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Mental well-being in the workplace is also recognized for tax purposes. What this means for your organization.
You don’t just whip up a mental well-being policy on a Friday afternoon. It requires commitment, a budget, and usually a great deal of internal coordination. What helps is certainty—certainty that the investment is justified, including from the perspectives of finance and legal.
In September 2024, the Advance Ruling Service (DVB) of the Federal Public Service Finance issued a formal tax ruling regarding the BloomUp platform. No gray areas, no retroactive interpretation. A binding advance ruling.
Below, we explain exactly what was decided and what that means in practice if you use BloomUp for your employees.
As confirmed by the tax authorities
The DVB confirmed two things.
- For employees: the employer’s contribution to the BloomUp platform, including coaching and therapy sessions, constitutes a tax-exempt employee benefit. In other words: no taxable benefit in kind, no additional pay, and no tax implications for the employee. The employee gains access to mental health support without it affecting their paycheck.
- For employers: The situation here is more nuanced, and it’s only fair to point that out. Platform costs—including licenses, dashboards, development programs, and services—are fully deductible as business expenses. The costs of coaching and therapy, however, are not, nor are the development programs themselves. These are treated by the employer as social expenses, precisely because they are tax-exempt for the employee. The tax authority’s reasoning is internally consistent: you cannot claim the same benefit twice for tax purposes.
This distinction does not affect the value of the investment. It simply shifts it from the tax category to the social balance sheet.
Why this is relevant to HR
Barriers to mental health care are rarely purely psychological. They are also practical: lack of time, uncertainty about anonymity, and yes, the question of whether the employer will cover the cost. The ruling makes the answer to that last question straightforward. The employer can offer the platform as a benefit, tax-free for the employee, without the need for a complex payroll process.
This lowers the barrier to entry in two ways: internally (less administrative complexity) and for the employee (no financial disadvantage, no impact on pay).
Furthermore, BloomUp focuses exclusively on work-related topics: stress, performance pressure, burnout, concentration, and unwinding. This is not a limitation; it is a choice that is also supported by tax regulations. The ruling explicitly confirms that this scope is appropriate and contributes to the program’s classification as a social benefit.
What this means beyond the numbers
Organizations that use BloomUp see these benefits reflected in their metrics: lower absenteeism, higher retention, and stronger employee loyalty to the organization. The tax ruling adds another layer of benefit: it provides organizations with the legal basis to systematically and transparently embed mental well-being into their HR policies, without being caught off guard by tax disputes later on.
48% of users say they would not have sought help without BloomUp. 86% report fewer psychological symptoms after using the platform. These aren’t assumptions—they’re measured results. You can find more information about ROI here.
Want to know more?
BloomUp offers three EAP+ plans, tailored to the needs and size of your organization. For more information about the plans and what they include, visit this page.
BloomUp is specifically designed to comply with Belgian legislation on psychosocial risks and supports HR teams in systematically addressing prevention, early detection, and follow-up. Schedule a meeting with our team below.
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