Finance and aid

Mon. 11/06/12 - 15:11

Starting up your own business is a major financial investment. To give starting self-employed workers a helping hand, the government offers a number of support measures. So it is certainly worthwhile checking whether you are eligible for certain forms of support.

The support provided by the Federal, Flemish and local authorities can take various forms.

• Tax support
  Exemption from advance payments: For the first three years, starters do not have to make advance payments.
  N.B.: if you opt in favour of this it does, however, mean that you have to pay all your taxes at once later on.
  Investment deduction (limited to companies): in addition to the ordinary depreciation, you can include an additional amount in your tax return as an investment deduction.
  Notional interest deduction: with companies you can deduct interest for investments funded using your own capital as a cost for taxation purposes.
• Social support
  Trial period: although self-employed workers are not insured against unemployment, in certain circumstances they can fall back on unemployment during the first fifteen years of their self-employed activity. For more information about this, contact the Zenito legal department.
  Time credit or career break: in some cases you can combine time credit or a career break with a selfemployed occupation.
• Investment support
  Participation fund loan: under certain conditions, as a starter or a company that has just begun you can obtain a cheap loan without a guarantee from the Participation Fund. 
  You will find an overview of all support measures available to companies that are starting up or working in Flanders at the Agentschap Ondernemen
  The Brussels-Capital Region also offers support to those who start up a business in the Region.
• Other
  Recruiting staff: when taking on staff, under certain circumstances you can obtain a reduction of the state social security contributions.
  Business portfolio (BEA): for training courses, advice, etc., you receive support from the Flemish government, via an electronic portfolio.
  Some towns, cities and municipalities refund part of the administrative start-up costs paid to the business counter.