What are service vouchers (dienstencheques) and when can you use them? 2026

What do service vouchers cover?

Service vouchers cover four household task packages, and nothing beyond them:

• Cleaning the home (vacuuming, mopping, bathroom, indoor windows).
• Laundry and ironing of textiles.
• Meal preparation without further childcare.
• Grocery shopping on behalf of the user.

There is also a specific variant for transport of people with a disability, but that is a separate authorisation procedure.

What service vouchers do not cover:

• Childcare, sitting, babysitting, school runs.
• Personal care of people.
• Garden work, deep cleaning, repairs.
• Any non-household-type help.

The service is delivered by a recognised service-voucher company. You pay the company in vouchers, not the individual worker directly. The worker is employed by the service-voucher company, not by you — fundamentally different from a nanny employment under PC 318.

What does a service voucher cost in 2026?

The purchase price of a service voucher in Flanders is €10 for the first 175 vouchers per person per calendar year, and €12 for vouchers 176 to 500. A household can use up to 1,000 vouchers a year, of which up to 500 at the higher price.

On top of the purchase price you receive a tax benefit in your personal income tax:

• Flanders: 20% tax reduction on the first 156 vouchers (€2.00 per voucher), with a maximum eligible spend of €1,560 — net cost as low as €8 per voucher.
• Brussels and Wallonia each have their own purchase price and tax benefits, with differences in cap and percentage.

These figures are indexed annually and may change — always check current rates with Sodexo (Flanders), Sodexo Wallonie, or via your region.

One voucher covers one hour of work delivered by the household helper.

Why is a nanny not a service-voucher worker?

A nanny by definition performs tasks that fall outside the service-voucher system. The legal definition of voucher work explicitly excludes childcare, sitting, personal care, and pedagogical support.

This has practical consequences:

• The user is the employer, not the voucher company. The family pays NSSO employer contributions, draws up an employment contract, and may use a payroll secretariat.
• Wages are not subsidised as with a voucher. Tax benefits may apply, for instance the [childcare expense deduction](/gids/fiscale-voordelen-kinderopvang).
• The joint committee is typically PC 318, not PC 322.01 (which regulates the voucher system).

At Nanny's we deliberately choose the PC 318 framework: it fits the nature of the work (childcare, family support, coordination) and gives the nanny appropriate legal protection as white-collar staff.

For families seeking both childcare and cleaning, a combined setup works: a nanny for childcare, plus a separate voucher cleaner for household tasks.

Frequently Asked Questions