Tax on urban decay changes

This page has been automatically translated from French into English by a translation software. Automatic translations are not as accurate as translations made by professional human translators. Nevertheless these pages can help you understand information published by the City of Brussels.

   

The City made a tax for the owners of neglected buildings and grounds and owners of empty floors above shops. The tax was later copied by other Brussels municipalities and more recently by the Brussels Capital Region.

Appeal against tax

After some years, the regulation of taxes of the City showed its first weaknesses. Since 2001, 67% of them were the object of an appeal. The concept thus had to evolve to become more effective.

2010, changes in the tax regulation

From January 2010, the tax will be widened to all the buildings and the grounds which are totally or partially neglected, untidy, unexploited or unfinished. The new notion of neglected building includes henceforth as well the technical state of decay as the inexploitation or the inoccupation. The report procedure will also be simplified: it will be valid for indefinite duration as long as the inverse proof will not be demonstrated. Finally, there will be less exemptions and their reach will be restricted.

A strengthened control team

A team of agents that reports and controls has just been strengthened with the arrival of 5 new agents. Since 2003, more than 300 annual taxes were raised, for a global amount of about one million euro a year.