Last season, all clubs in the Belgian first division recorded a cumulative loss of 150 million euros, a new record low. A thorough analysis of De Morgen’s annual accounts shows that two-thirds of all clubs ended the financial year in the red. If the historical losses of the current first division teams are added together, this amounts to minus 406.9 million euros.
That is anything but a healthy situation, especially for a sector that is still heavily subsidized by taxpayers. It turns out that all first division teams together were able to enjoy more than 200 million euros in discounts on social security contributions and withholding tax last season.
Minister of Finance Vincent Van Peteghem (CD&V) emphasizes in a response to the newspaper that he still wants to work on a thorough reform of tax benefits. His plan was torpedoed by the Liberals last time. “It has now been included in the blueprint for tax reform,” it said. It appears that the file is not yet off the table, but that it will be part of an extensive tax reform in the next legislature.