Trading in a tourist city
Bruges works in waves that have little to do with the days of the week. A grey Tuesday in November looks like a closing day, while a sunny Saturday in May packs the whole centre from the Markt to the Steenstraat.
For the trader that means two things. The till has to be dependable at the peak, and cost nothing in attention the rest of the year. A system that needs three actions for one sale does not last long here.
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Tearooms and waffle shops around the Markt and the Burg, selling inside and at the window
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Chocolatiers and fine food shops in the Steenstraat and the Katelijnestraat
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Restaurants and brasseries with a terrace and a largely foreign clientele
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Hotels whose breakfast room or bar is also open to passing customers
Eating in or taking away : where the line runs
The distinction looks small at the counter, but it sets the VAT rate and it weighs on the threshold for the certified register. If the customer eats in your room or on your terrace, it is a restaurant service. If they take it away, the sale follows the food rate.
In practice the question asked at the counter is always the same : eating in or taking away ? Turning that into a button on the screen keeps your rates right by itself. Trying to reconstruct the split afterwards costs you half a day per quarter.
The same sale, two treatments
| Sale |
The customer eats on the premises |
The customer takes it away |
| Waffle, pastry or dessert |
Restaurant service, counts towards the threshold |
Food rate, does not count |
| Hot meal or dish of the day |
Restaurant service, counts towards the threshold |
Food rate, does not count |
| Coffee, soft drink or beer |
Standard rate, does not count towards the threshold |
Standard rate, does not count |
| Packaged pralines or specialities |
Food rate |
Food rate |
Rates and their conditions are adjusted from time to time. Have your menu and your till settings reviewed every year by your accountant, especially if you also sell drinks and packaged goods.
The threshold for the certified register
The obligation starts at 25 000 euros excluding VAT per year in meals eaten on the premises. Drinks do not count, and pure takeaway does not count either.
For a Bruges shop selling mostly at the window, that can mean the system is not required, while the neighbour with identical turnover does fall under it because their customers sit down. Seats make the difference here, not the turnover itself.
If you fall under the scheme, every transaction goes through the system and every customer gets a receipt. If not, you keep justifying your takings day by day.
Payments, cards and daily closing
With a largely foreign clientele your cash drawer looks nothing like that of a neighbourhood shop. Cards issued outside the euro area, small amounts in cash, and a few payments that only reach your account the next day.
The daily closing has to untangle all of that. A split by payment method is not a luxury : it is the only way to trace a gap between till and bank account quickly, instead of meeting it weeks later in the accounts.
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A closing report per payment method, cash and cards separated
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Refunds and voids that stay visible in the daily journal
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A clear link between takings, payment terminal and bank account
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Hourly reports, to match your staffing to the busy moments
Hotels, groups and Peppol invoices
Groups, tour operators and hotels settling a package all ask for an invoice. If the customer is a Belgian VAT registered business, that invoice has travelled over the Peppol network in a structured format since 2026.
Keeping the till and the invoicing apart means entering the same data twice. In one tool the invoice starts from the same items, with the same rates, and reaches the accounts alongside the day's takings.
What Novadesko brings to Bruges
Novadesko combines till, invoicing, stock and bookkeeping in one platform whose interface stays readable even at the height of service.
For activating the certified register scheme with a control module, the NovaResto offer covers the hardware and the black box. Certification of the system and the FDM distributor agreement are in progress : get in touch to find out where things stand before you order anything.
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An eat in or take away button, with the right rate per choice
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Daily closing per payment method, cash and cards separated
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Peppol invoices for hotels, groups and business customers
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Stock tracking for shops selling packaged products
Frequently asked questions
Do I fall under the certified register if I only sell at the window ?
Pure takeaway does not count towards the 25 000 euro threshold. As soon as you put a few tables inside or outside and customers eat there, that turnover starts counting.
How do I split VAT between eating in and taking away ?
By making the choice at the counter rather than afterwards. One button per item for each of the two situations, with the matching rate attached, and your return adds up without any calculation.
Does the system work with foreign payment cards ?
The till records the sale and the payment method. Which cards you accept depends on your terminal, but the closing report shows you what came in per method.
What do I do in low season with a system I barely use ?
Look at the fixed monthly cost and at what you can pause. More important still : make sure your data stays exportable if you ever change supplier.
Can I issue an invoice for a hotel or a tour group ?
Yes. For a Belgian VAT registered customer that invoice goes out over the Peppol network, from the same items as your counter sales.
Worth reading too
This page is informative. The rules on the registered cash register system depend on your actual activity and are adjusted from time to time : have your situation confirmed by the FPS Finance or by your accountant before ordering equipment.
