Coronavirus Brussels-Capital Region: ‘recover bonus’ for tourist accommodation

The Brussels government is supporting tourist accommodation by granting a new bonus.

You can now apply for this bonus online.

Do you qualify for the bonus?

Conditions to be met

There are two types of aid available. To be able to apply for one of these two types, you must:

• be registered in the CBE on 31 December 2020;
• have, for the tourist accommodation for which aid is applied for, an establishment unit in the Brussels-Capital Region which is registered in the CBE on 31 December 2020;
• have an active, non-suspended registration number on 27 October 2021 for the tourist accommodation for which aid is applied for;
• not benefit from the VAT exemption scheme for small enterprises;
• fulfil your social and tax obligations and comply with your obligations regarding the publication of your annual account with the National Bank of Belgium;
• not have any social security or tax debts at the time of applying for the aid (with the exception of any repayment plan);
• have not been in difficulty on 31 December 2019;
• have generated a turnover in 2019 that exceeds the amounts listed below, depending on the number of establishment units of your company that are active in the Brussels-Capital Region and having a starting date registered in the CBE prior to 1 January 2020:

This condition does not apply if you were registered in the CBE from 1 January 2019.

• Meet financial health conditions
  • If you are a company, you must meet at least 1 of the following 3 conditions:

• equity included in accounting code 10/15 plus code 101 is greater than half of the subscribed capital, code 100, plus the non-capital contribution, code 11, unless you have reconstituted your equity so that it is greater than half the subscribed capital, plus the non-capital contribution between the end of the relevant financial year and the day of the application for aid;
• the turnover, (code 70), of 2019 is greater than that of 2018;
• the profit result for the financial year before taxes, code 9903, is positive.
  • If you are a company natural person, you only need to meet 1 of the last 2 conditions (turnover or profit result).

These financial health conditions do not apply to you if you have been registered in the CBE for less than 3 years on 27 October  2021.

• As a company, not yet have received any aid, including the aid referred to in this Infoflash,
  • More than € 1,800,000 of aid under section 3.1 of the temporary framework for state aid, if the flat-rate bonus mentioned below is granted to you;
  • More than € 10,000,000 of aid under section 3.12 of the temporary framework for state aid, if you are granted aid in the form of aid for uncovered fixed costs as described below.
• Have a Belgian current account.

What is the amount of the aid?

The government has introduced two types of aid for tourist accommodation: a flat-rate bonus and aid in the form of aid for uncovered fixed costs.

If you do not meet the conditions for receiving aid in the form of aid for uncovered fixed costs, you are eligible for the flat-rate bonus.

The number of accommodation units is determined on the basis of the basic capacity indicated on the prior declaration form submitted to Brussels Economy and Employment as part of the registration of the hotel or aparthotel.

Flat-rate bonus

The aid will amount to:

• a maximum of € 200,000 per tourist accommodation located in the Brussels-Capital Region of which you are the operator;
• a maximum of € 1,800,000 per beneficiary. 

Aid in the form of aid for uncovered fixed costs

You are eligible for this aid if:

• you reach the ceiling of € 1,8000,000 or € 10,000,000 mentioned above, provided that the flat-rate bonus is granted and;
• you benefit from an amount of aid, as calculated below, which is higher than the amount of the flat-rate bonus and;
• your turnover between 1 March 2020 and 31 December 2020 has decreased by at least 30% compared to the same period in 2019.

The aid consists of a bonus of 70% of the uncovered fixed costs you incurred between 1 March 2020 and 31 December 2020.

So if you are a micro or small enterprise, the aid will be 90% of these costs (instead of 70%).

The aid is limited to certain ceilings:

The aid will amount to:

• a maximum of € 200,000 per tourist accommodation located in the Brussels-Capital Region of which you are the operator;
• a maximum of € 1,800,000 per beneficiary. 

What do you need to do?

You can apply for the bonus on the Brussels Economy and Employment website using the online form.

The Brussels administration must receive your application by 15 November 2021 at the latest.

You can only submit one aid application.

Source: Decree of the Government of the Brussels-Capital Region of 21 October 2021 on aid for companies in the tourist accommodation sector in the context of the health crisis COVID-19, Belgian Official Gazette of 27 October 2021