You can submit your VAT return directly from Accountable in one click, without going to Intervat separately. This article walks you through each step, from preparing your expenses to completing your payment.
Your quarterly VAT submissions are due every 3 months and must be submitted and paid by the 25th of the month following the quarter (25 January, 25 April, 25 July, 25 October).
In this article, you will also learn about the alternative declaration methods and how to handle common submission errors.
🚀 Thanks to the direct connection between Accountable and Intervat, you can submit your VAT return with a single click, without leaving the app. There is no need to download and manually upload an XML file, though that option remains available if needed. Here is how to do it, step by step:
⚠️ What changed since 1 May 2026: the Belgian VAT chain has been modernised. Your VAT current account is now a VAT provision account, payments go to the new account number BE41 6792 0036 4210, and the summer tolerance is being phased out (transition leniency for 2026: 10 August / 10 September). Accountable handles all this automatically, but it's good to know. Read our full article on the VAT modernisation for details.
Start by making sure you have added all your professional expenses to Accountable. Upload all receipts and purchase invoices from the last quarter so nothing is missing before you close the period.
📌 Important: any expenses showing as "to review" at the top of your expense list will not count in your VAT return. Make sure all your expenses are in order before moving to the next step.
The second step is to make sure all your professional revenue from the last quarter is recorded in Accountable. All invoices you sent during the quarter must be uploaded or created, and any that have been paid must be marked as paid.
📌 Important: just like expenses, only invoices that are "in order" will count in your VAT return.
💡 Made any credit notes? Don't forget to upload or create them as well.
On the taxes screen, select the VAT declaration you want to submit. The first step is the Tax review: go through and validate all the automated checks.
Once the Tax review is complete, click Submit to SPF Finances. Accountable sends the VAT declaration directly to the SPF. Nothing else is required on your side.
You will receive an automated confirmation email.
You can find your submission acknowledgment in your Intervat profile under My dashboard. If you are a natural person, the submission is listed on Intervat when you log in with your actual VAT number, not your national registry number.
📅 About deadlines: the standard deadline is the 25th of the month following the quarter. The summer tolerance has been abolished, but a transition leniency applies in 2026: the Q2 2026 return can be filed until 10 August 2026 without a late-filing penalty. From 2027 onwards, the 25th deadline is strict.
🛡️ Your tax declarations are guaranteed with Accountable 🛡️
We cover all fines you receive from tax authorities due to an error or omission in a declaration submitted through Accountable: up to €500 per declaration if you're on the GROW, PRO, or Taxes plan, and up to €10,000 per declaration if you're on the GROW MAX, PRO MAX, or Max plan. See our plans and pricing for full details.
After submitting your VAT return, go to the VAT payment step. At the top of the page you will find the payment details to transfer the amount, along with a QR code you can scan directly from your preferred banking app.
Once the payment is done, click Mark as paid.
💡 Since 1 May 2026, VAT payments go to the new account BE41 6792 0036 4210 (the VAT provision account). Accountable's QR code is automatically pre-filled with the correct account number, amount, and structured communication. If you have a standing order or copy the IBAN manually, make sure to update it to the new one.
Your VAT balance is positive? This means you will get money back from the state and do not need to pay anything.
Once you receive the reimbursement from the tax office, click Mark as recovered.
ℹ️ About refunds (since 1 May 2026): the automatic refund linked to your VAT return is limited to the credit of the current period (box 72). If you have a larger balance available on your VAT provision account (for example, carried over from previous quarters), you can request the refund directly from MyMinfin.
Your balance is €0? You don't need to pay anything. Simply click Mark as paid.
🚨 The VAT payment linked to your VAT return is not a deductible expense, so you cannot create an expense for this payment.
💡 Classify the transaction from the bank screen as Another professional payment > A tax payment > Payment for VAT and select the quarter corresponding to the payment.
If you work with an accountant or need to make adjustments outside of Accountable, you can download the XML file. Click the 3-dots menu and select Email VAT return to me. You will receive the XML file by email.
Once exported, the VAT declaration moves to a yellow Exported status: the period is locked and the figures are frozen, but the declaration is not fully done yet.
⏳ One step left. A reminder banner appears on the declaration confirming the file was sent to your email. Upload it on Intervat, then come back to Accountable and click I uploaded to Intervat to mark the declaration as fully done. It will turn green and the reminder will disappear.
Exported by mistake or need to re-export? Click Mark as not submitted in the reminder banner to reopen the period and generate the file again.
If your accountant is handling the tax declaration for you, click Mark as submitted. This marks your VAT return as submitted in Accountable without sending anything directly.
You can only submit the VAT declaration during the VAT closing period, between the 1st and the 25th of the month following a quarter. Submitting before or after these dates is not possible. To catch up on a previous VAT declaration, check directly on Intervat or contact SPF Finances.
You'll find all the information in how to submit a VAT return correction.
When submitting your quarterly VAT return on Intervat, you may encounter an error code. Check our VAT submission and Intervat known issues article for the most common errors and how to resolve them.
Step | Action | Expected status in the app | Where to find it |
1️⃣ | ✨ Add all expenses | ✅ All marked "in order" | 📁 Expenses tab |
2️⃣ | 💰 Review all income | ✅ Paid and validated invoices | 📁 Income tab |
3️⃣ | 🔒 Complete tax review | ✅ All checks validated | 📁 Taxes tab |
4️⃣ | ⚡️ Submit to the Tax Authorities | ✅ "Submitted" + confirmation email | 📧 Intervat + email |
5️⃣ | 💳 Pay or wait for refund | ✅ Marked as paid / refunded | 📁 VAT Payment tab |
Submit your quarterly VAT return directly from Accountable with a single click, without going to Intervat separately.
Before submitting, make sure all expenses and invoices are marked "in order" in Accountable, expenses that are still "to review" will not count.
Since 1 May 2026, VAT payments go to the new provision account BE41 6792 0036 4210. Accountable's QR code is pre-filled with the correct details automatically.
If you work with an accountant, you can export the XML file by email or use Mark as submitted to record the declaration without sending it directly.
The standard filing deadline is the 25th of the month following each quarter. A transition leniency applies for Q2 2026 only (until 10 August 2026).
Need help? Chat with us or email support@accountable.eu, we're happy to help.
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!
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