Becoming an employer in Belgium: the Business Centrum team in Ghent

For new employers

Becoming an employer in Belgium: everything ready for the first working day

Becoming an employer in Belgium takes a handful of steps before the first working day: registering with the NSSO, a contract, a Dimona, workplace accident insurance, an external prevention service and work rules. Business Centrum goes through those steps with you and then takes over wages and returns, with a fixed contact in Ghent and Acerta as the recognised social secretariat.

What we take over

Becoming an employer: what must be in place before day one

In Belgium you take these steps before your employee starts:

  1. Register with the NSSO

    With your company number you register as an employer through WIDE. You immediately get a provisional number starting with 51, and the Dimona can go out. More on the NSSO number.

  2. Contract and Dimona

    Put the contract in place before the start and report your employee with a Dimona before work begins. A missing Dimona costs € 3,000 to € 35,000 in administrative fines per employee.

  3. Insurance and prevention

    Workplace accident insurance applies from the first working day, see why. You also join an external prevention service; with no more than 5 employees you pay at least € 47.78 per employee per year in the lowest rate group.

  4. The work rules

    Every employer has work rules. Within 8 days of them taking effect, you send a copy to the inspectorate.

What Business Centrum takes over for a new employer

You make your first hire, we handle the staff work:

  • The right joint committee and the wage that goes with it
  • The employment contract of your first employee
  • The Dimona before the first working day
  • Monthly wage calculation and payslip
  • The quarterly return with the first-employee reduction, via Acerta

What is left for you

You take out workplace accident insurance, choose an external prevention service and give us your company number. We go through what your NSSO registration needs with you.

Business Centrum is a payroll and HR office and your fixed contact in Ghent. Returns to the NSSO go through Acerta, a recognised social secretariat.

What you get back as a new employer

A first employee costs less when the return is right:

  1. The first-employee reduction

    If you had nobody on staff in the previous 12 months, you get up to € 2,000 per quarter off your employer contributions. You only get it when it is in the quarterly return. Explained in the guide to first hires.

  2. The right committee from day one

    The joint committee of your activity sets the minimum wage, the premiums and the indexation. A wrong choice carries through to every payslip. What else comes with a first hire is on our page for small SMEs.

How Business Centrum takes over

  1. Get acquainted

    A conversation about your business and your first employee: which job, which contract and from when?

  2. Prepare

    We go through what has to happen before the first working day and set up your file with Acerta.

  3. Every month

    You pass on the hours worked, we make the wage and the payslip.

Becoming an employer in Belgium: frequently asked questions

Does what I read about the Belastingdienst apply in Belgium?

No. The Belastingdienst is the Dutch tax authority. In Belgium you register as an employer with the NSSO, and the withholding tax on wages goes to the FPS Finance.

Do I need to set up a company first?

No. A sole trader can become an employer too, with private assets on the line. What that means is on [our page for sole traders](/oplossingen/sociaal-secretariaat-eenmanszaak/).

When can my first employee start?

As soon as the contract, the Dimona and the workplace accident insurance are in order. Contact us in good time and we will have everything ready for that day.

Read more

Sources

Every amount and deadline on this page was checked against these official sources, last consulted on .

Becoming an employer in Belgium

Hiring soon?

Call us or request a call back. We go through what has to happen before the first working day and what we take over.

Call 09 395 94 00Free consultation