Belgian Unions, Employers Reject Single 9% VAT Rate for Construction, Warn of Sector Crisis

Belgian unions and employers oppose the proposed single 9% VAT rate for the construction sector, warning it would worsen the sector’s crisis.
The Central Economic Council (CEC) says raising VAT from 6% and 12% to 9% would increase living costs and have serious economic, social, and environmental impacts.
Since 2023, social partners have called for preserving and expanding the 6% VAT rate, which was extended to all renovation and reconstruction works in July 2025.
The CEC argues that moving to a 9% rate would slow housing creation and renovation, discourage energy-efficient upgrades, worsen the housing crisis, and harm local jobs.
Unions and employers urge the government to keep the 6% rate for renovations and demolition-reconstruction, extend it to social housing, and abandon the 9% harmonisation plan.

Note that this post was (partially) written with the help of AI. It is always useful to review the original source material, and where needed to obtain (local) advice from a specialist.