Self-Employment

Understand what's involved in setting yourself up as a self-employed person in Belgium...

A self-employed individual works as a private person. The yearly tax declaration is via the standard personal tax return and profits are taxed at personal income tax rates, which are higher than corporation tax rates. The self-employed person is fully liable for all debts of the business but receives all after-tax profits.

There are no rules for the structure of the business and it requires no start-up capital.

Note: Subject to specific conditions, the director, managing partner, etc., of a company may be both self-employed and an employee of that company. Where this is the case, he is personally responsible for paying his self-employed social security contributions.

Further Information

• InvestinBelgium – official Finance Ministry site for foreign investors
• Invest.Belgium – government site for foreign investors in Belgium
• The Federal portal for Belgium –(under Businesses)
• The Finance Ministry
• The Ministry of Economy, SMEs, Self-employed and Energy
• DNS Belgium – the registry of trade and brand names
• EcoSubsiBru – for information on grants and loans

Disclaimer: Information contained on this page is only an outline of how to set up a business in Belgium and is not a comprehensive guide. Banks can provide advice on the costs and the legal formalities for setting up a business and advice on general business and financial management. For detailed tax and legal advice, businesses should contact a specialist lawyer or accounting firm.

• Professional Cards
• Setting Up
• Taxes
• Social Security
• Funds & Support