{"id":21158,"date":"2026-02-09T15:52:32","date_gmt":"2026-02-09T14:52:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.accountable.eu\/?p=21158"},"modified":"2026-03-10T15:05:51","modified_gmt":"2026-03-10T14:05:51","slug":"free-business-account-sole-traders","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.accountable.eu\/en-be\/blog\/free-business-account-sole-traders\/","title":{"rendered":"Accountable Banking: the free business account for sole traders"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><strong>Making business payments often means switching between apps, copying and pasting IBANs, and then matching everything up in your accounts afterwards. That\u2019s now a thing of the past: with Accountable Banking, you can handle all your payments directly within Accountable.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>On top of that, Accountable automatically calculates how much money you should set aside for future tax and VAT bills. Not exactly fun, but definitely essential. And did we mention already this business account is 100% free?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What is Accountable Banking?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Accountable Banking is a new banking feature within the Accountable app, made possible by our banking partner <strong>Swan, a European financial institution regulated by the National Bank of Belgium<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Accountable is the first and only provider in Belgium where <strong>sole traders can open a free* professional account that automatically helps you save for taxes<\/strong>. This brings us one step closer to our goal of making entrepreneurship more accessible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>With Accountable Banking, you can:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Open a <strong>free business account with a Belgian IBAN<\/strong> (no monthly or yearly account fees).<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Manage all your payments directly <strong>from one app<\/strong>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Automatically <strong>set money aside for VAT, taxes<\/strong>, and more in convenient \u201cSpaces.\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>You don\u2019t even need a paid Accountable subscription: Accountable Banking is available for everyone in the free plan too. So there\u2019s really no excuse not to open <a href=\"https:\/\/www.accountable.eu\/en-be\/blog\/opening-a-free-professional-bank-account-for-whom-and-how\/\">a professional account<\/a> for your sole trader business.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>*Accountable Banking itself is completely free, but some transactions, such as international payments, may incur fees in line with Swan\u2019s general terms and conditions. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.accountable.eu\/en-be\/banking\/\">You can find an overview of all possible fees here<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How to open a free business account?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Opening an Accountable Banking account takes just a few seconds in the Accountable app:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Go to the banking screen in the app.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Tap \u201cOpen your business account.\u201d<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Complete the authentication process.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Receive your Belgian IBAN within a few days.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p>Once your account is set up, you can:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Make and receive payments directly from the app<\/strong>, no switching required.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Create \u201cSpaces\u201d<\/strong> and set money aside for VAT, taxes, or upcoming investments.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Add your <strong>virtual card to Apple Pay or Google Pay<\/strong> for mobile payments everywhere.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Order a physical Mastercard<\/strong>: free with the MAX plan, or \u20ac7.50 with all other plans (including the free plan). You can choose between a standard design or the purple design featuring our mascot, Aldo.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>\u26a0\ufe0f <strong>You don\u2019t receive a physical card by default. You can request a physical card in Settings > Bank Settings > Card Settings.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"786\" src=\"https:\/\/www.accountable.eu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Hero-Banking-EN_BE-1024x786.avif\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-21159\" style=\"width:526px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.accountable.eu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Hero-Banking-EN_BE-1024x786.avif 1024w, https:\/\/www.accountable.eu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Hero-Banking-EN_BE-323x248.avif 323w, https:\/\/www.accountable.eu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Hero-Banking-EN_BE-768x589.avif 768w, https:\/\/www.accountable.eu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Hero-Banking-EN_BE-1536x1179.avif 1536w, https:\/\/www.accountable.eu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Hero-Banking-EN_BE-2048x1572.avif 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Accounting, taxes, and banking: all-in-one with Accountable<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The biggest advantage of Accountable Banking is the flow: <strong>you no longer have to switch between your business account, bookkeeping software, and separate payment apps<\/strong>. You can receive and make payments directly in Accountable, which means less copy-pasting (IBANs, amounts, references) and smoother administration overall.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>On top of that, planning ahead is easier and safer thanks to Spaces. You can automatically set aside money within your account, so important funds aren\u2019t accidentally spent on new gadgets or that expensive course you never actually have time for.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>What kinds of Spaces can you create? Think of:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>A Space for VAT.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>A Space for income tax.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>A Space for upcoming investments, e.g. a new laptop.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Spaces for recurring expenses like social contributions and insurances.