{"id":15591,"date":"2018-11-26T14:23:16","date_gmt":"2018-11-26T13:23:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/fix-blog.local\/blog\/become-self-employed-belgium-5-steps\/"},"modified":"2026-01-12T17:15:42","modified_gmt":"2026-01-12T16:15:42","slug":"become-self-employed-belgium-5-steps","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.accountable.eu\/en-be\/blog\/become-self-employed-belgium-5-steps\/","title":{"rendered":"Become self-employed in Belgium in 5 easy steps!"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"font-inter text-base leading-relaxed mb-4 first-of-type:mt-0 text-black\"><strong>There you go, it&#8217;s decided! You&#8217;re going to become self-employed. Congratulations! But where exactly do you start, and what do you need to consider? What should you pay attention to and what can you absolutely not forget?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"font-inter text-base leading-relaxed mb-4 first-of-type:mt-0 text-black\"><strong>There&#8217;s a massive amount of information coming your way, and it&#8217;s easy to get lost in the administrative maze. We know because we&#8217;ve been there too.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"font-inter text-base leading-relaxed mb-4 first-of-type:mt-0 text-black\"><strong>That&#8217;s why we&#8217;re sharing everything we wish we\u2019d had known when we started, on a silver platter!<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"become-self-employed-in-5-steps\" class=\"wp-block-heading font-degular scroll-mt-32\">Become self-employed in 5 steps<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"font-inter text-base leading-relaxed mb-4 first-of-type:mt-0 text-black\">Follow the steps below for a quick, successful, and mishap-free start to your self-employed adventure. Let&#8217;s begin!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"start-with-a-well-thought-out-business-plan\" class=\"wp-block-heading font-degular scroll-mt-32\">Start with a well-thought-out business plan<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"ask-yourself-the-right-questions\" class=\"wp-block-heading font-degular scroll-mt-32\">Ask yourself the right questions<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"font-inter text-base leading-relaxed mb-4 first-of-type:mt-0 text-black\">Before you dive into your brand-new adventure as a self-employed individual, it&#8217;s important to pause and think about the purpose of your business:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list list-disc list-outside ml-0 mb-4 space-y-2\">\n<li class=\"font-inter text-base text-black\"><strong>What exactly will you do?<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"font-inter text-base text-black\"><strong>What services or products will you offer?<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"font-inter text-base text-black\"><strong>If you choose to sell or make products, who will be your supplier?<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"font-inter text-base text-black\"><strong>What profit margin can you apply?<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"font-inter text-base text-black\"><strong>What prices will you set?<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"font-inter text-base text-black\"><strong>Who are your ideal customers?<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"font-inter text-base text-black\"><strong>How much profit do you expect to generate?<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"font-inter text-base leading-relaxed mb-4 first-of-type:mt-0 text-black\">These are all important questions to ask yourself before you start. Based on this, you can foresee enough start-up capital and ensure you have everything in place to get off to a good start.<\/p>\n\n\n    <!-- wp:acf\/blog-annotation -->\n    <div class=\"wp-block-acf-blog-annotation flex items-start gap-4 bg-light-purple py-6 px-4 rounded-lg mb-3 mt-3\">\n                    <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"flex-shrink-0\" src=\"https:\/\/www.accountable.eu\/wp-content\/themes\/accountable\/assets\/rebranding-images\/icons\/blog\/widgets\/bulb.svg\" alt=\"bulb\">\n        \n        <div class=\"blog-annotation__text\">\n            <p class=\"font-inter text-lg text-purple m-0\">Got a strong business plan but are lacking the financial resources to fuel launching your business? Then be sure to check if you qualify for a start-up loan, transition premium, or the \u2018springboard to self-employment\u2019 (<a class=\"text-purple underline\" class=\"text-blue-600 hover:underline\" class=\"text-blue-600 hover:underline\" href=\"https:\/\/www.vlaanderen.be\/springplank-naar-zelfstandige\">Springplank naar zelfstandige<\/a>\/Tremplin-ind\u00e9pendants). These are all government measures created to support people who want to become self-employed.