{"id":26274,"date":"2026-06-01T17:07:00","date_gmt":"2026-06-01T15:07:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.accountable.eu\/?p=26274"},"modified":"2026-06-04T15:46:02","modified_gmt":"2026-06-04T13:46:02","slug":"contractor-with-tax-debts-how-does-the-withholding-obligation-work-and-can-you-still-pay-the-invoice","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.accountable.eu\/en-be\/blog\/contractor-with-tax-debts-how-does-the-withholding-obligation-work-and-can-you-still-pay-the-invoice\/","title":{"rendered":"Contractor with tax debts: how does the withholding obligation work and can you still pay the invoice?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"font-inter text-base leading-relaxed mb-4 first-of-type:mt-0 text-black\"><strong>You have your office renovated, your premises cleaned, or your business secured. The invoice arrives and you simply want to pay for the services received. But with invoices from contractors in construction, cleaning, or security, you cannot just do that. You are legally required to first check whether they have debts with the tax authorities or social security.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"font-inter text-base leading-relaxed mb-4 first-of-type:mt-0 text-black\"><strong>If that is the case, you must pay a portion of the invoice directly to the government. This is called the withholding obligation (<em>inhoudingsplicht\/obligation de retenue),<\/em> and in this article we explain everything you need to know so you are always compliant.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"1-what-is-the-withholding-obligation-and-does-it-apply-to-me\" class=\"wp-block-heading font-degular scroll-mt-32\">1. What is the withholding obligation and does it apply to me?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"font-inter text-base leading-relaxed mb-4 first-of-type:mt-0 text-black\">Suppose you hire a contractor to renovate your business premises. The work is done and the invoice is on the table. Normally you transfer the amount and that&#8217;s that. But if that contractor <strong>has debts with the tax authorities or social security<\/strong>, the law obliges you to <strong>pay a portion of the invoice not to them, but directly to the government<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"font-inter text-base leading-relaxed mb-4 first-of-type:mt-0 text-black\">Sounds odd? Yet it has been the case in Belgium for years. And <strong>new since 1 May 2026<\/strong>: an additional category has been added \u2014 debts relating to self-employed social contributions (via the RSVZ\/INASTI). So three categories in total to check.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"2-which-sectors-does-this-apply-to\" class=\"wp-block-heading font-degular scroll-mt-32\">2. Which sectors does this apply to?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"font-inter text-base leading-relaxed mb-4 first-of-type:mt-0 text-black\">You do not need to check every company you do business with for debts. <strong>The withholding obligation only applies when you have work carried out in these three sectors<\/strong>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list list-disc list-outside ml-0 mb-4 space-y-2\">\n<li class=\"font-inter text-base text-black\">Cleaning<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"font-inter text-base text-black\">Construction &amp; renovation<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"font-inter text-base text-black\">Security and guarding<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"font-inter text-base text-black\">Meat industry<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"font-inter text-base leading-relaxed mb-4 first-of-type:mt-0 text-black\">In practice: a contractor renovating your shop, a cleaning company for your office, a painter finishing your site, a security firm for your event. Even if you yourself are a contractor and subcontract work to someone else, this applies to you.<\/p>\n\n\n    <!-- wp:acf\/blog-annotation -->\n    <div class=\"wp-block-acf-blog-annotation flex items-start gap-4 bg-light-purple py-6 px-4 rounded-lg mb-3 mt-3\">\n                    <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"flex-shrink-0\" src=\"https:\/\/www.accountable.eu\/wp-content\/themes\/accountable\/assets\/rebranding-images\/icons\/blog\/widgets\/exclamation.svg\" alt=\"exclamation\">\n        \n        <div class=\"blog-annotation__text\">\n            <p class=\"font-inter text-lg text-purple m-0\"><strong class=\"font-bold\">The withholding obligation does not apply to private renovations.<\/strong> If you are a private individual having your own home renovated, you do not need to check or withhold anything.<\/p>\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n    <!-- \/wp:acf\/blog-annotation -->\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"3-ive-received-an-invoice-now-what\" class=\"wp-block-heading font-degular scroll-mt-32\">3. I&#8217;ve received an invoice, now what?