Flanders Agrees on New Budget Measures for 2027
The Flemish government has reached a new budget agreement that will bring several changes for residents from 2027, with measures affecting household services, housing, family benefits and other areas.
The agreement comes as the Flemish government works to keep its finances under control. Flemish Minister-President Matthias Diependaele said the negotiations had been among the most difficult the government has faced and argued that action was needed to prevent future generations from being left with a larger debt burden.
Several of the measures are expected to take effect on January 1, 2027, although some details still require final approval and implementation.
Higher Cost for Household Service Vouchers
One of the measures concerns dienstencheques, the subsidized vouchers used by households in Flanders to pay for certain domestic services such as cleaning, laundry and ironing.
The system has already undergone several changes. Since January 2025, dienstencheques have no longer provided a tax benefit. The Flemish government has also been changing the rules surrounding the system, including consumer protection and the validity period of vouchers.
The new budget plans are expected to further increase the amount households pay for these services from 2027.
The exact application of the new pricing and annual limits will depend on the final regulations. This means households that regularly use domestic help through the dienstencheque system should check the final rules before purchasing large numbers of vouchers.
Changes to Property Registration Taxes
Property buyers are also watching the budget agreement closely because registration taxes can have a major impact on the total cost of buying a home.
However, the current official Flemish rules should be kept in mind. Since January 1, 2025, buyers who purchase their only and own home and meet the required conditions pay a reduced registration tax rate of 2 percent, not 3 percent.
The 3 percent rate previously applied from 2022 through the end of 2024. The standard rate for purchases other than an only and own home is currently 12 percent.
Therefore, claims that the 2027 budget agreement will generally raise the registration tax on an only and own home from 2 percent to 3 percent should not be treated as final unless confirmed by the Flemish government or adopted legislation.
Changes to Family Benefits
The Flemish budget plans also include changes involving family benefits.
The current Vlaams Groeipakket provides a one-time start payment of 1,310.75 euro for a child, while the basic monthly payment is currently 190.66 euro for children born from January 1, 2019. The school bonus varies by age, and the payment for children aged 18 to 24 is currently 71.48 euro per year.
Any changes to eligibility or payment periods under the 2027 budget will therefore be important for families with children approaching adulthood.
The details should be checked against the final legislation because existing family-benefit rules continue to apply until officially changed.
The Government Says Budget Action Is Necessary
The Flemish government says the budget agreement is part of a broader effort to bring public finances back into balance.
Diependaele has argued that difficult decisions are necessary to prevent the government from passing an increasingly heavy debt burden on to future generations.
For households, however, the practical impact will depend on which measures apply to their personal situation. Families using dienstencheques, people planning to buy property and parents receiving family benefits are among those who may need to pay particular attention to the final 2027 rules.
When Will the New Rules Start?
Many of the measures discussed in the Flemish budget agreement are intended to take effect from January 1, 2027.
However, not every announcement automatically becomes law on the day it is presented. Some measures require additional government decisions, legislation or approval by the Flemish Parliament.
For that reason, residents should distinguish between measures announced as part of the budget agreement and rules that have already been formally adopted.
The Flemish government is expected to publish further details as the 2027 budget measures move through the legislative process.
