How much does the inheritance declaration cost in Belgium, via notary, online tool or DIY? The price depends on the complexity and your choice.
Three typical price ranges
| Channel | Price | When |
|---|---|---|
| DIY (paper form) | 0 euros (postage) | Simple estate, comfortable with forms |
| Online tool like Nalenta | 129 euros flat | Simple estate, you want guidance and certainty |
| Notary | 800 to 3,000 euros | Will, gifts, real estate, complex case |
| Tax adviser or lawyer | 600 to 2,500 euros | Optimisation questions, no full deed |
Our DIY guide shows step by step that, for most families, you can skip the notary.
What does a notary cost exactly?
Notary fees include:
- honorary (regulated, on the estate amount);
- search fees (CRT, mortgage office): 100 to 200 euros;
- optional inventory: 500 to 1,500 euros;
- optional deed of inheritance: 250 to 500 euros;
- registration duties (on deeds, not on the declaration);
- VAT 21% on the honorary.
For a simple estate without real estate, a notary often charges 1,000 to 1,500 euros for the whole procedure. With real estate and a will it climbs to 2,500 to 3,500 euros.
What do you get for 129 euros with Nalenta?
For a flat fee (no VAT, no legal service):
- personalised file in NL/FR/EN;
- automatic regional tax calculation (Flanders, Brussels, Wallonia);
- ready-to-file declaration for VLABEL or FPS Finance;
- guidance e-mails, deadline alerts and bank templates;
- no mandatory subscription, no hidden fees.
See exactly what Nalenta does.
Side costs to keep in mind
Beyond the declaration itself:
- death certificate: free to a few euros per copy at the municipality;
- certificate of inheritance: free at the FPS Finance, deed 250 to 500 euros at notary;
- real-estate valuation: free with the VLABEL appraiser (official), 250 to 500 euros privately;
- translation of foreign documents: 30 to 80 euros per page;
- funeral: 4,000 to 8,000 euros (separate from the declaration, payable from the frozen account).
Example: average Flemish estate
Father dies, married, two children, house + savings:
| Item | Notary route | Nalenta DIY |
|---|---|---|
| Inheritance declaration | 1,500 euros | 129 euros |
| Deed of inheritance | 350 euros | 0 euros (free certificate) |
| House valuation | 0 euros (notary) | 0 euros (VLABEL appraiser) |
| Total | 1,850 euros | 129 euros |
Inheritance tax itself is identical: that is the tax, not the cost of declaring.
Nalenta and transparency
With Nalenta, everything is included in the 129 euros: file, calculation, downloads, reminders. No hidden consultancy hours. For tax per region, see Flanders, Brussels or Wallonia.