Deloitte Belgium Launches First “R&D Tax Incentives” Service Line in Belgium
Deloitte Belgium has announced that it has expanded its current Tax practice with a new “Research &Development Tax Incentives” service line. The appointment of IP specialist François Gevers completes the newly dedicated multidisciplinary team. This specialised “R&D Tax Incentives” team, a first in Belgium, will be integrated into the “Deloitte Global R&D” network, and will focus on the development and implementation of Belgian and foreign tax facilities. The team will also focus on research operations and Intellectual Property structuring.
Deloitte is the first service provider in the Belgian market offering a service that is entirely dedicated to tax optimization with regards to R&D. Offering a partial 75% reduction of professional withholding tax for qualifying researchers, a R&D investment deduction or tax credit and a favorable tax regime for patent income, makes the Belgian R&D Tax incentives and IP tax regime currently among the best in the EU. In addition, R&D is becoming increasingly important for many Belgian companies. Accordingly, there is a clear market demand for a dedicated service.
The “R&D Tax Incentives” team will offer a variety of services, such as assisting clients in optimizing their R&D claims, assessing potential R&D tax benefits and compiling the appropriate documentation for audits. One of this team’s biggest assets is definitely the combination of tax specialists with the knowledge of professionals such as, engineers, scientists and IT specialists who can understand the technological and scientific aspects of R&D at Belgian companies.
Patrick Brauns, Tax Partner at Deloitte Belgium, stated; “As part of our comprehensive approach, we do not view R&D and IP in isolation. Instead, we consider them together with our clients in the context of their operations. Our team is fully integrated into the “Deloitte Global R&D” network. This network allows us to develop and implement overall strategic planning for our clients”.
The Deloitte Global R&D team is capable of providing insight into several local tax regimes and more specifically into getting a clearer view on the opportunities and risks that cross-border interactions can bring to multinational organizations.
Piet Vandendriessche, Tax Managing Partner at Deloitte Belgium confirmed, “We are convinced that focus and specialization are key for success and growth, and that is of course what we want to achieve. Moreover, recent wins show that there is a market for these specific services”.