Just north of Antwerp lies Brasschaat, a green Belgian town close to the Dutch border, for decades, it has attracted wealthy people from the Netherlands.

 

Just north of Antwerp lies Brasschaat, a green Belgian town close to the Dutch border. It is known for large villas, leafy residential streets and spacious properties.

And for decades, it has attracted wealthy people from the Netherlands.

Some of them are extremely wealthy. Recent rich lists have included several Dutch millionaires and billionaires living in Belgium, with Brasschaat appearing among their addresses.

Dutch property investor Ronny Rosenbaum, for example, has been reported as living there.

This did not happen by accident. Especially in earlier decades, wealthy Dutch people could find financial advantages by moving across the border.

Belgium gained a reputation among rich Dutch families as a tax-friendly neighbour.

There was another attraction: the houses. Large Belgian homes and villas used to be much cheaper compared with similar Dutch properties.

That price difference has become smaller over time, but it helped make places such as Brasschaat attractive.

And moving there did not mean leaving the Netherlands far behind. Brasschaat sits close to the Dutch border, while Antwerp is nearby.

A Dutch family could therefore live in Belgium while keeping strong connections with the Netherlands.

But simply buying a Belgian villa does not magically remove Dutch taxes.

If someone truly moves to Belgium, Belgium normally becomes their country of residence for tax purposes, while some Dutch income and property can still be taxed in the Netherlands.

The two countries have a tax treaty that decides which country may tax what.

Brasschaat itself is not tax-free either. Residents pay Belgian taxes, including a municipal addition to personal income tax; Brasschaat currently sets that addition at 6%.

Owners who use a furnished property as a second home can also face a local second-home tax.

So the famous Dutch move to Brasschaat is really a combination of things: historically attractive taxes, large homes, green surroundings and the Netherlands still being close by.

The financial advantages are less dramatic today than they once were, but the wealthy Dutch presence has become part of Brasschaat’s reputation.

Inside Dutch Culture