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"font-inter text-base leading-relaxed mb-4 first-of-type:mt-0 text-black\">Before you pay, you need to check whether the contractor in question has any debts. You do this <strong>twice<\/strong>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list list-disc list-outside ml-0 mb-4 space-y-2\">\n<li class=\"font-inter text-base text-black\">when signing the contract;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"font-inter text-base text-black\">and again just before paying the invoice.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"font-inter text-base leading-relaxed mb-4 first-of-type:mt-0 text-black\">Even if everything was in order at the start, debts may have arisen in the meantime.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"how-do-you-check-whether-a-company-has-tax-debts\" class=\"wp-block-heading font-degular scroll-mt-32\">How do you check whether a company has tax debts?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"font-inter text-base leading-relaxed mb-4 first-of-type:mt-0 text-black\"><strong>1. Go to Checkinhoudingsplicht<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"font-inter text-base leading-relaxed mb-4 first-of-type:mt-0 text-black\">Visit <a class=\"font-inter text-purple underline underline-offset-1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.checkinhoudingsplicht.be\/\">Check inhoudingsplicht<\/a> and enter the contractor&#8217;s company registration number. You can find this on the quote, invoice, or in the CBE (enter the company name in Public Search).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"font-inter text-base leading-relaxed mb-4 first-of-type:mt-0 text-black\"><strong>2. Review the result<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"font-inter text-base leading-relaxed mb-4 first-of-type:mt-0 text-black\">You immediately see whether there are debts and how much you need to withhold. No debts? Then simply pay the full amount. Debts? Then you can see exactly what percentage you must transfer separately.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"font-inter text-base leading-relaxed mb-4 first-of-type:mt-0 text-black\"><strong>3. Save the certificate<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"font-inter text-base leading-relaxed mb-4 first-of-type:mt-0 text-black\">You can download a certificate as proof that you carried out the check. <strong>Keep this certificate together with the invoice.<\/strong> If an audit ever takes place, this is your protection.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"4-how-much-do-you-need-to-withhold\" class=\"wp-block-heading font-degular scroll-mt-32\">4. How much do you need to withhold?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list list-disc list-outside ml-0 mb-4 space-y-2\">\n<li class=\"font-inter text-base text-black\"><strong>15%<\/strong> when the company or self-employed person has debts with the tax authority (FPS Finance).<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"font-inter text-base text-black\"><strong>35%<\/strong> when the contractor has debts with social security.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"font-inter text-base text-black\"><strong>NEW since 1 May 2026: 15%<\/strong> in the case of outstanding self-employed social contributions.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"font-inter text-base leading-relaxed mb-4 first-of-type:mt-0 text-black\">And a <strong>maximum of 50%<\/strong> when there are multiple debts.<\/p>\n\n\n    <!-- wp:acf\/blog-annotation -->\n    <div class=\"wp-block-acf-blog-annotation flex items-start gap-4 bg-light-purple py-6 px-4 rounded-lg mb-3 mt-3\">\n                    <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"flex-shrink-0\" src=\"https:\/\/www.accountable.eu\/wp-content\/themes\/accountable\/assets\/rebranding-images\/icons\/blog\/widgets\/exclamation.svg\" alt=\"exclamation\">\n        \n        <div class=\"blog-annotation__text\">\n            <p class=\"font-inter text-lg text-purple m-0\">These percentages are always calculated on the <strong class=\"font-bold\">amount excluding VAT<\/strong>. You pay the VAT in full to your contractor as normal. That does not change.<\/p>\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n    <!-- \/wp:acf\/blog-annotation -->\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"5-how-do-you-arrange-the-payment-and-what-do-you-tell-the-contractor\" class=\"wp-block-heading font-degular scroll-mt-32\">5. How do you arrange the payment and what do you tell the contractor?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"font-inter text-base leading-relaxed mb-4 first-of-type:mt-0 text-black\">You make <strong>two payments<\/strong>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list list-decimal list-outside ml-0 mb-4 space-y-2\">\n<li class=\"font-inter text-base text-black\">the withheld portion goes to the government;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"font-inter text-base text-black\">the remainder to the company or self-employed person.