Last year, the Belgian treasury received nearly €16 million from unclaimed inheritances, according to data from the Ministry of Finance.
The tax authorities can claim an inheritance if no heirs come forward, the known heirs are not identifiable, or if the known heirs reject the inheritance.
In such cases, the state assumes control, and last year, 51 inheritances were claimed in this manner. Consequently, the state netted €15.9 million.
Like any heir, the Federal Public Service Finance pays inheritance taxes to the regions. Last year, this amounted to 9.4 million euros: 4.4 million for the Walloon Region, 3.3 million for the Flemish Region, and 1.7 million for the Brussels-Capital Region.
If heirs emerge within thirty years for an unclaimed estate, the state returns the inheritance to them, even if the state has taken definitive possession. This occurred eleven times in 2024.
