A new announcement from the Belgian FPS Finance: Fiscal data module and VAT signing card requirements are changed?

Since 2013 and later years, cash register systems in Belgium have been comprised of the following necessary components: a certified cash register (SCE), a certified fiscal data module (FDM), and a VAT Signing Card (VSC). There is an interrelationship between these elements, and the flow of communication between them is such that the register sends the transaction data to the FDM. All elements work together and communicate between themselves, and in the end, a fiscalized receipt is printed.

There is an interrelationship between these elements, and the flow of communication between them is such that the register sends the transaction data to the FDM. All elements work together and communicate between themselves, and in the end, a fiscalized receipt is printed.

However, FPS Finance (as the Belgian Tax Authority) has announced a confirmation that the third element of the system as it existed will no longer be used in the new cash register systems (upgraded systems: GKS 2.0). This means that there will be no more VSC (VAT Signing Card) for upgraded cash register systems (GKS 2.0), whereas functions that it performs will be transferred to the remaining cash register system and will be based on new technical requirements. Therefore, the new cash register system solutions will be comprised of SCE and FDM, without VAT signing card usage.

Another big change will concern the functionalities of the fiscal data module, i.e., FDM, in the new cash register system. It will need to be connected not only to the cash register (POS) but also to FPS Finance as well. The FDM (Blackbox) will connect through the internet with the public service servers and exchange information at certain times with the FPS Finance online service. Before, there was no communication with FPS Finance at all; all necessary data was saved in the cash register system itself, and certain reports needed to be produced.

More details will follow, and detailed technical documentation will be published by FPS Finance in the upcoming period. As stated by this public body, they expect many technical details to be unveiled at the start of July and further during that month.