Inheritance in Belgium: Taxi Driver Inherits Customer’s House

A former taxi driver from the Ghent area has unexpectedly inherited a house from a woman who had been one of his regular customers for years.

Joeri Cools was shocked to discover that Annie, who passed away recently, had included him in her will without ever telling him. “It felt like it had fallen from the sky,” he told VRT Radio 2.

A friendship that lasted for years

Annie regularly travelled in Cools’ taxi, and over time, the two developed a close friendship through their conversations and personal experiences.

Despite coming from very different backgrounds, they built a strong bond. Annie had spent decades working to improve student housing in Brussels, while Cools had experienced a difficult childhood.

Cools said he never expected to receive anything from her, explaining that she had made the will during the early years of their relationship as driver and customer.

When he received the news, he was also told that Annie had died. He described experiencing mixed emotions and said he could not sleep for two nights.

Inheritance tax could take most of the property’s value

Although the inheritance came as a generous surprise, Cools faces a substantial tax bill because he was not related to Annie.

Under Brussels inheritance tax rules, people who are not family members face some of the highest rates, ranging from 40% to 80%.

For a property valued at 500,000 euros, the inheritance tax could reach approximately 358,750 euros, representing almost 72% of its value.

In Flanders, inheritance tax rates for non-relatives are lower, ranging from 25% to 55%.

The applicable tax rules depend on where the deceased person had their main tax residence for the longest period during the five years before their death.

Since January 2026, Flanders has also introduced a favourable inheritance tax arrangement for single people without a partner or children. They can designate one or more beneficiaries to inherit up to 100,000 euros at reduced rates of 3% and 9%.

However, this arrangement does not apply in Brussels.

Cools can also sell the inherited property to cover the inheritance tax rather than paying the entire amount from his own savings.

Despite the financial burden, he described the inheritance as an honour and used the radio interview to express his gratitude to Annie, hoping she could hear his final thank-you.