Remuneration optimisation: €94,000 less tax per year

Digital entrepreneurRemuneration optimisation

Tax · Remuneration

38%Tax burden
€94,000Saved per year
100%Compliant

Initial situation: salary in the top bracket, never reviewed

A Belgian entrepreneur in digital services paid himself a gross salary of €180,000 a year from his company. As a result he paid tax in the top personal income tax bracket, without ever asking whether that balance between salary and dividend was the most tax-efficient.

€180,000Gross salary
57%Tax burden
Top bracketStarting position

Approach: his full position restructured

Step 1
Full scan: corporate income tax, personal tax burden, social contributions and personal assets mapped out.
Step 2
Remuneration reviewed: a lower but tax-optimised salary, supplemented with benefits in kind.
Step 3
Additional build-up: a group insurance added to the package.
Step 4
Dividend policy: a targeted dividend policy, timed around withholding tax.

Outcome: tax burden down from 57% to 38%

The total tax burden on his income fell from 57% to 38%. He saves €94,000 a year, fully within the legal limits and without changing his operational structure.