Expense Tracking for Belgian Freelancers: What to Track and How
Good expense tracking is one of the most powerful tax tools available to Belgian freelancers. Every deductible expense reduces your taxable income — and therefore your income tax and social contributions. Here's what to track, what you can deduct, and how to do it without spending hours on bookkeeping.
Why Expense Tracking Matters
Belgian freelancers pay income tax on their net professional income — revenue minus deductible expenses minus social contributions. With a marginal tax rate of 45–50% for most freelancers, every €1,000 in deductible expenses saves you €450–500 in tax.
Fully Deductible Business Expenses (100%)
- Software subscriptions (Adobe, Microsoft 365, Figma, accounting software)
- Professional books, courses, training, conferences
- Office supplies and stationery
- Accountant and legal fees
- Social contributions (INASTI/RSVZ)
- Professional liability insurance
- Public transport for business travel (train, bus, metro)
- Professional memberships and subscriptions
- Bank charges on your professional account
Partially Deductible Expenses
- Restaurant meals — 69% deductible (business meals with clients or prospects)
- Car expenses — depends on CO2 emissions and fuel type; typically 50–100% deductible for professional use
- Phone and internet — professional portion only (typically 75–80% for freelancers)
- Home office — professional surface ÷ total surface × annual housing costs (rent/mortgage interest, utilities, insurance)
- Gifts to clients — 50% deductible, max €250 per client per year
Home Office Deduction
If you work from home, you can deduct a portion of your housing costs as a professional expense. The formula:
Deductible amount = (professional m² ÷ total m²) × annual housing costs
Annual housing costs include rent or mortgage interest, property tax, fire insurance, heating, electricity, and water. Keep all receipts and a floor plan showing your office dimensions.
Car Expense Deduction
Car deductibility depends on CO2 emissions:
- 0g CO2 (full electric) — 100% deductible
- 1–50g CO2 (plug-in hybrid) — 75% deductible
- 51–100g CO2 — 50–75% deductible
- Above 200g CO2 — 40% deductible
You can only deduct the professional use percentage — keep a logbook if you use your car for both business and private trips.
What You Cannot Deduct
- Personal clothing (unless it's a uniform or specific professional attire)
- Personal food and drinks
- Fines and penalties
- Personal travel (holidays)
- Income tax and VAT payments themselves
How to Track Expenses Automatically
With Eurobillr, expenses are captured three ways:
- PEPPOL auto-import — incoming supplier invoices land directly in your expense list with all data pre-filled
- Receipt scanning — photograph any receipt and OCR extracts vendor, amount, date, and VAT automatically
- Manual entry — add any expense in seconds with category, amount, and date
All expenses feed automatically into your VAT return and income tax report — no spreadsheets, no re-keying.