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💼 Professional status

Employee or
self-employed?

A decision that changes your net income, social protection, and daily freedom. The right answer depends on your profile, sector, and region.

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~20.5%
Self-employed social contributions On net income (vs 13.07% employee + 25% employer in salaried)
25%
Corporate tax (ISOC) in Belgium 20% on first bracket for eligible SMEs
50%
Marginal IPP rate above ~€46,000 Identical for employees and self-employed sole proprietors
3 years
Duration of "primo-starter" self-employed regime Reduced social contributions at activity start

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Articles in this topic

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Region:
🏛️ Brussels — What to know
Dense ecosystem for self-employed: hub.brussels, 1819, Tremplin Indépendant for unemployed wanting to launch. Strong B2B market but high cost of living and premises.
🌻 Wallonia — What to know
Regional support via 1890.be, SOWALFIN, and business vouchers. Reinforced support for young entrepreneurs. Setup costs and commercial rents more accessible than Brussels.
🌊 Flanders — What to know
VLAIO support, KMO portfolio, and innovation subsidies among the most generous in Europe. Excellent quality support but documents and procedures often only in Dutch.
🧮 Calculator
Net salary calculator Belgium — gross to net 2026
Gross → net monthly and yearly salary with social contributions, income tax, employment bonus, family allowance, 13th month, double holiday pay and meal vouchers. 2026 brackets included.
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Complete guide
Employee or self-employed in Belgium — complete guide 2026
Social contributions, IPP, social protection, combination, false self-employed, BCE and INASTI procedures, SRL or sole proprietor: the master comparison to decide.
📖 12 min read
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🟢 Self-employed
Becoming self-employed in Brussels — support and procedures 2026
Setup support, premiums, one-stop shops and Brussels guidance: hub.brussels, 1819, Tremplin Indépendant, regional taxation.
📖 7 min read
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🟢 Self-employed
Becoming self-employed in Wallonia — support and procedures 2026
Walloon regional support: 1890.be, SOWALFIN, business vouchers, guidance and regional additional IPP taxation.
📖 7 min read
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🟢 Self-employed
Becoming self-employed in Flanders — support and procedures 2026
VLAIO, KMO portfolio, innovation subsidies: Flanders is one of Europe's most generous regions for entrepreneurs. Conditions and procedures.
📖 7 min read
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🟡 Combination
Combining employment and secondary self-employed — the guide
How to launch a freelance activity while keeping your job. Thresholds, reduced contributions, taxation, and pitfalls.
📖 8 min read
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🟢 Self-employed
SRL or sole proprietor — when to switch to company?
From which income company becomes advantageous, what additional costs, VVPRbis dividends and concrete calculations.
📖 9 min read
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🟢 Self-employed
False self-employed — the 7 criteria putting you at risk
Subordination link, exclusivity, integration: what ONSS examines to reclassify self-employed activity as disguised employment.
📖 6 min read
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🔴 Employee
Optimize your employee compensation in Belgium
Meal vouchers, eco-vouchers, company car, cafeteria plan, group insurance: all levers to maximize net without changing job.
📖 7 min read
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🔴 Employee
Quitting your job to launch — preparing the transition
Notice period, bridging right, OCA, safety savings: complete checklist before leaving employment for self-employment.
📖 8 min read
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🟢 Self-employed
How to set your freelance rate in Belgium
Day rate, hourly rate, project pricing: the method to calculate a rate that covers your costs and lets you live.
📖 8 min read
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🟢 Self-employed
PLCI, EIP, CPTI — preparing self-employed pension
Legal pension is low: how to top it up smartly depending on status and income.
📖 7 min read
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🟡 Combination
Testing a project as secondary self-employed before quitting
The method to validate financial viability of an activity before launching full-time.
📖 5 min read
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🟡 Combination
Student self-employed — the status explained
Conditions, reduced contributions, income ceilings: everything to know to launch during studies.
📖 7 min read
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🟡 Combination
Retired self-employed — rules and ceilings
Continuing self-employed activity after retirement: what's allowed, under what conditions, how to optimize.
📖 5 min read
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🔴 Employee
Understanding your Belgian payslip — line by line
Gross, net, ONSS contributions, withholding tax: everything to verify your employer calculates correctly.
📖 8 min read
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🔴 Employee
Negotiating a raise in Belgium — method and timing
When to ask, how to quantify your request, and arguments that really work in the Belgian context.
📖 5 min read
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Still undecided?
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