain conditions.

Telework

Teleworking also involves new costs.Although each situation is different, additional expenses related to telework can be deducted largely, or even in whole, insofar as they are not already reimbursed by the employer.

This includes in particular the hypotestal loan or the rent. "You can determine the professional part of your home by examining the area of ​​where you work, compared to the total area. Limit it to the time spent professional, compared to the total time spent in the place. Example: a space of 4 × 4 m on a total area (apartment) of 100 m2 and three quarters of the total spent time used to work = 16/100 x 75/100 = 12/100 = 12 %, details Purchasing test. “As a tenant, take the professional part of the rent. As a owner, it is based on the purchase price of the house (except for the land), amortized over 33 years. However, if you rent, first check the lease contract: some owners prohibit the professional use of housing because they are then more heavily imposed. On the other hand, if you rent from a company, there is no problem, it will pay a higher tax anyway. "

Electricity, heating, telephony ...

Teleworking also affects the gas and electricity bill.What about deductibility?Other related costs such as electricity, heating, home insurance, property tax, as well as telephone and internet costs can be deducted, but always limited to their professional part, specifies test purchases.“You can also count office supplies (paper, stamps, bics).Devices such as your computer, printer or mobile phone, etc.must be amortized according to their useful lifespan.You can also count the miles of travel for the days you go to work. ”

On the other hand, all this is not unlimited.A ceiling for professional costs is planned according to professional income.

Gel of indexing of tax advantages

Last clarification: to save, the government has frozen the indexing of most of the federal tax advantages for expenses from 2020 to 2023. The maximum amounts of tax reductions will therefore remain at the 2019 fiscal year.The maximum amounts of pension savings were indexed in 2020.

The criteria for receiving a simplified declaration have also been hardened: 3.75 million taxpayers will receive one this year, 170,000 less than in 2020.

Simplified declarations and proposals have been available since Wednesday on Tax-on-Web.The paper forms will arrive by mail during the month of May.People who choose this option will have to return their declaration for June 30, while those who favor tax-on-web will be able to do so until July 15.

V.D.T.- Photo: Belga