<\/p>\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n    <!-- \/wp:acf\/blog-annotation -->\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"need-a-diploma-certificate-or-permit\" class=\"wp-block-heading font-degular scroll-mt-32\">Need a diploma, certificate, or permit?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"font-inter text-base leading-relaxed mb-4 first-of-type:mt-0 text-black\">Check whether you can just get started with your activity or if you need to <strong>apply for a certain permit or present a specific diploma<\/strong>. Self-employed individuals practising a liberal profession (i.e. dentist, doctor, psychologist, etc.) need an official diploma. For other professions, such as copywriting or web design, you don&#8217;t need a specific diploma. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"font-inter text-base leading-relaxed mb-4 first-of-type:mt-0 text-black\">However, the right skills, expertise, experience, and even certificates can give you an advantage over fellow self-employed individuals. After all, the customer wants value for their money.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"font-inter text-base leading-relaxed mb-4 first-of-type:mt-0 text-black\">If you become self-employed in Brussels or Wallonia, you even need to present a business management diploma, as without this proof, you can\u2019t register your business in the <a class=\"font-inter text-purple underline underline-offset-1\" href=\"https:\/\/economie.fgov.be\/en\/themes\/enterprises\/crossroads-bank-enterprises\/registration-crossroads-bank\">Crossroads Bank for Enterprises<\/a> (CBE). For self-employed individuals based in Flanders, this hasn\u2019t been mandatory since 2018.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"primary-or-secondary-occupation\" class=\"wp-block-heading font-degular scroll-mt-32\">Primary or secondary occupation?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"font-inter text-base leading-relaxed mb-4 first-of-type:mt-0 text-black\">Are you going to spend a few hours a week on your self-employed activity alongside your salaried job? Then the status of self-employed in a secondary occupation might be something for you. Or do you want to go all in and start as self-employed in a primary occupation?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"sole-proprietorship-or-company\" class=\"wp-block-heading font-degular scroll-mt-32\">Sole proprietorship or company?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"font-inter text-base leading-relaxed mb-4 first-of-type:mt-0 text-black\">Have you also thought about which business form best suits you? Depending on your business plan, there&#8217;s surely a business form that fits you better, whether it&#8217;s a <a class=\"font-inter text-purple underline underline-offset-1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.accountable.eu\/en-be\/blog\/sole-trader-to-company-when-how\/\">sole proprietorship or a company<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"font-inter text-base leading-relaxed mb-4 first-of-type:mt-0 text-black\"><a class=\"font-inter text-purple underline underline-offset-1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.accountable.eu\/en-be\/blog\/choosing-business-structure-self-employed\/\">Here,<\/a> you can read more about the different forms of business for self-employed individuals in Belgium.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"2-open-a-professional-bank-account\" class=\"wp-block-heading font-degular scroll-mt-32\">2. Open a professional bank account<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"font-inter text-base leading-relaxed mb-4 first-of-type:mt-0 text-black\">Now that you&#8217;ve clearly defined what your self-employed activity entails and how you&#8217;re going to execute it, it&#8217;s time to open a professional bank account. <strong>This step is not mandatory if you\u2019re planning to carry out your self-employed activity as a sole trader, but we highly recommend it. For companies, this step is mandatory.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"font-inter text-base leading-relaxed mb-4 first-of-type:mt-0 text-black\">It&#8217;s always good to get paid by your customers, of course, but not only that: this account is used for all your professional transactions and appears on all your invoices. You can choose whichever bank you want. You can probably even arrange it all from the comfort of your sofa.