You might make a purchase from a European supplier get taxed with the local VAT rate of your supplier (ex: gas fees while abroad for work). Usually, you don't get that VAT back. However, you can apply for a foreign VAT refund online via Intervat by entering a VAT Refund declaration. The foreign VAT refund application is not included in the Accountable App.
Attention: If you request a foreign VAT refund, in the app you'll have to encode the amount of the expense excluding VAT. |
 |
 |
A maximum of 5 claims can be submitted for expenses related to a calendar year.
If the claim is for a period of 3 months: the minimum amount is 400 euros per Member State.
If the request is for a period of one calendar year: the minimum amount is 50 euros per Member State.
If the refundable balance is less than 50 euros after processing the application, there will be no refund.
The refund is made by the Member State concerned.
The tax administration sends the application to the tax administration of the country concerned. The latter has 4 months (from the receipt of the application) to make a decision. This period can be extended to 6 or 8 months if additional information is requested.
Once the decision is made (and if it is positive), the amount is refunded within 10 working days.
More info: https://finance.belgium.be/en/E-services/Intervat/how-to-use-intervat/submit-application-vat-refund
You can apply for a VAT refund no later than September 30th of the following year.
If you have incurred expenses in other EU member states as a Belgian taxpayer (e.g. hotel, fuels costs) and your company is not registered with the VAT administration of that country then you are required to apply for a refund via Belgian Intervat website.
If you or your company have purchased goods for resale in other EU member states as Belgian taxpayer. Then your company have to register with the VAT administration of the other member state concerned. In that case, are supposed to reclaim your VAT refund in reference to the VAT return filed from the same country, not from Belgium.
You are required to submit all the relevant details on Intervat. There are two ways to do it:
By file (XML), advisable only if you have an accounting software, and you have exported that file from there. In this case, you are just required to attach a file (XML) into your application.
By screen, advisable if you do not have an accounting software. You enter the data directly into your Intervat application in the required fields.
In order to explore the step-by-step approach to follow each way mentioned up there, please refer to this official resource,
You need to get in touch with the relevant foreign administration. In principle, you can use the form 803.
Author - Valesca Wilms
As content marketing lead at Accountable Belgium, Valesca writes about freelancing, self-employment, and taxes based on her own experience as a freelancer.
Who is Valesca ?Thank you for your feedback!
Useful
As a self-employed individual with a sole proprietorship, your income is taxed under the personal in...
Read moreStarting from 2026, all self-employed individuals will need to send their invoices electronically in...
Read moreThe VAT reverse charge is a complicated word for a simple concept. It helps you purchase and sell sm...
Read moreThey always answer right away to any question I have, they provide clear answers, and they are very patient even when I struggle to understand. They try to explain in different ways. They are very helpful, responsive and friendly.
Chiara Marradi
01/05/2026
Everything was great! All my questions were answered quickly and in a friendly manner.
Wenzeslawa Wegener
04/05/2026
In the world where everyone seems to be out to get small entrepreneurs and overwhelm them with new rules, more taxes and reporting obligations, Accountable often feels like the one steady partner that actually wants you to succeed, providing quick, clear and personalised support. Thank you!
Janina Arsenjeva
10/04/2026
This is an amazing application with great support on issues. In short as in day I am addicted to it (in a positive way). I myself is from IT project management and the way they have captured the user requirement, it’s phenomenal.
Sumit Tewary
01/12/2024
UI is great. Feature packed and very easy to use. The team at Accountable were VERY quick to respond and their team of technicians soon had a fix in place. Very happy with the level of service so far. Thumbs up from me!
Dean Osborne
14/06/2023
This program is a lifesaver, and it is always improving. Plus, it has an AI chat feature that is actually useful.
Jeffrey Humble
14/01/2026
The coaching session on tax management was excellent, good material, excellent explanations and very insightful. Combined with the AI I never feel alone with Accountable.
Sergio Barbarino
23/04/2026
The availability of your team to help and guide people to understand their finances better is what really makes Accountable valuable. While the AI is able to give answers to most basic questions, specific scenarios need counsel from a human which your team performs beautifully.
Sofiya Bogdan Neves
18/04/2026
Fast and careful answers from Alina. Top service. Thank you.
Anonymous
15/04/2023
They always answer for questions wherever is via direct e-mail or through app. If they can’t answer fully they will forward you to the right place. Documents were always prepared well and ready to send further to government. Everything is intuitive in the app and easy to sort out even for someone completely green in this field.
Anonymous
22/03/2026
