Accountable

We recently talked about the significant financial barriers to becoming self-employed in Belgium 🇧🇪, and the response was immense. There is naturally a much more optimistic side to the story: with almost 1.3 million independents in Belgium, the number of self-employed in Belgium continues to rise ⛰️ Giving us our purpose & reason to fight for 💜. All across the country, across all professions. Now, with more precision: did you know that 60% of these entrepreneurs are based in #Flanders 🤩? As a matter of fact, #Antwerp ⭐️ stands out as the top choice, with a remarkable 125,610 individuals establishing their businesses in this vibrant province. In contrast, 30% operate from #Wallonia 💪, primarily centered around #Charleroi 🦓 and #Liège 👑. And as for our capital city #Brussels 🥁 (incl. its municipalities), 10% of the nation’s self-employed are based there. 📍What about you? Where are you based? What should your local government do to help you prosper as a self-employed? Discover how your city measures up and dive into the detailed analysis on our website https://lnkd.in/evzXkCMD

42 team members, 1 week together. In the same (incredible) location 🌄. To celebrate progress achieved so far. To prepare for an incredible next 12 months. To reconnect & build those bonds to help us deliver more impact for our users. The last 12 months delivered: - More than 30,000 #tax #declarations #guaranteed against fines. - Tens of thousands of questions answered 24/7 by our #AI #Assistant. - Over 1 billion euros #invoiced by our users to their clients ⭐️ - Hundreds of new self-employed starting for free as self-employed thanks to Accountable Hopefully, peace of mind to more than 40,000 deserving independents 🕊️. Those are merely stones on the path to an even stronger & better next 12 months. Naturally, less for us than for our users 😉 But damned, it's good to celebrate the journey together. Team week 2024, you delivered 🇲🇦 Onwards we help build a better world for the independents of Belgium & Germany 🚀

Let's go. Following up on the #ridiculous cost to start as self-employed in Belgium (🥉 in the cost to register, woop woop), we got to discuss what should happen to enable more citizens to #start as self-employed with Robin Gille at La Libre 🎙️. The article here (in French) ⬇️ https://lnkd.in/eVvZjcsp #Keytakeaways - The cost to register is indeed only the 1st barrier: next up are social contributions (min. nearly 900€ in 2024, before you earned your first €) - Private companies and local communities can help but, in the end, it's up to policymakers to set the frame & lower those costs. - It's up to us to push those regulators to up their game. This question isn’t just a business issue, it’s a societal one: by imposing high set-up costs, we discourage our brightest minds from pursuing their passion & entrepreneurial dreams 💭. We all lose out on potential advancements, job creation, and economic dynamism. Being self-employed already comes with many hurdles, and extra financial stress simply makes it harder. Let’s continue this conversation and build a future where everyone has the opportunity to succeed without unnecessary financial barriers ✨. Thank you Robin Gille for the nice conversation 💜

€105.50 💰 That is how much it costs to become self-employed in Belgium. Or let’s say it: at least. Let me explain why this is a problem👇 Belgium stands out as one of the most expensive countries in the EU to start self-employment. Only Cyprus & Finland do worse than Belgium 🤦. Registration fees, regardless of how high or small, are significant barriers for those just beginning their journey as self-employed. The Belgian case is especially wrong when compared to other European countries, many of which (11, as per our research) have no registration fee at all. But those €105.5 are just the beginning: next up is the cost to get a VAT number, your first social contributions, and various other tax implications. Add hefty notary fees if you establish a limited company. The list goes on. These financial hurdles don't just represent monetary values: they actively discourage some of our most talented individuals from pursuing their entrepreneurial dreams. They strip away potential and critical innovation from our economy. So, isn’t it time for a change? cc Thomas Dermine 🌹, Barbara Trachte 🍀, Vincent Van Peteghem ✨ PS: At Accountable, we’re committed to helping starters and making their path to self-employment easier. That’s why, until we see a shift in these initial costs, we will reimburse the registration fee for the Crossroads Bank of Enterprises as a voucher which can be used on any of our plans ⭐️. It's not just about tax and accounting support. We want to invest in a future where every citizen has a chance to succeed. We want to help build a world where becoming self-employed does not come at a cost 💪. If interested, here is more about our commitment and how we can help you get started: https://lnkd.in/gUHQfRMM #accountable #selfemployment #fintech #entrepreneurship