The amount Belgians donated to charities rose by 2.2% in 2022, with a million taxpayers donating upwards of €40 to charity.
FPS Finance revealed on Wednesday that a total of €350 million was donated to charitable causes throughout last year; the sum had previously stood at €343 million in 2021.
These figures came as a surprise given that the amount Belgians can deduct from their taxes fell from 60% to 45% in 2022. Belgian taxpayers can put charitable donations of over €40 on their tax forms, a part of which will then be taken off the annual tax.
The Federal Government had previously put the percentage at 60% to support charities affected by the pandemic, before lowering it back to 45% last year.
Despite these changes, Belgians' generosity did not decline, or rather their tax-savviness was not impacted – a previous survey by the King Baudoin Foundation revealed that 63% of donors viewed the tax deductions donors as an incentive to donate.
