Hi,
We moved to Brussels this year as my French partner got a job with an international firm on a permanent contract. When he signed the contract we were told that he was to earn a very good salary for Belgium. His gross salary is over 4,200 Euros but after all the social and state taxes we have around 2,200 Euros (not including the fees for the required insurances such as social responsiblity, household and additional medical taxes). Our rent amounts to 900 Euros a month which leaves us very little to live off.

Can anyone give some advice on how we can reduce our tax burden. The reality is that food is costing around 850 Euros a month (which only covers basics - no restaurants, no cinema, no social activities). I have not even started to count the euros we will spend on internet, mobile phones and gas and electricity.

The harsh reality is we are just not making the end of the month without using our savings. We are totally panicked as in France there is very little work at the moment and we are afraid to rock the boat here. He is already at the top of his salary bracket and I understand his salary is too high for us to qualify for any state assistance.

Does anyone have any suggestions? I realise we could move to the country and he could commute for more than 2 hours a day... aside from that, what else can we do?

You have my sympathy. Belgium has a highly regressive tax system full of grotesque absurdities. For instance overtime is automatically taxed at nearly 70% even if you are on minimum wage, while the taxes on wealth are so low that French CEOs actually use Belgium as a tax haven. And the kind of people who benefit most out of the system are the kind of people who protected Marc Dutroux. I've just been working overtime, and my salary is about half yours, so I am feeling particularly angry right now.

If I have read your post right, only one of you is working, in which case the following might not be very useful to you, but hopefully it might help somebody. I have heard that many couples with two salaries find a very cheap room somewhere, or even set up a caravan at the end of the garden, and register that as one of their addresses, thus avoiding finding themselves paying up to 70% marginally on their combined income. And the Belgian state being the dull-witted bloated monster that it is, they seem to get away with it.

I'm surprised to find myself talking like this. I would never have done so in the UK or Canada, but I'm just so sick of it all. Not just the taxes, but the grinding bureaucracy and the reckless and intimidating behaviour of so many public employees.

I lived in Belgium for many years as a student but it is clearly the worst country when it comes to salaries and taxes. I was in the same situation as you before when I was working there. I had a PhD in engineering and I was employed at one of the best companies in Belgium and still found it difficult to afford food/utilities for me and my wife. Finally I gave up and I moved to Germany. Now I am happy and content.

Hi there - we do all have differing experiences of Belgium. I have been here for many years and both myself and my wife are internationals on local contracts. My wife is employed and I am self employed. Our reality is that the tax system in Belgium works well. Yes the taxes are high and in return I get a quality of life the envy of many. So, it all goes to show -it just depends on your situation. Belgium does not breed a culture of entrepreneurship and this is what I think is the real problem and they love rules and policy.

The make ends meet - you need to examine what you buy and get an alternative, cheaper brand. For phone, look at the pay and go system - I used to pay 90.00 per month on calls, I now pay 30.00. Are there some projects that the non working partner can do to bring in some extra cash? I am at Espace53 (cinquantenaire parc) every Thursday from 19h00. If you need help or want to talk - do come along. You will meet others in a similar situation and we meet to talk, expand our networks, share and have some fun.
regards Chalks

buying a house, purchasing pension assurance from the bank, all these will help you on tax return which are not so many but better than nothing.

Thanks for the tips Chalks. I tried to minimize my expenses while I was there. In the end it just didnt work. I guess I could have made it work, but the option of moving out was just too easy and straightforward.