Our guides explain the rules for running a business in Belgium. Companies, VAT, financial plans, cash flow: every article gets straight to the point. A few guides also cover France.
Finishing your studies in France and want to run your own business? A status change to self-employment requires a viable project, sufficient means of support and a solid file. Conditions, timing and evidence.
How do you turn an idea into proof of economic viability? Here are the structure, assumptions and financial tables that make a French residence application convincing.
Arbitrary revenue, missing costs, no evidence: these mistakes weaken an entrepreneur permit file. Spot the inconsistencies and fix them before you submit your request to the prefecture.
A complete forecast puts figures on your project over three years and links sales, costs, cash and financing. Here is the seven-step method, with a worked example and the mistakes that make a banker hesitate.
Profitability, liquidity, financing: three key tables answer three different questions. Here is how to read each table, and why a banker first checks that they reconcile.
A good project turned down often hides a poorly presented file. Before your loan application, avoid these seven mistakes that make a credit analyst wince, and use our pre-meeting checklist.
Company formation in Belgium takes method. This guide covers the legal forms, the steps at the notary and the enterprise counter, indicative costs and the mistakes to avoid.
Choosing the right legal form shapes how much you invest, how you govern and what you risk. This guide compares the Belgian SRL and SA under the Companies Code, with practical criteria and common mistakes.
To domicile a company in Belgium, you place its registered seat with a specialist provider instead of renting an office. This guide covers how it works, the contract, legal duties and common mistakes.
Keeping your job while you launch a side business? A secondary occupation gives you both. Here are the Belgian conditions, contributions, tax rules and registration steps to check before your first invoice.
A Belgian ASBL needs two founders, clear articles of association and a filing at the court registry. Here are the steps, the duties that follow and the mistakes to avoid.
Your VAT registration must come before your first invoice in Belgium. Here are the practical steps, the documents to prepare, the possible schemes and the mistakes that cause delays.
Your bookkeeping obligations depend on the legal form and size of your business. Find out which books to keep, how annual accounts work, which tax filings apply and when.
A registered-office transfer follows a set procedure: a decision by the competent body, sometimes amended articles, publication and admin updates. Here are the steps, the timing and the costs in Belgium.
Legal protection for a company starts long before the first dispute. Contracts, terms and conditions, trademark, articles of association, personal assets and dispute handling: here are the tools to set up in Belgium.
A voluntary liquidation closes a solvent Belgian company properly. Decision before a notary, the liquidator, paying creditors, the final surplus and closure: here is the full route for an SRL or SA.
Well-planned tax optimisation lowers your company's burden while staying within the law. Discover the levers: expenses, depreciation, the reduced rate, salary, dividends, company car and incentive schemes.
The financial plan protects creditors, and it protects you too. What the Companies Code requires, how founder liability works if the company fails early, and a worked example for founders.
A capital increase funds growth, brings in an investor or strengthens equity. Cash or in-kind contributions, SRL or SA: here is the procedure, what it costs and the traps to avoid in Belgium.
A good company name sticks, can be protected and complies with the law. Here are the Belgian rules, the checks to run with the CBE and BOIP, and practical tips to avoid conflicts.
A professional account keeps your private finances apart from the company's. Here is when you need one, which documents banks ask for, which fees to compare and how to open it without delay.
A cooperative company brings together at least three founders around a genuine shared project. Founding, governance, joining, leaving and CNC accreditation: here are the rules of the Belgian Companies Code, step by step.
A simple partnership lets two or more partners pool assets without a notary or any publication. How it works, liability, tax transparency and estate planning: what to know before you sign.
A foundation dedicates assets to a disinterested purpose, with no members. Here is how to create a foundation, private or public utility, with the steps, the tax rules and the pitfalls.
Starting out and torn between a sole proprietorship and an SRL? Here are the real differences: liability, tax, social contributions and paperwork. Two practical examples help you decide.
A virtual office gives a Belgian business far more than a mailbox: a stronger image, privacy, lower fixed costs and flexibility. Here are its concrete benefits, along with the limits to keep in mind.
A Brussels address gives your company an international profile without office rent. This practical guide covers the most sought-after districts, the legal effects, prices and what to check with a provider.
Is your company seat still at your home address, or has your lease become too costly? Here is how to move it to a domiciliation provider in the right order, without losing post or time.
Foreign companies can set up in Belgium without renting offices, thanks to domiciliation. Branch or subsidiary, formalities, tax and accounting: here are the options and the duties that come with each.
Thinking of working as a sole trader in Belgium? Here are the conditions, CBE registration, social insurance, VAT, tax and insurance steps in the right order, plus the early mistakes worth avoiding.
Your social-security contributions fund your pension and healthcare, yet the calculation often surprises new sole traders. Here are the rates, provisional payments, adjustments, reductions and exemptions, explained step by step.
Becoming a student freelancer lets you launch an activity without giving up your studies. Conditions, 2026 income limits, social contributions, tax and steps: here is what to check before you start.
Already trading in your own name, with a growing business? Find out when to switch to a legal entity, how to pick the right moment, what to do with your clients and which mistakes to avoid.
CBE registration is the gateway to any business activity in Belgium. Here is what the register does, which documents you need and how to obtain your enterprise number quickly.
Publication in the Belgian Gazette makes your company decisions enforceable against third parties. Which acts to publish, how filing works, what it costs and how long it takes: the essentials for directors.
