Debt assistance

Are your debts piling up and you can no longer pay your taxes? In a collective debt settlement, a debt mediator helps you to find a solution.

This option is not intended for short-term payment difficulties. In that case, debt mediation is the better choice. 

• Submit a Opens in new windowrequest for collective debt settlement to the court. If all conditions are met, a judge will appoint a debt mediator (usually a lawyer) to help you.
• The debt mediator will negotiate with your creditors and draw up a repayment plan. If all creditors agree, the judge will approve this plan.
• If it’s not possible to come to an agreement, the debt mediator will make a report. Based on this report, the judge can impose a court-ordered repayment plan.
• In both cases, part of your debt may be written off.

As a part of this procedure, Brussels Fiscality must submit a proof of claim to the debt mediator to inform them of the outstanding debts. 

Please note: It’s important to inform your debt mediator that you have debts with Brussels Fiscality. If your mediator fails to contact Brussels Fiscality and no proof of claim is submitted consequently, you risk having your repayment plan reviewed or even revoked.

Once appointed, your debt mediator will manage your income and prepare a statement of your assets and debts. Part of your income will be reserved for daily expenses, while the remainder will be used to pay your creditors.

A collective debt settlement is not free. In principle, you pay the debt mediator yourself. The fees and expenses they may charge are set by law.

If your debt was incurred after the judge’s decision allowing for a collective debt settlement, the tax or fine must be paid following the normal recovery procedure with the administration.

The debt may even be subject to enforced collection if it remains unpaid. It is therefore important to inform your debt mediator of this new debt. They can then request a payment plan from Brussels Fiscality.

For any information about your case (questions about your tax bill, sending, registration, payment plan proposals…), please contact your debt mediator directly.

If you can’t pay your taxes right away, you can ask for help from the Public Centre for Social Welfare (OCMW or CPAS). They offer budget guidance to help you pay your debts and reach an agreement with your creditors.

Debt mediation is intended to deal with temporary payment difficulties. If you are struggling with large, structural debts that you cannot possibly repay within a reasonable time, then a collective debt settlement is the better option.

• The appointed debt mediator, usually from the Public Centre for Social Welfare (OCMW or CPAS), will try to negotiate with your creditors to set up a repayment plan. However, there is no guarantee that the proposed plan will be accepted by the creditors.
• You manage the payments yourself and are fully responsible for following the repayment plan.