Starting a business in Belgium: the essential steps

Starting a business in Belgium involves a limited number of genuinely mandatory steps — the rest depends on your sector and structure. Here's the essentials.

Choosing the right legal structure

Self-employed as a natural person or through a company (usually an SRL/BV for small businesses): the choice depends on the activity's risk level, the number of partners, and the tax treatment sought. This choice shapes much of what follows.

Going through a business one-stop shop

Registration with the Crossroads Bank for Enterprises is done through a licensed business one-stop shop, which assigns your company number and activates your activities with the relevant authorities.

Opening a business bank account and registering for VAT

• Separate business bank account, mandatory for companies
• Activating the VAT number if your activity is subject to it
• Joining a social insurance fund for self-employed workers

Setting up the accounting from day one

Waiting until the end of the first year to organise your accounting makes things unnecessarily harder. A structure set up from day one of activity avoids costly corrections later on.