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"font-inter text-base leading-relaxed mb-4 first-of-type:mt-0 text-black\"><strong>Read more about opening a professional bank account <a class=\"font-inter text-purple underline underline-offset-1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.accountable.eu\/en-be\/blog\/starter-bank-account\/\">here<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"font-inter text-base leading-relaxed mb-4 first-of-type:mt-0 text-black\">This is also a good moment to think about how you&#8217;re going to handle your accounting. Will you hire an accountant, opt for accounting software, or do it yourself?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"3-register-your-self-employed-activity-at-the-crossroads-bank-for-enterprises\" class=\"wp-block-heading font-degular scroll-mt-32\">3. Register your self-employed activity at the Crossroads Bank for Enterprises<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"font-inter text-base leading-relaxed mb-4 first-of-type:mt-0 text-black\">Now things start to get real: <strong>it&#8217;s time to register your self-employed activity at the CBE and get your business number<\/strong>. Keep your identity card and professional bank account number handy, as you\u2019ll need this information during registration. Fill in all the details as fully and accurately as possible, because once your registration is submitted, it&#8217;s final. You pay administrative fees for any changes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"font-inter text-base leading-relaxed mb-4 first-of-type:mt-0 text-black\">Finding this registration complex? Then get help from an accountant, a business counter, or one of the <a class=\"font-inter text-purple underline underline-offset-1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.accountable.eu\/en-be\/tax-coaches\/\">Tax Coaches<\/a> at Accountable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"font-inter text-base leading-relaxed mb-4 first-of-type:mt-0 text-black\">Almost immediately after registration, you receive your unique business number. Your business is now registered in the CBE, among the data of thousands of other self-employed individuals and Belgian companies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"font-inter text-base leading-relaxed mb-4 first-of-type:mt-0 text-black\">Expect to spend about \u20ac190 to get your registration as a self-employed individual sorted. This is also your first official business expense, which is 100% tax-deductible. Yay!\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"font-inter text-base leading-relaxed mb-4 first-of-type:mt-0 text-black\"><strong>Registration in the CBE costs \u20ac111.50 and activation of your VAT number is around \u20ac60.<\/strong> Prices vary depending on whether you do the registration yourself or have it done by your social secretariat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"font-inter text-base leading-relaxed mb-4 first-of-type:mt-0 text-black\">You can read more about deductible expenses <a class=\"font-inter text-purple underline underline-offset-1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.accountable.eu\/blog\/tag\/expenses\/\">here<\/a>. It\u2019s worth remembering that you can claim business expenses retroactively, up to 3 months before you officially start being self-employed!<\/p>\n\n\n    <!-- wp:acf\/blog-annotation -->\n    <div class=\"wp-block-acf-blog-annotation flex items-start gap-4 bg-light-purple py-6 px-4 rounded-lg mb-3 mt-3\">\n                    <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"flex-shrink-0\" src=\"https:\/\/www.accountable.eu\/wp-content\/themes\/accountable\/assets\/rebranding-images\/icons\/blog\/widgets\/bulb.svg\" alt=\"bulb\">\n        \n        <div class=\"blog-annotation__text\">\n            <p class=\"font-inter text-lg text-purple m-0\"><strong class=\"font-bold\">It&#8217;s best to start your self-employed activity at the beginning of a quarter<\/strong> (January 1, April 1, July 1, or October 1). Of course, you can start at any other time, but you pay social contributions for a full quarter. If you register as self-employed at the end of a quarter, you still pay the full social contribution for a quarter that&#8217;s almost over.<\/p>\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n    <!-- \/wp:acf\/blog-annotation -->\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"4-join-a-social-insurance-fund\" class=\"wp-block-heading font-degular scroll-mt-32\">4. Join a social insurance fund<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"font-inter text-base leading-relaxed mb-4 first-of-type:mt-0 text-black\">You&#8217;re your own boss&#8230; which has its charms, but there are also risks involved: having the right cover if something goes wrong comes down to you, and you alone. That&#8217;s why you have to join a <a class=\"font-inter text-purple underline underline-offset-1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.accountable.eu\/en-be\/blog\/which-social-insurance-fund\/\">social insurance fund<\/a> before starting your activity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"font-inter text-base leading-relaxed mb-4 first-of-type:mt-0 text-black\">It&#8217;s your fund that takes care of your family allowances (child benefit), pension, sickness or disability insurance, as well as the bridging right (after bankruptcy).