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"font-inter text-base leading-relaxed mb-4 first-of-type:mt-0 text-black\">Let your contractor know in advance. An unexpectedly lower amount arriving in their account without explanation only causes confusion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"font-inter text-base leading-relaxed mb-4 first-of-type:mt-0 text-black\">A brief message might look like this:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"font-inter text-base leading-relaxed mb-4 first-of-type:mt-0 text-black\"><em>&#8220;Hi [name], I have received your invoice and carried out the mandatory check via Checkinhoudingsplicht before paying. This shows that there are [tax \/ social security \/ RSVZ] debts. I am legally required to withhold [X]% and transfer it directly to [FPS Finance \/ NSSO \/ RSVZ]. I will transfer \u20ac[amount] to your account and \u20ac[withheld amount] to [the relevant body]. I will include the certificate as proof.&#8221;<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Example:<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"font-inter text-base leading-relaxed mb-4 first-of-type:mt-0 text-black\">You receive an invoice for \u20ac2,000 excl. VAT (\u20ac2,420 incl. 21% VAT). The check shows your contractor has tax debts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table acct-table overflow-x-auto md:overflow-x-visible mt-14 pt-8\"><table class=\"has-fixed-layout\"><tbody><tr><td>Invoice amount excl. VAT<\/td><td>\u20ac2,000<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>15% withheld \u2192 to FPS Finance<\/td><td>\u20ac300<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>VAT \u2192 to contractor as normal<\/td><td>\u20ac420<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Amount paid to the contractor<\/td><td>\u20ac2,120<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"6-what-if-you-forget\" class=\"wp-block-heading font-degular scroll-mt-32\">6. What if you forget?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"font-inter text-base leading-relaxed mb-4 first-of-type:mt-0 text-black\"><strong>As a business client, you can be held liable for the debts of your contractor or service provider.<\/strong> If you pay the invoice in full without checking, or fail to withhold when you should have, the government can come to you for your contractor&#8217;s debts, and you may receive a fine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"font-inter text-base leading-relaxed mb-4 first-of-type:mt-0 text-black\">That is also why the check matters before <em>every<\/em> payment, not just at the start. Everything was green when you signed the contract but you pay two months later? Check again. Debts can arise in between.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"7-how-do-you-process-the-withholding-obligation-in-accountable\" class=\"wp-block-heading font-degular scroll-mt-32\">7. How do you process the withholding obligation in Accountable?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"font-inter text-base leading-relaxed mb-4 first-of-type:mt-0 text-black\">You have one invoice but two payments: one to your contractor and one to the government. In Accountable, you link both payments to the same invoice so everything balances correctly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"font-inter text-base leading-relaxed mb-4 first-of-type:mt-0 text-black\">Don&#8217;t worry, <strong>at Accountable we will help you remember<\/strong>: when you log an expense in a relevant category (construction, cleaning, or security), the expense form displays an info box with a link to Checkinhoudingsplicht, so you can verify whether any debts are outstanding before paying.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"8-what-if-you-yourself-have-tax-debts\" class=\"wp-block-heading font-degular scroll-mt-32\">8. What if you yourself have tax debts?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"font-inter text-base leading-relaxed mb-4 first-of-type:mt-0 text-black\">If you work in construction, cleaning, or security and have outstanding tax or social contribution debts, your clients are obliged to withhold a portion of your invoice. You therefore receive less than invoiced, which can seriously disrupt your cash flow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How do you know whether you have debts?<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"font-inter text-base leading-relaxed mb-4 first-of-type:mt-0 text-black\">You can check your situation via the official portals:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list list-disc list-outside ml-0 mb-4 space-y-2\">\n<li class=\"font-inter text-base text-black\"><strong>Tax debts<\/strong>: check <a class=\"font-inter text-purple underline underline-offset-1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.myminfin.be\/\">MyMinfin<\/a>. There you can see outstanding amounts and any repayment arrangements.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"font-inter text-base text-black\"><strong>Social security debts (NSSO)<\/strong>: your social insurance fund can provide an overview, or consult the <a class=\"font-inter text-purple underline underline-offset-1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.socialsecurity.be\/\">social security portal<\/a>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"font-inter text-base text-black\"><strong>Outstanding self-employed social contributions<\/strong>: log in to <a class=\"font-inter text-purple underline underline-offset-1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.rsvz.be\/\">MijnRSVZ<\/a> or the portal of your <a class=\"font-inter text-purple underline underline-offset-1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.accountable.eu\/nl-be\/blog\/welk-sociaal-verzekeringsfonds\/\">social insurance fund<\/a> to see whether any quarters are outstanding.