Brussels (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – Hans Rieder and his ex-wife evaded taxes (2012–2019). Hans Rieder got a 6-month suspended sentence and a 100% tax fine; his ex-wife faced a 10% fine. Appeal and disciplinary action are possible.
As VRT News reported, Hans Rieder’s (a well-known criminal lawyer in Belgium) ex-wife faced a lenient sentence, acknowledging her involvement in the tax fraud, and was required to pay a 10% tax increase. In contrast, Rieder received a 6-month suspended prison sentence. The judge considered the extent to which tax liabilities had been exceeded when determining the sentence.
Rieder was also ordered to pay a 100% tax increase, despite his assertion of having already paid a 200% fine. Officials mentioned that he has the option to appeal the verdict, and the president of the Ghent bar will thoroughly review the ruling. Following this, a disciplinary investigation is likely, which will decide if further sanctions should be imposed on Rieder.
Did Hans Rieder evade taxes as a Belgian resident?
Hans Rieder and his former wife are in trouble for not paying taxes. This happened between 2012 and 2019. They filed separate tax returns to avoid paying a lot of money. The government in Brussels wants them to go to jail for a year, but only for half of it.
Rieder and his ex-wife say they didn’t do anything wrong. They say it’s just a tax issue that’s been made bigger than it is. They claim they reported and paid all their income taxes correctly in Belgium. Their lawyer says they didn’t mean to cheat and that the case shouldn’t be happening.
The Brussels Court of Appeal found that Hans Rieder and his former wife had made it their intention to evade paying taxes. The court pointed out that it was not a simple mistake or misperception, but a clear attempt to evade taxes. While Rieder’s former wife did not directly conceptualise the trick, she was considered to have participated knowingly in its maintenance, to make certain she was part of the fraudulent scheme.
The court concluded that Hans Rieder was a Belgian resident for tax purposes, a decision supported by several key pieces of evidence. The ruling cited his position as the manager of a law firm in Ghent, his management of various bank accounts within Belgium, and his membership at a Belgian golf club as indicators of his residency.
The court referenced a radio interview from August 2021, where Rieder himself confirmed that he lived in Ghent, reinforcing the court’s determination. In addition to these points, the court also considered that Rieder shared a bedroom with his wife, which further supported the finding that they were living together as a family, thereby solidifying his status as a tax resident of Belgium. In recent years, he has acted as counsel for, among others, Optima CEO Jeroen Piqueur, Schild & Vrienden founder Dries Van Langenhove and drug criminal Flor Bressers.
