help! belgian taxes!

[Rocco Acrobat]

Having exhausted other resources, I thought I'd give PNet a shot---

Anyone out there know how a U.S. performer can pay U.S. taxes instead of getting 2/3 of his pay swiped? It'll make a big difference this next 4 or 5 months. I'm on a 7-month contract in Belgium and I have very few resources available for information here.

The punchline is that I'd have to stay an extra 5 months just to start receiving the benefits I'm paying in to!

I could really use the help of someone already a bit familiar with the system here.

cheers!
-Rock

[Lee Nelson]

Do they not offer an automatic refund upon filing a few papers for a foreign artist or non EU national?

[gav]

I've only ever worked one or two day contracts in Belgium, but every time, the festival paid me my full fee, and they were then responsible for paying any taxes on that.
Probably it's a lot different for a long contract.

[Steven Ragatz]

I was there for a couple months year before last. I seem to remember the taxes were between 30% and 35% including the local stuff. Yep, I paid em. But, being out of the US for more than 330 days meant that I didn't have to pay taxes on that income in the US.

You pay more taxes in Europe than you do when working in the US in my experience.

Steven Ragatz