I am considering moving to Brussels to take up a position late in 2005. My wife will also be employed.

Between us we will be earning about 120,000 euros. (5000 and 4500 per month paid 13.85? times)

I understand we will be taxed around 50% which would leave on average 5400 euros per month.

Is this enough to live on? We would need a 3 bedroom place in a nice area. We would both be on shift work with many night shifts so we will need an au pair for our 3 year old plus day care.

Looking on the internet I am expectig to pay something like 1500 euros for an apartment. 600-700 for day care plus a similar salary for an au pair. A total guess would be another 2000 for general living expenses. The lot coming in at jsut under 5000. Would that be a reasonable estimate of living costs for a decent lifestyle?

This is a lot of money by belgian standards.

I am guessing but the fact that you are looking to rental accomodation suggests a lack of permanence. You should look at getting your company to apply for ex-pat tax status for (perhaps). In which case you won't be getting taxed 50%.

Cost of living expenses is a very personal thing so its difficult to say whether anything is going to be enough. A rough idea of cost of living differences can be found here:

<a href="http://www.homefair.com/homefair/servlet/ActionServlet?pid=246&previousPage=245&cid=homefair&fromSalary=&fromCity=74&toCity=657" Target="_BLANK">http://www.homefair.com/homefair/servlet/A...City=657</a>

Thanks Ventho

I had looked at the site you gave the link to. I wasn't sure if this is meant to be a comparison of net income or gross income so had discounted the results. I am in New Zealand and the costs in Begium were 5% higher than here which I find hard to believe.

I thought the salary would be good by Belgium standards(It is by any). This is more the case though if considered as a permanent move. As an expat contract it is not as good as some I have had and as an expat I will incur a lot of costs which have to be regained within a short period. Flights, set up costs and depreciation on car and furniture have to be added to my living expenses. I am expecting to stay between 1 and 2 years. More likely the former.

I suppose the expenses I am most cocerned about are those of my child. I believe international schools charge 8-10 thousand euros per year though I understand 3 year olds can have free pre-school. As we both will mostly work at night we will need a nanny or au pair. I am estimating this will cost about 600 euros a months + room and maybe board?

It seemed a very god job but I am finding the tax and other expenses I will have may not make it worthwhile if I am only there for a year. I just hope to break even as my wife as never been to europe and we see this as a chance for her to see most major cities.

If anyone can give any guideline for price wit hregard to childcare, both preschool and au pairs I would be grateful.

As for the expat status I don't think Iwill qualify from what I have read.

Having read your posts, KKBB, it seems to me that you would be advised to consult a tax lawyer. Many of the expenses you've cited appear to be attributable to your work and depending on whether you can obtain expat status or are taxed as a Belgian, it may be that you can offset some of the expenses against income tax.

How old is your child? - From what you say, I suspect he/she might be quite young. Have you considered putting your child in a local school? - If you did, then no doubt he/she would learn the language very rapidly. OK, the acquisition of language skills would be at the expense of a reduction in learning rate in other areas, but the chance to learn a new language might be the better option.

I'm in total agreement on the local school... what a great opportunity for your child to learn some French and/or dutch and for one year, 10k is a lot of money for not much added value (if any at all at that age).

My daughter will be 3 when we move to Belgium. I know what you mean about the value of the schools at that age. My concern was more for her happiness. She has just about learned to speak and if we put her in a French speaking school we will have taken the ability to communicate away from her. if we were staying for several years it would be worth it but at her age if we were to leave in a year she would forget her new language anyway. The advantage of her being immersed in the local culture would soon be lost and she would struggle for 3-4 months until she picked up the new language. Still its posiible I may love the place and we will stay longer. All things considered it may be best to go with a local school. It would be my preferred choice anyway and if she is very unhappy i can move her to a english speaking school. I guess I will just have to wait and see how she does though the chances are she will survive and be speaking more French than myself in 6 months.

As for my tax status I will not be coming from overseas company to work in a local office. I will be working for a Belgian company and employed as any other person. I guess I will just have to pay the taxes.

Is the tax less when you are married and have children? Would it be likely I would end up paying any less than 50%?

still from what you say 120,000 euros should be more than enough. Coming from New Zealand it will be quite an expense though we should hopefully manage to break even in the first year. We do not have expensive tastes but I would like to live in a safe and convenient area of Brussels. What would a 3 bedroom apartment cost in one of the better suburbs of the city? For that matter what are the better suburbs I should be looking at?

Thanks for your replies. It helps a lot. I have moved around teh world quite often but this is a difficult one to decide on due to the high tax rates.

I am on expat tax status. I also have a permanent belgian contract (NOT fixed term), I do pay belgian tax and social security (if I was made unemployed I'd get unemployment benefit). Its just some cost of living expenses are deductible and so I pay less tax.

To get expat tax status, you (or your company) have to prove that your expertise is difficult to find within the country. At 5000 a month I suspect not just any old tom, dick or harry could do your job.

You also have to demonstrate that your have more financial interest overseas than you do in Belgium. Obviously I can't help you on that one but if you're renting over here and you have a house overseas that should cover it.

Finally there has to be some kind of temporary element to the job. At least in theory. This doesn't mean a temporary contract. It also doesn't mean shortterm (I've know people that have been on the tax status for over 10 years), as I said I'm on a full indefinite Belgian contract. There basically has to be some kind of intention to eventually return to your home country (or another), but in reality this is not something that can be proven.

I really would recommend an inital consultation with some accountants. My company has an account with Ernst and Young. They're not brilliant but they mostly know there stuff.

On that kind of salary you will more than cover your costs. I would also recommend putting the kid into a local school. The schools in Belgium are in general very good. Its a tuffie for just one year tho, you'll just have arrived and be off again.....

Bet ure a techie....

Thanks for the advice.

Ventho. Is it correct that you have to determine your status before you arrive?

I think we will go with a local school. Sorry DiZZy, I'm no techie. I will be working in a a mangement position with a new company there.

Ventho. Is it correct that you have to determine your status before you arrive?

No mine was sorted out after I started work, although my company was geared up to sort it out as soon as I arrived. I had a accountant come visit me at work very soon after starting.

I think we will go with a local school. Sorry DiZZy, I'm no techie. I will be working in a a mangement position with a new company there.
Ah management!

This is could be the flaw in the expat tax status plan. In depends what industry you are in for instance my job title is manager, but actually I'm more of a scientist in my actual role. I don't think management per se is a plus point in getting awarded the status. I still think its worth investigating, I hope I haven 't led you up the garden path!

Thanks. I know the company is looking into the tax status. There will be several overseas staff coming into Belgium for this project and since the high taxes make it difficult to attract people I'm sure they will sort something out if possible.