Opening a restaurant, a food shop or a transport firm? Commercial licences in Belgium vary by sector and by Region. Here are the permits to check, the authorities involved and the mistakes to avoid.
GDPR compliance is not optional for a Belgian company. Record of processing, privacy notices, DPO, impact assessments, data breaches and DPA fines: here is a practical action plan.
A correct corporate tax return starts well before you file it on Biztax. Here are the rates, the path from accounting result to taxable profit, the deadlines and the advance payments.
The periodic VAT return sums up your taxable transactions. Find out who files it, how often, by which date, how to complete it on Intervat and how to avoid fines.
NBB filing of your annual accounts follows a strict calendar. Find out who must file, which format applies, the deadlines, the fees, the late surcharges and the right habits.
A good Belgian accountant saves you time and secures your filings. Find out how to check credentials, compare offers, ask the right questions and spot warning signs.
To replace a director in Belgium, you follow a precise procedure: a decision by the competent body, acceptance of office, publication in the Belgian Gazette and updates. Here is how it works in an SRL or SA.
Amending articles of association in Belgium follows strict rules: quorum, qualified majorities, a notarial deed and publication. Here are the steps, costs and pitfalls for an SRL or an SA.
Does your SRL need to become an SA, or has your cooperative lost its cooperative purpose? A conversion changes the legal form without setting up a new company. Here are the steps, reports and pitfalls.
A Benelux trademark protects your name or logo in Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg. Clearance search, Nice classes, BOIP filing, opposition, costs and renewal: here is the full procedure, step by step.
Solid commercial contracts prevent most disputes. Terms and conditions, service agreements, NDAs, shareholders' agreements, employment terms and key clauses: here is what Belgian law requires and recommends.
Director liability can reach the personal assets of anyone sitting on the board of a Belgian SRL or SA. Legal caps, serious fault, bankruptcy, D&O insurance and discharge: here is how to measure the risk.
Customer files, emails, cameras, staff records: personal data flows through every part of your business. Here is how to collect it, secure it, respect people's rights and react to a leak, with simple habits.
Bankruptcy proceedings apply to a business that has stopped paying its debts for good and lost its creditworthiness. Filing, the trustee's role, creditors and debt discharge: here is how it works in Belgium.
Judicial reorganisation shields a struggling business from its creditors while it recovers. Here are the Book XX conditions, the three possible routes and how the procedure differs from bankruptcy.
ASBL dissolution follows rules of its own, distinct from company law practice. Members' vote, liquidator, debts, allocation of remaining assets and publications: here is the complete procedure.
A successful company sale starts with a choice between a share deal and an asset deal, then a defensible price. Here are the steps, due diligence, the purchase agreement and the tax points to check.
Notional interest lets a company deduct a fictitious return on its equity. Here are the principle, the calculation, the adjustments, the conditions and a worked example.
The tax benefits reserved for small Belgian companies weigh heavily on the final bill. Here are the reduced rate, the reliefs for young companies, the liquidation reserve, the start-up scheme and the conditions.
European VAT follows precise rules as soon as you buy or sell within the EU. Here are the mechanisms, the boxes to fill in, the proof to keep and two worked examples.
Dividend withholding in Belgium starts at 30%. VVPRbis shares, the liquidation reserve and the dividends-received deduction can cut that bill sharply, provided you meet strict conditions.
A business plan guides your decisions and contains the financial plan the law requires for a company. Here is the business plan structure, the Belgian obligations and what banks and investors expect.
A Belgian partnership, whether an SNC or an SComm, has legal personality with no minimum capital and no mandatory notary. Liability, the limited partner's role and corporate tax: here is how to choose.
Coworking space or domiciliation? Compare the costs, services, image and Belgian rules of both options for your business, then pick the one that matches the way you actually work.
Which professional insurance do you need when you work for yourself? Liability, income protection, legal expenses and cyber cover: here are the legal duties, the useful options and a realistic budget.
A shareholders' agreement covers what the articles of association leave out: a partner's exit, deadlock, valuation and competition. Here are the key clauses, the limits of Belgian law and the mistakes to avoid.
Since 1 January 2026, structured electronic invoicing has applied between VAT-registered businesses in Belgium. Here are the timeline, how Peppol works, the exceptions and a practical action plan.
Absorbing one company into another moves its entire estate without liquidation. Here are the forms of restructuring, the merger procedure in eight steps, the deadlines and the favourable tax regime.
A share buyback lets an SRL or SA purchase its own shares from its members, often to settle a partner's exit. Here are the legal conditions, the steps and the tax on the surplus.
Legal-expenses cover pays lawyers and court costs when your company faces a dispute. Policy options, exclusions, waiting periods, free choice of lawyer and tax treatment: here is how to pick the right plan.
The tax-shelter scheme gives individuals a 30% or 45% income tax reduction when they back a young Belgian company. Here are the conditions, a worked example and the risks to weigh.
Each guide answers one precise question. Categories group related topics, and the blog topics page helps you explore a broad subject. Figures follow the rules in force in Belgium or France on the publication date. Always check your situation with a professional before a major decision. To put numbers on it, our free calculators work out a cost, a tax or a break-even point. Juristelo then assembles those calculations into a complete financial plan, ready for your bank or notary.
