Self-employed student? What about family allowances and student grants?

The status of ‘self-employed student’ is particularly advantageous, provided you don't exceed the income ceiling. Because if you do, you and your parents could be in for a surprise when it comes to taxes, family allowances, or even student grants. We'll tell you all about it in this article! 

Entitlement to family allowances as a self-employed student

In Belgium, provided you're still registered as a student, your parents receive family allowances until you turn 25, even if you have the status of self-employed student.

There’s one important condition: your self-employed activity cannot exceed certain limits, both in terms of income and working hours. If you exceed these limits, you and your parents risk losing your child benefit as a self-employed student.

The rules are different depending on where you live.

Student self-employed in Flanders

• If your net taxable annual income is less than €17,008.88 (in 2025), you retain the right to "Het Groeipakket".
• Are you working as a student employee in addition to your self-employed activity? Then, to keep your right to child benefits, you may not work more than 600 hours as a student employee.
• If you earn more than €17,008.88, you will be considered self-employed as a main profession and will lose your right to child benefits.

Student self-employed in Brussels and Wallonia

• If your annual net taxable income is less than €8,504.44 (in 2025), you’re exempt from social security contributions and you retain your right to family allowances.
• If you earn between €8,504.44 and €17,008.88 (in 2025), in principle, you automatically become self-employed in a main occupation and therefore lose your family allowances. Because in this case, it’s assumed that you work more than 240 hours per quarter, which is the upper limit to retain the right to family allowances.

💡Accountable tip: If your income is between €8,504.44 and €17,008.88 and you can prove that you haven't worked more than 240 hours, you can have your situation reviewed. Ask your family allowance fund for advice.

Am I still considered ‘dependent’ on my parents for tax purposes?

• You’re still considered dependent on your parents for tax purposes if your income does not exceed €4,100 (in 2025). This amount includes all your student income, whether you’re a self-employed student or a student worker.
• For children of single parents, the threshold is €5,930.
• For disabled children supported by a single parent, the maximum amount is €7,520.

Basically, your parents pay less tax when they have a fiscally dependent child. So talk to your parents regularly about your annual income to avoid unpleasant surprises.

Does a self-employed student get to keep their student grant?

Yes, you can receive a student grant even if you’re a self-employed student, provided your income stays below certain levels.

💡To find out more about the conditions for accessing a student grant, consult the website of the Wallonia-Brussels Federation.

What taxes does a self-employed student pay?

As a self-employed student, you don’t pay taxes as long as you remain below the tax-exempt amount of €10,910 (in 2025).

💡Accountable tip: Business expenses can significantly reduce your taxable income. For example, you earned €5,000 this year, but you bought a new computer worth €1,000 for your business? In this case, your gross annual income is €4,000, so you don't pay taxes, you remain fiscally dependent on your parents, and you keep your family allowances.

Start as a self-employed student in Belgium with Accountable

Are you a student dreaming of starting a freelance business, but don't know where to start? The Accountable team ✨will guide you step by step.

Keep an eye on your income in real time in our app. That way, you can ensure you don't exceed the maximum amount so you can keep your family allowances as a self-employed student.

💡Ready to get started? Here's our guide to getting started as a student freelancer

Author - Valesca Wilms

As content marketing lead at Accountable Belgium, Valesca writes about freelancing, self-employment, and taxes based on her own experience as a freelancer.

Who is Valesca ?