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"font-inter text-base leading-relaxed mb-4 first-of-type:mt-0 text-black\">To enjoy this protection when it\u2019s needed, you pay a <a class=\"font-inter text-purple underline underline-offset-1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.accountable.eu\/en-be\/blog\/social-security-contributions-self-employed\/\">social contribution<\/a> to your social insurance fund every quarter. <strong>The amount depends on your income but is about 20.5% of your taxable net income. Moreover, your social contribution is 100% tax-deductible.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"font-inter text-base leading-relaxed mb-4 first-of-type:mt-0 text-black\">When you start out, you don&#8217;t know exactly how much you&#8217;re going to earn. You can choose to pay the minimum contribution or opt for a higher amount that you estimate yourself. When the tax authorities tell your social insurance fund exactly how much you earn, your contribution can be revised.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"5-sort-out-the-vat-formalities\" class=\"wp-block-heading font-degular scroll-mt-32\">5. Sort out the VAT formalities<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"font-inter text-base leading-relaxed mb-4 first-of-type:mt-0 text-black\">You already have your business number, but in most cases, you also need to <strong>activate your VAT number<\/strong>. This is the same number as your business number, but with &#8216;BE&#8217; in front. You get your VAT number from the tax authorities via <a class=\"font-inter text-purple underline underline-offset-1\" href=\"https:\/\/financien.belgium.be\/nl\/Actueel\/nieuwe-btw-belastingplichtige-gebruik-het-nieuwe-formulier-voor-btw-identificatie\">this form<\/a>. Too complex to navigate it yourself? Then your social insurance fund can activate your VAT number for you, for a small fee.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"font-inter text-base leading-relaxed mb-4 first-of-type:mt-0 text-black\">Once your VAT number is activated, you\u2019re then obliged to charge VAT to Belgian customers and submit periodic declarations (usually quarterly). You must also submit a customer listing, which you can read more about here.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"font-inter text-base leading-relaxed mb-4 first-of-type:mt-0 text-black\">In principle, all self-employed individuals in Belgium are subject to VAT, but Belgium wouldn&#8217;t be Belgium if there wasn&#8217;t an exception. <strong>If your annual turnover is below \u20ac25,000, you qualify for the <a class=\"font-inter text-purple underline underline-offset-1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.accountable.eu\/en-be\/blog\/vat-exemption-small-business\/\">VAT exemption scheme for small businesses<\/a>.<\/strong> This means you don&#8217;t have to charge VAT to customers or pay it back to the state, but on the other hand, it also means you can&#8217;t deduct or recover VAT on the professional expenses you incur.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"font-inter text-base leading-relaxed mb-4 first-of-type:mt-0 text-black\">Certain professions, such as doctors or dentists (i.e. liberal professions), are not subject to VAT at all. In this case, they are not subject to VAT because of the nature of the profession.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"6-get-to-work\" class=\"wp-block-heading font-degular scroll-mt-32\">6. Get to work!<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"font-inter text-base leading-relaxed mb-4 first-of-type:mt-0 text-black\">Hey, didn\u2019t you say 5 steps? We did. The 6th and final step is the real start of your brand-new adventure in self-employment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"font-inter text-base leading-relaxed mb-4 first-of-type:mt-0 text-black\">Now, you just need to work and reap the fruits of your labour as a self-employed individual. Or rather, part of the fruits. From the total amount of money your customers pay you, only a part goes into your own pocket. The other part is used to run your business (<a class=\"font-inter text-purple underline underline-offset-1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.deductibles.be\/\">professional expenses<\/a>), and the rest is taxed at a higher or less high rate, depending on whether you earn a lot or a little.