How and where do I find a good accountant?

Where and how do I find a good accountant in Brussels? Which of you has not heard this question from a friend or a close acquaintance? Admittedly, when you’re looking for a tax expert, as when you’re choosing a doctor, you can never be too careful.

But first of all, what does the word "accountant" actually cover? Quite a lot, in fact. In everyday language in Belgium, the term "accountant" is very broadly understood.

For instance, you often hear people ask: “Do you know a good accountant for my tax declaration?” The person whose help is sought more specifically here is a tax expert or a qualified tax consultant.

Another example: your neighbour is going to open a delicatessen and therefore by law has to keep double-entry accounts: the professional he is looking for will first and foremost be qualified in accounting entries and VAT declarations, all backed up by good organisation, resulting in a quarterly operating account that’s essential for day-to-day management (*).

Final example: you exercise your profession in Belgium, but you are non-resident or an ex-pat and your Belgian tax declaration is considerably more complicated to fill in: an accountant will probably find is less easy to help you. Instead, you should look for an expert tax adviser or an experienced international tax consultant.

Belgian law makes a clear distinction between the two professions: accountants are overseen by the Institut Professionnel des Comptables (I.P.C. – Professional Accountants’ Institute), whereas tax consultants and certified accountants are answerable to the Institut des Experts-Comptable et des Conseils Fiscaux (I.E.C. – Institute of Certified Accountants and Tax Consultants).

To choose the right “numbers professional”, first take the time to analyse your needs: are they purely bookkeeping or do they correspond more to a much needed tax optimisation? By making the right choice, and considering carefully first, you are sure to benefit from a service more suited to your real needs.

 (*) Note: In fact, the profession of tax adviser (tax expert or tax consultant in everyday language) has differed from that of accountant for about fifteen years. Why? Mainly owing to the exponential growth in legal texts. For tax advisers (tax experts), the Belgian tax code has swollen regularly and now contains almost four times as many subjects as it did thirty years ago! Belgium has signed numerous new agreements aimed at preventing double taxation, the practice of tax "rulings" has been created, and the number of “reference” judicial precedents on tax matters has soared! The same applies for the profession of accountant: rapid development and constant additions to the Belgian accounting standards issued by the Commission des Normes Comptables (CNC – Accounting Standards Commission), together with numerous new European accounting and balance-sheet standards (IAS and IFRS standards). In the past, an accountant could easily prepare tax declarations directly on the basis of the income and expenditure of self-employed workers or the balance sheet of the company. That happy time is over: these days account has to be taken of a host of expenses that the tax authorities do not accept, taxable benefits in kind, exemptions and tax reductions modified every year by the legislator.

A new profession is born, and it’s up to you to choose, whether you call him a tax adviser, tax consultation or tax expert!