Belgium
5 reasons to invest in Belgium
1. Prominent location- "On various crossroads"
Belgium has benefited from centuries of being located exactly where Europe's three major cultures - Anglo-Saxon, Germanic and Latin - meet. The Blue Banana, which covers one of the world's highest concentrations of people, wealth and industry, encloses Belgium completely.
Its location at the heart of Europe's core economy is combined with a highly developed transport and communications network, which makes Belgium a top international region.
2. Belgian taxes - "More attractive than you think"
In terms of taxation, Belgium does not stand out from other countries. However, the Belgium government has worked out some interesting measures:
The notional interest deduction allows companies, which use their own equity for investments, to deduct a (fictitious) interest sum from their tax base. In this way the differences in the tax treatment between risk capital and debt capital is eliminated.
There is also a tax incentive for patents, a significant benefit for companies with R&D activities. The patent deduction allows companies to deduct 80 percent of their gross patent income from their tax base.
The new domestic dividend withholding tax exemption is yet more proof of Belgium's business-friendly approach. Using Belgium as their holding location for investments in Europe allows corporate investors from treaty countries to repatriate European profits without paying dividend withholding tax and without a limitation on profits.
The Belgian tax system has also created attractive conditions for employers, with lower wage costs for foreign executives. For expatriate employees, the employer's own expenses are reimbursed.
3. Truly international - "As international as can be"
True, Belgium is a small country but it hosts the NATO European Headquarters, the permanent representatives of the Commission and the Council of the European Union, numerous international banks, lobby groups and many international corporations. The reason for this international presence lies in Belgium's central location in Europe, the fact that it is multilingual and the presence of different cultures and populations.
4. Quality of life - "Hidden behind the clichés"
Belgium is more than just beer, chocolate and fries. The standard of living is among the highest in the world. Thanks to the social security system, a low crime rate and the low costs for housing and education, Belgians feel safe.
Belgium offers best of both worlds: the vibrant atmosphere and rich culture of cities like Brussels, Antwerp, Ghent, Bruges and Kortrijk, as well as the tranquility of the countryside, the coast or the Ardennes.
5. An ideal test-market in Europe - "Where Europe's major cultures meet»
At the crossroad of Latin and Anglo-Germanic cultures, Belgium is the ideal test market for new products and services in Europe. Multinationals choose Belgium to field-test their products because of the heterogeneous public and the fact that marketing and advertising costs are lower than in other EU-countries.
