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Ine Lejeune is Taxman of the Year 2009 in Belgium

 

Ine Lejeune

Brussels, 18 May

Ine Lejeune, a PwC partner and its Global Indirect Taxes Network Leader, is the new Taxman of the year 2009 in Belgium. This prestigious award was conferred on her at a ceremony held at the Monnaie Theatre on 14 May. She was selected from a short-list with no fewer than four other prominent nominations: Jacques Grombeer (directorate 3/1 IB international at the PFS Finance), Philippe Monfils (State Minister and Senator), Vincent Van Quickenborne (Minister for Enterprise and Simplification) and Didier Reynders (Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance).  All five have made a significant contribution to Belgium's tax scene.

“I am delighted to have received this accolade,” Ine said. “Indirect taxation is far less up for discussion than direct taxes (personal income and corporation taxes), but it’s becoming increasingly important, and is certainly no less complex. I would very much like to thank my entire team in Belgium and also those that have contributed from the Global Indirect Taxes PwC Network for their hard work and support. This award has not just been earned by me. It was a joint effort getting VAT grouping introduced,” Ine concludes.

Ine Lejeune, Partner and Global Indirect Taxes Network Leader is responsible worldwide for PwC advisers in the realm of indirect taxation (VAT, customs duties, excise duties and other indirect taxes). She herself was instrumental in getting VAT grouping introduced in Belgium for corporate groups. Groups now only pay VAT once. They thus avoid double expenses and reinforce their competitive position. VAT grouping means concrete simplification, improved cash flow and lower costs. In other words, it makes Belgium more attractive to domestic businesspeople and foreign investors. In addition, it’s a measure that gives the tax authorities greater clout. They can now cite joint and several liability and have more means of control.

“The new legislation on VAT grouping for company groups is a prime example of how various organisations – such as the Febelfin trade association, various ministries, the VAT authority and a private organisation - PwC in this case - are able to work together to good effect. Together, and in a very short time frame, we were able to simplify the legislation,  a major item on the agenda for reducing red tape and attendant expense,” Ine goes on to point out.

The “Taxman of the Year” award is a joint initiative of ERGO Life, Hamburg Mannheimer and Moneytalk. It goes to someone who has made a valuable contribution in the field of:

  • reducing the burden of taxation;
  • simplifying taxation;
  • giving a human dimension to taxation;

or some other major contribution in relation to taxation. Nominations are considered by a jury, but the general public can also vote (electronically). The public vote even has twice the influence of the jury's vote. Last year, Flemish Vice-President Dirk Van Mechelen carried off the award.

In her acceptance speech, Ine Lejeune warned that a number of urgent measures still need to be taken. She explains her own list of priorities as follows:

  • “With the PwC Total Tax Methodology, we have mapped out the number of taxes in Belgium and found that there are over 80 – these need simplifying, and some can even be done away with;
  • VAT grouping needs re-forming as fiscal consolidation, but without affecting the notional interest deduction;
  • under the Belgian Presidency in December 2010, a directive should be approved based on the PwC study for simplifying e-invoicing and e-archiving – with savings of at least 18 billion euros Europe-wide;
  • a project to reduce VAT-collection costs in Belgium to the level of Singapore, which would be good for the budget and make way for fiscal consolidation and reduction of the tax burden on work and on companies.”