Reduced registration fees: how to lower your home purchase costs

When registering the notarised deed of purchase for a property, the buyer is required to pay a tax known as the "registration fees". 

An abatement is a reduction in the taxable base for this tax. In other words, under certain conditions, the amount of registration fees payable by the buyer can be reduced. 

Following the latest tax reform, this reduction in registration fees was increased from €175,000 to €200,000 in the Brussels-Capital Region. This means that, on the first €200,000 of the property's purchase price, the buyer does not have to pay any registration fees. For example, if a property is purchased for €200,000, the buyer pays no registration fees, i.e. a benefit of €25,000. 

An additional abatement is available for renovation work to improve the property's energy performance. This additional reduction is €25,000 for each energy class improvement, with a minimum of two energy class improvements.