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Get started with Accountable Banking<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Want to finally manage your bookkeeping and payments in one smooth flow, while automatically setting money aside for VAT and taxes?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>\u2192 <a href=\"https:\/\/accountable.app.link\/BCaqa8Jb0ab\">Open your free business account now<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Accountable Banking: The FREE business account for self-employed in Belgium\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/RAu81zML5Wo?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Received your new IBAN?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Using Accountable Banking as your main account<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>If you open a new business account to use as your main account, <strong>it\u2019s best to notify your clients and suppliers as soon as possible<\/strong>. Your <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.accountable.eu\/en-be\/blog\/which-social-insurance-fund\/\">social security counter office<\/a><\/strong> can assist you with this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>This service is usually free, but sometimes <\/strong>(depending on your social counter office)<strong> a small administrative fee may apply.<\/strong> You can also update your primary account yourself via <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.myenterprise.be\/my_enterprise\/\">My Enterprise<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You should also share your new IBAN with your accountant, clients and suppliers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Using Accountable Banking as a secondary account<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>As a sole trader (whether full-time, part-time, or a student entrepreneur), you\u2019re allowed to have and use multiple accounts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>If you want to use Accountable Banking as an extra account, for example, to save for taxes, and not as your official main account, you generally don\u2019t need to notify anyone.<\/strong> If you work with an accountant, it\u2019s still recommended to let them know.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Your Accountable Banking account will be automatically linked to your Accountable account alongside your other accounts. <\/strong>This makes it easy to continue linking transactions to expenses, keeping your bookkeeping organised and straightforward.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Frequently Asked Questions about Accountable Banking (FAQ)<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"schema-faq wp-block-yoast-faq-block\"><div class=\"schema-faq-section\" id=\"faq-question-1770648355813\"><strong class=\"schema-faq-question\">Is Accountable Banking suitable for all self-employed individuals?<\/strong> <p class=\"schema-faq-answer\"><strong>For now, only sole traders (including full-time, part-time, and student entrepreneurs) can open a business account with Accountable Banking. <\/strong>Do you run a company and are interested in Accountable Banking? <a href=\"mailto:support@accountable.eu\">Let us know<\/a>.<\/p> <\/div> <div class=\"schema-faq-section\" id=\"faq-question-1770648404455\"><strong class=\"schema-faq-question\">Is Accountable a bank?<\/strong> <p class=\"schema-faq-answer\"><strong>No. Accountable is not a bank.<\/strong> With Accountable Banking, you can bank directly in the Accountable app, but the account and financial services are provided by our <strong>regulated partner, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.swan.io\/terms-of-use\">Swan<\/a>, a European financial institution supervised by the National Bank of Belgium<\/strong>. This ensures the highest standards of security and compliance.<\/p> <\/div> <div class=\"schema-faq-section\" id=\"faq-question-1770648461929\"><strong class=\"schema-faq-question\">Do I need a paid Accountable subscription to open a business account?<\/strong> <p class=\"schema-faq-answer\">No. Even users on the free Accountable plan can open a free business account!<\/p> <\/div> <div class=\"schema-faq-section\" id=\"faq-question-1770648491206\"><strong class=\"schema-faq-question\">Is the business account really 100% free?<\/strong> <p class=\"schema-faq-answer\">The account itself is free for all self-employed users, including those on Accountable\u2019s free plan. There is no opening fee or monthly\/yearly fees. While Accountable Banking is 100% free, Swan may charge fees for certain transactions (e.g., international payments). <a href=\"https:\/\/www.accountable.eu\/en-be\/banking\/\">More info<\/a>.<\/p> <\/div> <div class=\"schema-faq-section\" id=\"faq-question-1770648547972\"><strong class=\"schema-faq-question\">How quickly will I receive my Belgian IBAN?<\/strong> <p class=\"schema-faq-answer\">Once you complete the authentication process, you\u2019ll receive your Belgian IBAN within a few days. From that point, you can start making and receiving payments.<\/p> <\/div> <div class=\"schema-faq-section\" id=\"faq-question-1770648583405\"><strong class=\"schema-faq-question\">Do I get a physical payment card?<\/strong> <p class=\"schema-faq-answer\">You\u2019ll receive a free virtual card that can be added to your Apple or Google Wallet. You don&#8217;t receive a physical card by default, but you can request one in &#8216;card settings&#8217;. The physical card is free in the MAX plan. For all other plans (including the free plan), a physical card costs \u20ac7.50.<\/p> <\/div> <div class=\"schema-faq-section\" id=\"faq-question-1770648644240\"><strong class=\"schema-faq-question\">What\u2019s the difference between Accountable Banking and other providers?<\/strong> <p class=\"schema-faq-answer\">The biggest difference is ease of use: with Accountable Banking, <strong>you make payments from the same app where you track your income and expenses<\/strong>. This means <strong>no more switching between apps<\/strong> and less copying of data. On top of that, <strong>Spaces let you automatically set money aside for VAT and taxes<\/strong>, so your reserves grow alongside your income. And, of course, opening the account is <strong>completely free<\/strong>.<\/p> <\/div> <\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Making business payments often means switching between apps, copying and pasting IBANs, and then matching everything up in your accounts afterwards. That\u2019s now a thing of the past: with Accountable Banking, you can handle all your payments directly within Accountable. 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That\u2019s now a thing of the past: with Accountable Banking, you can handle all your payments directly within Accountable. 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