This year a quarter of a million people in Flanders failed to pay the property tax (onroerende voorheffing) due on the real estate they own on time and the authorities were obliged to send a reminder. It’s thought many of these people may not be aware that they have activated their eBox, an electronic mailbox government agencies use to communicate with the citizen.
Once activated government agencies including the federal finance department and the Flemish tax service will use your eBox to send you all their communications.
Many people activated their eBox during the pandemic to get a vaccination certificate or organise their vaccination. One of the settings will ensure you receive an email when a new document arrives but not everybody has that turned on.
In 2021 nearly 30% of property tax demands were dispatched to people’s eBoxes. This year the figure rose to over 36%.
Flemish finance minister Matthias Diependaele (nationalist) is urging people to check their eBox regularly to avoid surprises!