Nine years after the publication of the Panama Papers, cases opened in Belgium have brought in €39.6 million for the State, according to figures obtained by Flemish magazine Knack and released on Thursday.
The Special Tax Inspectorate has opened 264 cases in Belgium.
In April 2016, the Panama Papers, published by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) including Belgian media Le Soir, De Tijd, and Knack, revealed a massive tax evasion scheme.
This scheme, involving various political, business, and entertainment figures, was orchestrated through the Panamanian law firm Mossack Fonseca.
At the time, Le Soir, De Tijd, and Knack reported that at least 732 Belgians had used the firm's services to evade taxes.
In 2019, Knack reported that investigations by the Special Tax Inspectorate had already recovered approximately €16 million for the Belgian State. This amount has now increased to €39.6 million.
In total, the tax administration has issued €141 million in additional tax claims based on the 264 cases, of which €39.6 million has already been paid.
According to figures from the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists, at least €1.2 billion in back taxes and fines have been collected worldwide as a result of the Panama Papers.
This figure is likely underestimated as not all governments have shared their information.