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n    <!-- wp:acf\/blog-annotation -->\n    <div class=\"wp-block-acf-blog-annotation flex items-start gap-4 bg-light-purple py-6 px-4 rounded-lg mb-3 mt-3\">\n                    <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"flex-shrink-0\" src=\"https:\/\/www.accountable.eu\/wp-content\/themes\/accountable\/assets\/rebranding-images\/icons\/blog\/widgets\/bulb.svg\" alt=\"bulb\">\n        \n        <div class=\"blog-annotation__text\">\n            <p class=\"font-inter text-lg text-purple m-0\">Debt paid off but clients are still withholding? Contact the relevant body and request an update. Processing can sometimes take a few days. Once the system is updated, clients can pay you in full again.<\/p>\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n    <!-- \/wp:acf\/blog-annotation -->\n\n\n\n<p class=\"font-inter text-base leading-relaxed mb-4 first-of-type:mt-0 text-black\">Unable to pay everything at once? Both the RSVZ and FPS Finance offer repayment plans. <strong>Take the initiative and get in touch. The sooner your debts are cleared, the sooner your clients can pay you in full again.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"font-inter text-base leading-relaxed mb-4 first-of-type:mt-0 text-black\"><strong>When in doubt, always <a class=\"font-inter text-purple underline underline-offset-1\" href=\"https:\/\/search.accountable.eu\/\">consult an accountant or tax adviser<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>You have your office renovated, your premises cleaned, or your business secured. The invoice arrives and you simply want to pay for the services received. But with invoices from contractors in construction, cleaning, or security, you cannot just do that. You are legally required to first check whether they have debts with the tax authorities [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":24,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[269,271],"tags":[248,254],"class_list":["post-26274","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-important-things-to-know","category-invoices","tag-bookkeeping","tag-invoice"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.4 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Withholding obligation: deducting part of your contractor&#039;s invoice? - Accountable<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Received an invoice from a company in construction, cleaning, or security? You are legally required to check whether they have outstanding debts.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.accountable.eu\/en-be\/blog\/contractor-with-tax-debts-how-does-the-withholding-obligation-work-and-can-you-still-pay-the-invoice\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Withholding obligation: deducting part of your contractor&#039;s invoice? - Accountable\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Received an invoice from a company in construction, cleaning, or security? You are legally required to check whether they have outstanding debts.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.accountable.eu\/en-be\/blog\/contractor-with-tax-debts-how-does-the-withholding-obligation-work-and-can-you-still-pay-the-invoice\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Accountable\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-06-01T15:07:00+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-06-04T13:46:02+00:00\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Valesca\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Valesca\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"5 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.accountable.eu\\\/en-be\\\/blog\\\/contractor-with-tax-debts-how-does-the-withholding-obligation-work-and-can-you-still-pay-the-invoice\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.accountable.eu\\\/en-be\\\/blog\\\/contractor-with-tax-debts-how-does-the-withholding-obligation-work-and-can-you-still-pay-the-invoice\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Valesca\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.accountable.eu\\\/en-be\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/e9b420257ec5e7ac236d337e8c3aa7ad\"},\"headline\":\"Contractor with tax debts: how does the withholding obligation work and can you still pay the invoice?\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-06-01T15:07:00+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-06-04T13:46:02+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.accountable.eu\\\/en-be\\\/blog\\\/contractor-with-tax-debts-how-does-the-withholding-obligation-work-and-can-you-still-pay-the-invoice\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":1032,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.accountable.eu\\\/en-be\\\/#organization\"},\"keywords\":[\"Bookkeeping\",\"Invoices\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Important things to know\",\"Invoice your clients\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-BE\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.accountable.eu\\\/en-be\\\/blog\\\/contractor-with-tax-debts-how-does-the-withholding-obligation-work-and-can-you-still-pay-the-invoice\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.accountable.eu\\\/en-be\\\/blog\\\/contractor-with-tax-debts-how-does-the-withholding-obligation-work-and-can-you-still-pay-the-invoice\\\/\",\"name\":\"Withholding obligation: deducting part of your contractor's invoice? - Accountable\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.accountable.eu\\\/en-be\\\/#website\"},\"datePublished\":\"2026-06-01T15:07:00+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-06-04T13:46:02+00:00\",\"description\":\"Received an invoice from a company in construction, cleaning, or security? You are legally required to check whether they have outstanding debts.