Financial Services Regulatory & Tax Seminar

09:30 - 10:00 – Ferdi Kriel/Ruben Brouwers (KPMG Advisory)

AI agents are moving from pilot projects to become core building blocks of KYC/AML processes, promising not only automation but also genuinely smarter investigations. By using the “Follow the Money” methodology to structure data more effectively, these agents can provide broader and more consistent risk coverage. They also make the business case more tangible by expressing the benefits in terms organizations already understand: effort and cost measured in value and capacity, rather than an abstract cost per agent. 

In this workshop, we will show what an agentic AI process looks like in practice, how it can be applied within the KYC/AML workflow, and what your organization can save by deploying it where it genuinely adds value. We will also address the governance considerations that arise once an AI agent is embedded in a live process.

10:00 - 10:30  – Bart Van Rompaye (KPMG Advisory)

While AI agents can significantly automate AML operations and even perform information checks using the ‘Follow the Money’ methodology, more subtle indicators of fraud or outdated KYC information require a different AI-based approach. Through practical examples, we will show how advanced machine learning approaches complement agentic AI, how they align with current regulatory requirements, and what the main practical implementation challenges are.  

Host: Filip Weynants – KPMG Advisory

From the rise of open banking to increasingly sophisticated payment fraud, Europe’s payments landscape is changing rapidly. PSD3 and the new Payment Services Regulation aim to ensure that the regulatory framework keeps pace and places consumers, competition, security, and trust at its center. This workshop highlights the key changes and what they mean in practice. 

Hosts: Larissa Schreuders – KPMG Law & Dave Remue – KPMG Advisory

Tax developments are moving quickly, and the financial services sector remains firmly in the spotlight. The tax framework for banks, insurance companies, and investment companies continues to evolve rapidly, driven by both broader tax reforms and sector-specific measures. 

Several important developments have emerged over the past year. These include case law and administrative guidance on the application of the Belgian group contribution regime and the dividends received deduction; new ruling practice concerning the innovation income deduction; the roll-out of the new capital gains tax and related withholding tax obligations for Belgian banks and insurance companies; an increase in the annual bank levy; new and extended reporting obligations to the Central Point of Contact of the National Bank of Belgium; the reintroduction of the favorable remuneration regime for copyrights for IT developers; and emerging case law on the annual tax on undertakings for collective investment.  

Join us for a concise and practical overview of the latest developments and emerging trends, as well as their impact on the financial services sector. 

Hosts: Kevin Hellinckx and Marie Vanden Berghe – KPMG Tax, Legal & Accountancy

Please note that this session will be divided into two parts, taking place before and after the coffee break, and will feature external speakers. 

As has become customary over the years, recent EU case law has continued to disrupt established practices in the banking industry and the broader financial services sector.

In addition to addressing fundamental questions, such as the concept of currency, EU courts have recently focused on portfolio transfers. Their judgments appear to have established different VAT consequences in two distinct areas: VAT recovery when debts remain unpaid and the continued application of the VAT exemption for loan management.

These cases, including Kosmiro, Mokorytė and Veronsaajien oikeudenvalvontayksikkö, are naturally a source of concern for our respective indirect tax departments, Febelfin and the centers of expertise within the Belgian VAT authorities.

Against this backdrop, we are pleased to invite you to an open discussion on these VAT hot topics with our KPMG experts and esteemed guests Reinhart De Wolf, Tax Team Manager at BNP Paribas Fortis, and François Coutureau, who leads the Central VAT Head Office. By bringing together different perspectives, we aim to leave no stone unturned and look forward to a fruitful session dedicated to VAT experts. 

Europe’s new anti-money laundering framework marks a significant step towards a more harmonized approach to AML/CFT across the EU. With the introduction of the AML Regulation (AMLR) and the establishment of AMLA, financial institutions are entering a new phase in which regulatory requirements will increasingly need to be translated into practical changes across policies, processes, controls, and governance. 

In this workshop, the KPMG AMLA Office will explore key developments under the new framework, what they could mean for financial institutions in practice, and the areas firms should consider as they prepare for implementation. 

Host: Larissa Schnier – KPMG AMLA Office

Building on the Capital Markets Union, the EU’s Savings and Investments Union (SIU) initiative aims to deepen the integration of EU capital and banking markets, broaden investment opportunities for savers, and improve access to funding for European businesses.  

The SIU’s principal objective is to make Europe’s financial markets more efficient by reducing fragmentation and facilitating the flow of savings into productive investment. For financial institutions, this is more than a policy ambition: the resulting reforms are expected to have material implications for their regulatory obligations, operations, and competitive landscape. 

This workshop will take stock of the key policy and legislative developments over the past year and their potential implications for financial institutions and market participants. Among other topics, we will focus on the Retail Investment Strategy, which is expected to be formally adopted by the European Parliament in November, and the Market Integration Package, which is currently subject to trilogue negotiations. 

Host: Laurent Godts – KPMG Law

The European tax landscape for cross-border investments is evolving, with the FASTER Directive introducing a new framework designed to make withholding tax relief procedures faster, more transparent, and more secure. Applicable from 1 January 2030, the new rules will bring significant changes for banks, custodians, and other financial intermediaries, including new requirements for registration, reporting, due diligence, and the processing of withholding tax relief. 

At the same time, the US Qualified Intermediary (QI) regime provides an established framework for withholding, documentation, and reporting in an international investment context. Understanding the similarities and differences between the two regimes will be key for financial institutions seeking to anticipate operational challenges and streamline their tax compliance processes. 

Join us for this workshop, where our experts will explore the upcoming FASTER regime, its similarities with the US QI framework, and the key tax and operational implications for financial intermediaries. 

Host: Stefaan Mertens – KPMG Tax, Legal & Accountancy

Please note that this session will be divided into two parts, taking place before and after the coffee break, and will feature external speakers. 

As has become customary over the years, recent EU case law has continued to disrupt established practices in the banking industry and the broader financial services sector.

In addition to addressing fundamental questions, such as the concept of currency, EU courts have recently focused on portfolio transfers. Their judgments appear to have established different VAT consequences in two distinct areas: VAT recovery when debts remain unpaid and the continued application of the VAT exemption for loan management.

These cases, including Kosmiro, Mokorytė and Veronsaajien oikeudenvalvontayksikkö, are naturally a source of concern for our respective indirect tax departments, Febelfin and the centers of expertise within the Belgian VAT authorities.

Against this backdrop, we are pleased to invite you to an open discussion on these VAT hot topics with our KPMG experts and esteemed guests Reinhart De Wolf, Tax Team Manager at BNP Paribas Fortis, and François Coutureau, who leads the Central VAT Head Office. By bringing together different perspectives, we aim to leave no stone unturned and look forward to a fruitful session dedicated to VAT experts.