FURTHER EXPLANATION · 2 MIN READ
Not only the balance, but also the path leading to it
This background file supplements the explanation of Notaris.be of 3 June 2026 about keeping bank documents. When preparing an inheritance, the destination of amounts previously received may be relevant. Think of a property sale, a received inheritance, or a major pecuniary shift. The Flemish declaration manual expressly requests in certain cases what happened with received funds.
Therefore, it is not always sufficient to know only the balance on the date of death. A deed may prove that someone received a sale price, while bank documents and invoices explain what happened afterwards. The fiscal presumption of ownership is rebuttable, but an oral memory from a family member is not the same as a coherent file with concrete evidence.
Make a coherent chain from separate documents
Suppose a parent sells their home and then buys a smaller apartment. Do not keep only the two deeds, but also the settlement and bank transactions connecting the amounts. If renovation works were also paid, include the invoices with the payments. This way, it can later be explained which part was reinvested and which part was spent otherwise.
A useful overview has for each significant transaction a date, amount, account, and reference to evidence. That overview is an aid and not a substitute for the original documents. Also note when information is missing. If multiple accounts were used, keep the corresponding movements on both sides. A transfer to another own account is not yet a final expenditure.
A gift requires a different assessment
If an amount was gifted to a child, the fact that the money left the account is not the entire fiscal answer. The gift may still be relevant separately for the tax declaration and the later distribution. Therefore, keep together payment proofs, gift documents, and any registration. Also distinguish from a loan: there may still be a receivable in that case.
The deadline for an unregistered gift should not be confused with that of the fiscal presumption of evidence. The consulted general notarial text and the Flemish declaration manual do not phrase this identically. Therefore, no general retention period or automatic tax outcome is given here. The applicable provision, date of transaction and date of death must be checked together for the specific file.
What you can prepare
Collect deeds, settlements, extracts and underlying agreements for significant transactions. Avoid that only one family member knows where everything is kept. Notariaat Wellens can help when preparing an inheritance to identify which cash flows need clarification and which documents are still missing. Bring your overview to an appointment so the investigation can start with documents instead of assumptions.