Beveren (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – Residents of Zwijndrecht must pay increased municipal taxes since their municipality merged with Beveren-Kruibeke-Zwijndrecht. The three municipalities operated independent tax systems with individual rates until this recent unification. After the two municipalities joined forces, their tax rates were planned to become equal throughout the combined territory.
The municipal council’s tax reform approval has introduced a profound shift for Zwijndrecht residents because their supplementary personal income tax is set to increase twice as much. Zwijndrecht residents will face increased financial stress from this tax increase, according to Groen opposition member Steven Vervaet, because property taxes may become slightly cheaper, but residents collectively will pay more for municipal services.
For the residents of Zwijndrecht, the new reform means that they will have to pay more additional personal income tax.
That additional personal income tax will double,
says opposition member Steven Vervaet (Groen).
The additional centimes on the property tax are a bit lower, but we are actually concerned. We wonder what will come in its place. If more taxes are levied, then that has to be used for something and we are curious about that. There is no administrative agreement yet, no policy document yet, so we do not yet know where the taxes will go,
the alderman adds.
Personal taxes in Beveren remain unchanged, but Kruibeke residents receive a substantial tax reduction. The revised tax system plans to remove all outdated levies, such as fees for unforwarded paper mail alongside residential rubbish collection expenses.
The government is carrying out business tax rate modifications that will deliver increased motorcycle tax regulation for enterprises based in Beveren while reducing rates for Zwijndrecht-based companies. The decision by the municipal council shows their commitment to produce a uniform taxation framework that extends across the entire municipality, yet residents wonder about the impact of service and infrastructure.
How will the merger of Zwijndrecht, Beveren, and Kruibeke impact local governance?
Local government shows growing interest in public governance by adopting consolidation measures that combine Zwijndrecht with Beveren and Kruibeke to increase operational efficiency while delivering better services. Before coming together, Zwijndrecht maintained a lower municipal tax rate of 2.5%, while its neighbouring municipalities had different rates in place.
The data shows municipal tax rates showed substantial variations throughout the years; an example can be observed through the examination of rates, which grew from 2020 until 2024 because authorities needed to fund an escalating need for public services throughout Belgium.
Local government statistics demonstrate that public opinions about these mergers vary due to different management approaches by public administrations when communicating change information during transition periods.
