Belgian Tax Authority Sends 190,000 Erroneous VAT Reminders to Businesses

The Belgian Federal Public Service Finance (FOD Financiën) has mistakenly sent approximately 190,000 VAT payment reminders to businesses and self-employed individuals who had already paid their taxes on time. The administrative error, caused by technical problems in processing certain VAT payments, has triggered widespread confusion and frustration among affected companies, according to VRT NWS.

The reminders were sent to VAT-liable taxpayers who file monthly returns for June and those who file quarterly returns for the second quarter of 2026. Some affected businesses received demands for amounts reaching tens of thousands of euros, with letters demanding payment within 48 hours and threatening penalties.

Tax Authority Acknowledges Technical Failure

The FOD Financiën has acknowledged the error, attributing it to technical problems in processing certain VAT payments and provisions. According to the official statement published on its website, some registered amounts were not correctly allocated to the debts arising from periodic VAT returns or to the balance of the VAT current account.

“When a payment has been made on time, it will be taken into account based on its value date. No late interest or fines will be applied due to this technical problem,” said Florence Angelici, spokesperson for SPF Finances, as reported by RTL Info.

The tax authority has confirmed that taxpayers who paid on time need take no further action and that affected dossiers are currently being regularized. Measures have also been taken to prevent further erroneous messages from being sent while the problem is being resolved.

Professional Organizations Raise Alarm

The error has provoked strong reactions from professional organizations representing accountants and tax advisors. The CRECCB (Royal Association of Accountants and Tax Advisors of Belgium) called the tone of the letters “particularly threatening,” noting that entrepreneurs were given barely 48 hours to settle a VAT debt that was not even in arrears, as reported by La Libre.

Emmanuel Degrève, president of the ITAA (Institute for Tax Advisors and Accountants), described the situation as creating significant stress for entrepreneurs and their advisors. “We ask ourselves, did I pay correctly? Oh yes, actually, yes, I paid, but then why am I receiving this? I don’t understand,” he told RTBF. “In fact, it’s chaos.”

The accountancy firm FiscoSurplus from Lede has formally put the government in default (ingebrekestelling), the first step before potential legal action. If no full regularization is achieved, the firm threatens legal action for damages.

This marks the second time in a month that a professional body has taken legal action against the government. Last month, the ITAA did the same after a Tax-on-Web outage, citing frustration over recurring IT failures at the tax authority.

Root Cause: The New VAT Chain

The error is linked to the implementation of the “new VAT chain” (nouvelle chaîne TVA), a new debt recovery process that entered its final phase on May 1, 2026. According to Emmanuel Degrève, this new process does not take into account payments—it only takes into account debts. This explains why payments that had already been made were not properly recognized.

The transition to the new system has been accompanied by other technical difficulties. The FOD Financiën abolished the traditional VAT current account and replaced it with a provision account, which became technically visible via MyMinfin only from May 1, 2026. In late July, the tax authority announced a temporary disruption of the VAT provision account consultation in MyMinfin due to another technical problem.

A Pattern of Recurring IT Problems

This incident is part of a broader pattern of IT difficulties at the Belgian tax authority. Since January 1, 2026, Belgian VAT-liable businesses have been required to use the Peppol network for e-invoicing. In January, the KVABB requested Finance Minister Jan Jambon to extend VAT filing deadlines due to problems with the mandatory e-invoicing system, as Trends reported. In July, the ITAA formally put the federal government in default due to recurring IT outages, including problems with Tax-on-Web, forcing the government to extend tax filing deadlines.

What Taxpayers Should Do

According to the FOD Financiën, businesses that have already paid on time need take no further action—their payment will be processed based on its value date, and no penalties or late interest will be applied. Taxpayers who have not yet paid or only partially paid are urged to make their payment as soon as possible. Those in doubt can consult the message published on MyMinfin or the news item on the FOD’s website.

Looking Ahead

The FOD Financiën has stated that affected dossiers are being regularized and measures have been taken to prevent further erroneous messages. However, the underlying technical problems with the new VAT chain may continue to cause issues. Professional organizations are likely to continue pressing for structural improvements to the tax administration’s IT infrastructure, and the formal notices of default signal growing frustration among the accounting profession. The coming weeks will reveal whether the government can restore confidence in its digital tax services or whether legal action will follow.