The De Croo government decided yesterday that there will be a temporary VAT reduction on gas from 21 to 6 percent. This reduction will run until the end of September and will be reviewed at the beginning of the month. For electricity, it was previously agreed to temporarily reduce the VAT to 6 percent. The period for that reduction has now been extended from the end of June to the end of September.
However, FEBEG emphasizes that the temporary VAT reduction on gas will not be on the invoices until June at the earliest. For example, energy suppliers say they need at least three months to implement the reduction. “We say the same as when we decided to lower the VAT on electricity: this will take three months,” said Marc Van den Bosch, FEBEG’s general manager. “At the moment, the advance invoices for April are already being prepared. So it’s too late for that. However, after a possible decision by the federal government, the modalities will still be discussed. After the rules have been determined, the decision still has to be published in the Official Gazette. After that, the various suppliers need time to make the necessary adjustments to their systems.
Van den Bosch also points out that it is very important to determine the period for which the possible VAT reduction applies. “The largest part of the gas consumption is mainly in the winter period,” he says. On average, more than three quarters of the annual gas consumption takes place in the months of November, December, January, February and March. “It is therefore very important for the final settlement when this possible VAT reduction exactly applies,” he concludes.