Tax deductibility of light commercial vehicles in 2026

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When it comes to company vehicles, replacing a passenger car with a light commercial vehicle offers various tax advantages: 100% tax deduction, lower road tax, and higher VAT deduction. Discover all the benefits of light commercial vehicles and how they differ from passenger cars.

What is a light commercial vehicle? 

Vans and pickup trucks are among the most common light commercial vehicles (LCVs). By law, a vehicle must respect the following requirements to be recognised as a light commercial vehicle:

• maximum authorised mass: 3,500 kg
• no back seat or only one row of seats
• an open or closed cargo area separate from the passenger area
• registration with the DIV (Directorate for Vehicle Registration)

Light commercial vehicle or passenger car: tax differences

In Belgium, it often makes more sense tax-wise to buy a light utility vehicle as a company car than a passenger car.

Here are the main differences between passenger cars and light commercial vehicles:

Find out how to calculate the tax deductibility of a passenger vehicle.

Tax benefits for light commercial vehicles in 2026

In 2026, it’s still worth considering a van as a company car.

• Expenses and VAT 100% deductible
  Fuel, maintenance, insurance, leasing, depreciation, tolls, parking fees... All expenses are 100% deductible if you only use your van or pickup for work. That makes for easy accounting!

• No link with CO₂ emissions
  While the tax benefits for more polluting passenger cars are lower, this is not the case for light commercial vehicles. That’s a major advantage, as it reduces your costs and taxes (especially road tax). The admin for LCVs is therefore a lot easier and leads to fewer (tax) surprises.

• Simpler BIK for mixed use
  The benefit in kind (BIK) is calculated in a more straightforward way, based on the kilometres travelled and the total costs. If you also use your light commercial vehicle for private purposes, the tax advantage remains significantly higher than for a passenger vehicle.

What if you buy a second-hand light vehicle?

Good news: even for a light commercial vehicle, the maximum tax deductibility of 100% applies.

Depreciation is calculated on the purchase price of the used vehicle, not on the original new price. The depreciation period (5 years for a new vehicle) depends on the remaining economic life.

Example:
You buy a 3-year-old second-hand light commercial vehicle for €15,000. You use it 100% for your business, and the expected remaining useful life is 2 years. You depreciate the truck linearly over 2 years, at €7,500 per year.

Demonstrating professional use

For a light commercial vehicle, it's crucial that you can demonstrate professional use.

Unlike heavy goods vehicles (over 3,500 kg), where the tax authorities automatically assume professional use, the burden of proof for light commercial vehicles lies entirely with you as the user.

This means you must maintain clear records:

• Journey log: keep a mileage log in which you record business trips (date, destination, purpose, number of kilometres)
• Supporting documents: collect invoices, work orders and other documents that support business use
• Logical connection: ensure that the transport aligns with your professional activity (an IT consultant will find it harder to justify a van than a plumber)

If you also use the light commercial vehicle privately, you must calculate this percentage correctly and exclude the non-deductible costs. The tax authorities monitor this strictly, so proper preparation saves you unpleasant discussions afterwards.

Is a light commercial vehicle right for your business?

A light commercial vehicle can be a good option if you're a self-employed sole trader or run a small business. The tax benefits speak for themselves.

Do you need to transport goods for deliveries, site visits, or other professional reasons? Then a light commercial vehicle is both practical and tax-efficient. 

The tax authorities closely monitor abuses of the system. Make sure you register your vehicle with the DIV (Directorate for Vehicle Registration) and that you can provide proof of the private and professional use in the event of mixed use.

Registering a light commercial vehicle as a company car in Accountable

In Accountable, you can add your vehicles and all the related expenses. We then calculate deductibility, VAT, and the impact on your taxes.

Try Accountable now for free!

Author - Artyom Ghazaryan

Artyom is Head of Accounting at Accountable, and a chartered Accountant & Tax Specialist.

Who is Artyom ?