Shareholder information

 

As a matter of corporate policy, and based on careful evaluation of each year’s financial results and of the wider economic and business context, the Company assesses whether it is sounder to re-invest the totality or part of  the annual profits and dividends received into the operating companies’ businesses or to pay dividends to its shareholders.   

 

The Company can give no assurance that it will make any dividend payment, for any given year in the near or distant future. Such payment will always be conditional on the complex interplay of a broad number of factors, which include Viohalco’s overall strategy and business prospects, evolution of earnings, capital requirements and surplus, general financial conditions, existing contractual restrictions, as well as other factors which the Board of Directors may each time deem relevant.            

 

 

Practical information on the Belgian withholding tax treatment of dividends distributed by Viohalco SA (including refund procedures for non-Belgian resident shareholders)

Viohalco SA is a Belgian tax resident company listed on Euronext Brussels and Euronext Athens. Upon approval by the shareholders’ meeting, the dividend distribution to its shareholders, both individuals and legal entities, takes place through a Belgian financial intermediary (the “Paying Agent”).

The Paying Agent remits the net dividend to shareholders after deduction of Belgian withholding tax at the standard rate of 30%, as provided under the Belgian tax domestic law.

Belgium has concluded double taxation treaties with numerous countries  which may provide for a reduced withholding tax rate on dividends paid to non-Belgian tax resident shareholders, subject to specific conditions.

In practice, non-Belgian tax resident shareholders need to follow a refund process to benefit from the reduced withholding tax rate provided under the applicable double taxation treaty. A request for reimbursement (refund) must be filed within five (5) years from 1st January of the year in which the withholding tax was paid.

The Belgian withholding tax treatment of dividends distributed by the Company may differ depending on the tax residence and the specific characteristics of each shareholder. Accordingly, each shareholder should examine, in consultation with their tax advisor and/or the custodian of their securities, whether any reduced tax rate or exemption may apply, as well as the relevant conditions that must be satisfied.

The Company cannot be involved in the refund procedure. Further information is available on the official website of the Belgian tax authorities:

• For Individuals 
• For Enterprises 

This information is provided for general information purposes only and does not constitute investment, legal, or tax advice. It is illustrative in nature and does not consider individual circumstances or applicable laws, which may vary by jurisdiction and change over time.

[1] For example, Article 10 para. 2 (b) of the Double Tax Treaty between Greece and Belgium, the tax rate for the dividends paid by a Belgian entity to a Greek tax resident shareholder is set at 15%.