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.accountable.eu\\\/en-be\\\/blog\\\/contractor-with-tax-debts-how-does-the-withholding-obligation-work-and-can-you-still-pay-the-invoice\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-BE\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.accountable.eu\\\/en-be\\\/blog\\\/contractor-with-tax-debts-how-does-the-withholding-obligation-work-and-can-you-still-pay-the-invoice\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.accountable.eu\\\/en-be\\\/blog\\\/contractor-with-tax-debts-how-does-the-withholding-obligation-work-and-can-you-still-pay-the-invoice\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.accountable.eu\\\/en-be\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Contractor with tax debts: how does the withholding obligation work and can you still pay the invoice?\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.accountable.eu\\\/en-be\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.accountable.eu\\\/en-be\\\/\",\"name\":\"Accountable\",\"description\":\"Your accountant and tax advisor on your smartphone\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.accountable.eu\\\/en-be\\\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.accountable.eu\\\/en-be\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-BE\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.accountable.eu\\\/en-be\\\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Accountable\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.accountable.eu\\\/en-be\\\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-BE\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.accountable.eu\\\/en-be\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.accountable.eu\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/04\\\/logo-512.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.accountable.eu\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/04\\\/logo-512.png\",\"width\":512,\"height\":512,\"caption\":\"Accountable\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.accountable.eu\\\/en-be\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\"}},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.accountable.eu\\\/en-be\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/e9b420257ec5e7ac236d337e8c3aa7ad\",\"name\":\"Valesca\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-BE\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/842a00073a87c3c1af38f724115771bae6278a353edd8ee1e85161e791790047?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/842a00073a87c3c1af38f724115771bae6278a353edd8ee1e85161e791790047?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/842a00073a87c3c1af38f724115771bae6278a353edd8ee1e85161e791790047?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Valesca\"}}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Withholding obligation: deducting part of your contractor's invoice? - Accountable","description":"Received an invoice from a company in construction, cleaning, or security? You are legally required to check whether they have outstanding debts.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.accountable.eu\/en-be\/blog\/contractor-with-tax-debts-how-does-the-withholding-obligation-work-and-can-you-still-pay-the-invoice\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Withholding obligation: deducting part of your contractor's invoice? - Accountable","og_description":"Received an invoice from a company in construction, cleaning, or security? You are legally required to check whether they have outstanding debts.","og_url":"https:\/\/www.accountable.eu\/en-be\/blog\/contractor-with-tax-debts-how-does-the-withholding-obligation-work-and-can-you-still-pay-the-invoice\/","og_site_name":"Accountable","article_published_time":"2026-06-01T15:07:00+00:00","article_modified_time":"2026-06-04T13:46:02+00:00","author":"Valesca","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Valesca","Est. reading time":"5 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/www.accountable.eu\/en-be\/blog\/contractor-with-tax-debts-how-does-the-withholding-obligation-work-and-can-you-still-pay-the-invoice\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.accountable.eu\/en-be\/blog\/contractor-with-tax-debts-how-does-the-withholding-obligation-work-and-can-you-still-pay-the-invoice\/"},"author":{"name":"Valesca","@id":"https:\/\/www.accountable.eu\/en-be\/#\/schema\/person\/e9b420257ec5e7ac236d337e8c3aa7ad"},"headline":"Contractor with tax debts: how does the withholding