Please do not punish large families

Minister of Finance Johan Van Overtveldt proposes an amendment in the tax deduction for children. Currently, the tax deduction increases progressively with the number of dependent children. One child yields a tax-free sum of 1,550 euros, two children 3,980 euros, three children 8,920 and four children 14,420 euros. The new proposal opts for a fixed amount per child, with the amount of 2300 being mentioned. Families with one or two children will therefore benefit, while for large families with three or more children, the new proposal is financially disadvantageous.

It is the second time in a short period that politics chooses a path that essentially states that large families are no longer desired. Child benefits are also being reformed so that families with three or more children will receive less money than before. The reason often given is that the demographic situation of families has simply changed and that large families are less frequently encountered.

But shouldn't a government send a signal about what is desirable? Don't they also give a financial advantage to electric cars precisely because they believe this will ensure a better future? Is that not the case for large families? Our society currently "produces" too few children anyway to keep our population at the same level.

As a Mormon, I also find this regrettable. You often still see large families among members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints because Mormons know that children are a gift from God. Children are a blessing and belong to God's eternal plan. However, the Mormon church also attaches great importance to freedom of choice, and every family is free in its choice regarding the number of children.

In that sense, I find it regrettable to note that our government is choosing a path that will consider large families a luxury. On the other hand, one could also argue that every child is equal and therefore deserves an equal deduction, but then the amount should be leveled up to at least the level of the third child, around 4500 euros, to thus offer support to families who want to choose to have more than two children. At the same time, attention should also be given to children in vulnerable situations: single parents,children with disabilities, disadvantaged families, …

Let's hope the government realizes that children are a blessing and that they will implement child-friendly tax policies.