European Foundation
for the Improvement of
Living and Working Conditions

The tripartite EU agency providing knowledge to assist
in the development of better social, employment and
work-related policies

EU PolicyWatch

Database of national-level policy measures

Eurofound's EU PolicyWatch collates information on the responses of government and social partners to the COVID-19 crisis, the war in Ukraine, rising inflation, as well as gathering examples of company practices aimed at mitigating the social and economic impacts.

Factsheet for measure BE-2021-1/1913 – measures in Belgium

Tax Shelter COVID-19

Tax Shelter COVID-19

Country Belgium , applies nationwide
Time period Temporary, 01 January 2021 – 31 August 2021
Context COVID-19
Type Legislations or other statutory regulations
Category Promoting the economic, labour market and social recovery into a green future
– Support for spending, stimulus packages
Author Dries Van Herreweghe (Katholieke Universiteit Leuven) and Eurofound
Measure added 08 June 2021 (updated 29 June 2021)

Background information

The government launches the Tax Shelter COVID-19 to promote the injection of risk capital into small companies that, due to the COVID-19 crisis, are in need of additional resources to finance their operations. This Tax Shelter COVID-19 is very similar to the existing recurrent Tax Shelters for start-ups and growth companies.

The measure has been approved by parliament on 1 April 2021 and is aimed at small enterprises that have been confronted with significant turnover reductions in the second COVID-19 wave.

Content of measure

The measure is intended for small enterprises, so several conditions apply:

  • An annual average workforce of maximum 50 employees.
  • An annual turnover of maximum €9 million (excluding VAT).
  • A balance sheet total of €4.5 million.
  • If a company is linked to one or more other companies, the criteria for turnover and balance sheet total must be calculated on a consolidated basis.

Whereas pre-COVID-19 this measure was aimed at start-ups and scale-ups, currently company age is no longer a prerequisite.

A difference between the systems is however that in the COVID-19 variant it is not allowed to pay out dividends to shareholders.

However, it is important that the turnover of the enterprise has decreased with at least 30% between 2 November 2020 and 31 December 2020 (compared to the same period in 2019). In case the company was not active in 2019, this turnover numbers are compared to the expected turnover as stated in the financial plan.

Use of measure

No data available

Target groups

Workers Businesses Citizens
Does not apply to workers SMEs
Applies to all citizens

Actors and funding

Actors Funding
National government
National funds

Social partners

Social partners' role in designing the measure and form of involvement:

Trade unions Employers' organisations
Role Unknown Unknown
Form Not applicable Not applicable

Social partners' role in the implementation, monitoring and assessment phase:

  • Unknown
  • Main level of involvement: N/A

Involvement

No information available

Views and reactions

No information available

Sources

Citation

Eurofound (2021), Tax Shelter COVID-19, measure BE-2021-1/1913 (measures in Belgium), EU PolicyWatch, Dublin, https://static.eurofound.europa.eu/covid19db/cases/BE-2021-1_1913.html

Share

Eurofound publications based on EU PolicyWatch

30 January 2023

 

Measures to lessen the impact of the inflation and energy crisis on citizens

Governments across the EU continue to implement policies to support citizens and businesses in the face of rising food and energy prices caused by the COVID-19 crisis and intensified by the war in Ukraine. This article summarises the policy responses as reported in Eurofound's EU PolicyWatch database from January to September 2022.

Article

12 September 2022

 

First responses to cushion the impact of inflation on citizens

Although the worldwide pandemic situation had already disrupted supply chains and triggered increases in energy and food prices in 2021, the situation deteriorated in 2022 with the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Article

12 September 2022

 

Policies to support EU companies affected by the war in Ukraine

This article summarises the first policy responses that governments across the EU have started to implement to support companies affected by the rising prices, and those with commercial ties to Ukraine, Russia or Belarus.

Article

5 July 2022

 

Policies to support refugees from Ukraine

This article summarises the first policy responses of EU Member States, including those of the social partners and other civil society actors, enabling refugees to exercise their rights under the Temporary Protection Directive.

Article

Disclaimer: This information has not been subject to the full Eurofound evaluation, editorial and publication process.