obligation work and can you still pay the invoice?","datePublished":"2026-06-01T15:07:00+00:00","dateModified":"2026-06-04T13:46:02+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.accountable.eu\/en-be\/blog\/contractor-with-tax-debts-how-does-the-withholding-obligation-work-and-can-you-still-pay-the-invoice\/"},"wordCount":1032,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.accountable.eu\/en-be\/#organization"},"keywords":["Bookkeeping","Invoices"],"articleSection":["Important things to know","Invoice your clients"],"inLanguage":"en-BE"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.accountable.eu\/en-be\/blog\/contractor-with-tax-debts-how-does-the-withholding-obligation-work-and-can-you-still-pay-the-invoice\/","url":"https:\/\/www.accountable.eu\/en-be\/blog\/contractor-with-tax-debts-how-does-the-withholding-obligation-work-and-can-you-still-pay-the-invoice\/","name":"Withholding obligation: deducting part of your contractor's invoice? - Accountable","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.accountable.eu\/en-be\/#website"},"datePublished":"2026-06-01T15:07:00+00:00","dateModified":"2026-06-04T13:46:02+00:00","description":"Received an invoice from a company in construction, cleaning, or security? You are legally required to check whether they have outstanding debts.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.accountable.eu\/en-be\/blog\/contractor-with-tax-debts-how-does-the-withholding-obligation-work-and-can-you-still-pay-the-invoice\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-BE","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.accountable.eu\/en-be\/blog\/contractor-with-tax-debts-how-does-the-withholding-obligation-work-and-can-you-still-pay-the-invoice\/"]}]},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.accountable.eu\/en-be\/blog\/contractor-with-tax-debts-how-does-the-withholding-obligation-work-and-can-you-still-pay-the-invoice\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.accountable.eu\/en-be\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Contractor with tax debts: how does the withholding obligation work and can you still pay the invoice?"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.accountable.eu\/en-be\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.accountable.eu\/en-be\/","name":"Accountable","description":"Your accountant and tax advisor on your smartphone","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.accountable.eu\/en-be\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.accountable.eu\/en-be\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-BE"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/www.accountable.eu\/en-be\/#organization","name":"Accountable","url":"https:\/\/www.accountable.eu\/en-be\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-BE","@id":"https:\/\/www.accountable.eu\/en-be\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/www.accountable.eu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/logo-512.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.accountable.eu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/logo-512.png","width":512,"height":512,"caption":"Accountable"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.accountable.eu\/en-be\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"}},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.accountable.eu\/en-be\/#\/schema\/person\/e9b420257ec5e7ac236d337e8c3aa7ad","name":"Valesca","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-BE","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/842a00073a87c3c1af38f724115771bae6278a353edd8ee1e85161e791790047?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/842a00073a87c3c1af38f724115771bae6278a353edd8ee1e85161e791790047?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/842a00073a87c3c1af38f724115771bae6278a353edd8ee1e85161e791790047?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Valesca"}}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.accountable.eu\/en-be\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26274","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.accountable.eu\/en-be\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.accountable.eu\/en-be\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.accountable.eu\/en-be\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/24"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.accountable.eu\/en-be\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=26274"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"https:\/\/www.accountable.eu\/en-be\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26274\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":26323,"href":"https:\/\/www.accountable.eu\/en-be\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26274\/revisions\/26323"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.accountable.eu\/en-be\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=26274"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.accountable.eu\/en-be\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=26274"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.accountable.eu\/en-be\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=26274"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}