<\/p>\n\n\n  <div class=\"flex flex-col gap-2.5 bg-light-blue py-10 px-7 rounded-lg\">\n    <div class=\"flex flex-col gap-1\">\n      <span class=\"font-inter text-base text-dark-blue\">Special starter deal<\/span>\n      <p class=\"font-degular text-3xl text-dark-blue font-bold m-0 scroll-mt-32 leading-none\">Receive a \u20ac100 discount on all yearly Accountable plans<\/p>\n    <\/div>\n    <ul class=\"flex flex-col gap-5 p-0\">\n              <li class=\"flex gap-5 flex-row items-start font-inter text-sm text-dark-blue\">\n          <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.accountable.eu\/wp-content\/themes\/accountable\/assets\/rebranding-images\/icons\/pricing\/check.svg\" alt=\"\">\n          Register as a self-employed and get affiliated with a Social Security Fund, or simply send us the receipt from your business counter if you already registered        <\/li>\n              <li class=\"flex gap-5 flex-row items-start font-inter text-sm text-dark-blue\">\n          <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.accountable.eu\/wp-content\/themes\/accountable\/assets\/rebranding-images\/icons\/pricing\/check.svg\" alt=\"\">\n          We will provide you with a voucher for \u20ac100, valid on all yearly paid plans with Accountable        <\/li>\n              <li class=\"flex gap-5 flex-row items-start font-inter text-sm text-dark-blue\">\n          <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.accountable.eu\/wp-content\/themes\/accountable\/assets\/rebranding-images\/icons\/pricing\/check.svg\" alt=\"\">\n          Available for all self-employed within 12 months of getting started        <\/li>\n          <\/ul>\n          <div class=\"mt-5\">\n        <a href=\"https:\/\/www.accountable.eu\/en-be\/starter-pack\/\" class=\"button-track btn-redirect btn-primary-fill\" data-event=\"starterpack-landing\">Claim your starter discount<\/a>\n      <\/div>\n      <\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"font-inter text-base leading-relaxed mb-4 first-of-type:mt-0 text-black\">Other interesting reads for you:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"font-inter text-base leading-relaxed mb-4 first-of-type:mt-0 text-black\"><a class=\"font-inter text-purple underline underline-offset-1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.accountable.eu\/en-be\/blog\/gross-net-income-self-employed\/\">Gross and net income for self-employed individuals: how to calculate your net income<\/a><br><a class=\"font-inter text-purple underline underline-offset-1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.accountable.eu\/en-be\/blog\/progressive-tax-brackets\/\">The progressive tax brackets for self-employed individuals in Belgium<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"font-inter text-base leading-relaxed mb-4 first-of-type:mt-0 text-black\">Customers pay you. You pay your suppliers. You keep all your paperwork neat and well organised. You respect the deadlines. To find your way in this new labyrinth, there\u2019s a handy, pocket-sized solution that can guide you: <strong>Accountable<\/strong>. \u2728<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"font-inter text-base leading-relaxed mb-4 first-of-type:mt-0 text-black\"><em>Thanks to our app, you can record your expenses, create and send invoices, follow up on payments, and know which taxes are coming up. By self-employed individuals, for self-employed individuals. Because we would have liked it to be easier too.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"font-inter text-base leading-relaxed mb-4 first-of-type:mt-0 text-black\"><strong>We&#8217;re happy to help you on your way. \ud83d\udc9c<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>There you go, it&#8217;s decided! You&#8217;re going to become self-employed. Congratulations! But where exactly do you start, and what do you need to consider? What should you pay attention to and what can you absolutely not forget? There&#8217;s a massive amount of information coming your way, and it&#8217;s easy to get lost in the administrative [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":24,"featured_media":1006,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[264,269,279],"tags":[247,249],"class_list":["post-15591","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-become-self-employed","category-important-things-to-know","category-main","tag-become-self-employed","tag-expenses"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.4 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Become self-employed in Belgium in 5 easy steps! - Accountable<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Starting out as self-employed in Belgium can feel like a daunting task. 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