Tax Advisors Take Legal Action Over Belgian IT Failures
Belgium’s professional body for tax advisors and accountants has issued a formal legal notice to the Belgian state, demanding structural solutions to recurring IT system failures that have disrupted tax filing services for millions of taxpayers. The action follows a major outage that struck just days before the national tax declaration deadline.
The Legal Action
The Institute for Tax Advisors and Accountants (ITAA), representing 13,500 certified professionals and 20,000 employees in the sector, delivered the formal notice (“mise en demeure”) to the cabinet of Finance Minister Jan Jambon on Thursday, July 16, according to RTBF. The Belgian state now has 30 days to respond.
“The profession will not continue to suffer the IT failures of the administration,” warned Emmanuel Degrève, President of the ITAA, as reported by La Libre.
The Trigger: A Weekend Outage
Over the weekend of July 11–12, a major IT outage struck MyMinfin and Tax-on-web, the Belgian tax authority’s primary digital platforms, preventing taxpayers and accountants from accessing online filing services. The SPF Finances (Federal Public Service Finance) described it as a “technical incident” that began on Friday, July 10, and continued to disrupt access through the weekend, as VRT NWS reported.
In response, the SPF Finances extended the tax declaration deadline from July 15 to July 19, 2026—a rare move acknowledging the severity of the disruption.
Years of Frustration Boil Over
According to the ITAA, these IT failures have been recurring for twenty years. Each time, the government’s response has been the same: an additional deadline extension. But for tax professionals, that does little to compensate for the real-world impact.
“Each time, the response is the same: an additional deadline. But for tax professionals, that doesn’t repair the lost hours, the stress, and the extreme tensions,” Degrève told DH Les Sports+.
The ITAA’s press release stated bluntly that after twenty years of failures of these “state-imposed tools,” the cup is full. The sector is demanding structural responses, not temporary fixes.
Key Demands
The ITAA’s formal notice outlines four specific demands:
- Sustainable investment in digital platforms to eliminate malfunctions
- Professional involvement in testing before each declaration period
- Guaranteed and automatic deadline extensions in case of IT failures
- Administrative tolerance regarding penalties during outages
These demands reflect a growing frustration with what the sector views as a systemic failure of government digital infrastructure.
Government Response
Finance Minister Jan Jambon (N-VA) expressed regret over the impact of the technical problems on accountants, citizens, and other professional users. In comments reported by L’Echo, he stated his willingness to “extend a hand” to the sector’s representatives, notably the ITAA, in order to work together on solutions that better meet the needs of accountants and businesses.
Broader Implications
The confrontation between tax professionals and the Belgian state raises significant questions about the reliability of government digital services. Belgium has one of the highest tax burdens in Europe—a separate analysis published the same day noted that a Belgian average salaried worker dedicates 54% of their income to taxes, social contributions, and VAT—making the reliability of digital tax filing systems all the more critical.
The formal legal notice is a preliminary step before potential litigation. If the ITAA proceeds with legal action, it could set a precedent for professional bodies holding the government accountable for digital service failures. The demands for automatic deadline extensions and administrative tolerance during outages could also lead to formal policy changes.
What’s Next
The Belgian state has until approximately August 16, 2026, to respond to the ITAA’s formal notice. If the government fails to address the sector’s demands adequately, the ITAA could pursue litigation. Meanwhile, the broader question of whether Belgium’s government digital infrastructure is fit for purpose remains unanswered—and the clock is ticking toward the next tax filing season.
Reporting contributed by RTBF, La Libre, DH Les Sports+, VRT NWS, and L’Echo.