Belgium vs Germany
Tax Rate Comparison
Enter your income below for a personal tax estimate, then scroll down for full rate breakdowns.
๐ฐ Personal Income Tax Calculator
Enter your income to see your estimated annual tax liability in each country โ side by side.
๐ง๐ช Belgium โ Regional & Municipal Income Taxes
Belgium's 3 regions (Flanders, Wallonia, Brussels) and 589 municipalities each add centimes additionnelles (additional centimes) to federal income tax. Municipal rates range from 0% to 9.5% of federal income tax, averaging ~7%. Flanders, Wallonia, and Brussels have differing property tax (prรฉcompte immobilier) rates and housing policy incentives. The withholding tax on investment income (prรฉcompte mobilier) is federal at 30%. Belgium has no inheritance tax at federal level โ it's regional.
๐ฉ๐ช Germany โ Trade Tax (Gewerbesteuer) & Church Tax
Germany's 16 Bundeslรคnder apply federal income tax rates uniformly โ no state income tax variation. Municipalities levy Gewerbesteuer (trade tax) on business profits at ~7โ17% effective. Church tax (Kirchensteuer) of 8โ9% of income tax applies to registered members. The solidarity surcharge (Soli) now only applies to the top ~10% of earners.
Belgium vs Germany: Key Tax Differences (2026)
๐ฐ Income Tax: Belgium and Germany have similar top income tax rates (25โ45% vs 14โ45%).
๐ VAT/Sales Tax: Belgium has a higher consumption tax (6โ21% vs 7โ19%).
๐ข Corporate Tax: ๐ง๐ช Belgium offers a lower corporate rate (25% vs 29%), which can influence business location decisions.
๐ Capital Gains: ๐ฉ๐ช Germany taxes investment gains at a lower rate (25% vs 33%), benefiting investors.