Belgium Faces Backlash as School Meal Prices Rise After VAT Increase on Prepared Foods

• The Belgian government is raising VAT on prepared meals from 6% to 12%, affecting school and elderly home meals.
• Meals from external caterers, common in schools and elderly homes without kitchens, will become more expensive.
• The increase has sparked public and political outcry, especially from the French-speaking community and opposition parties.
• Calls have been made for exemptions or financial support for schools, but EU law may prevent VAT adjustments based on the end customer.
• The draft decree is still under review and may be amended; concerns also exist in Flanders about the impact on healthy school meal initiatives.

Source: brusselstimes.com

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.

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