r/BEFreelance

The royalty/auteursrechten regime is (almost certainly) coming back for IT professionals.

Since a lot of people have been asking if it is worth the hassle, I made a tool that just runs the numbers.

What it does:

• Quick eligibility check — are you even in scope?
• Calculates how much net income royalties could add, based on your current wage and dividends
• Takes into account the current rules (post-Van Peteghem, post-Jambon clarification)

Who it's for:

Freelancers and company owners in IT, design, marketing, content — basically anyone who creates something that qualifies as a copyrightable work.

Access:

🔗 https://tools.astro.tax/

🔑 Password: Auteursrechten2026FTW

Tool is free to use. Feedback welcome — we update it as rules evolve. Just keep it constructive.

Disclaimer:

• Copying or monetising the tool is not allowed — you know the deal.
• I hope this doesn't infringe the community rules 😇

Entire IT sector applies again for the fiscally interesting regime.

Hi there,

I need to choose a new mobile network provider for my company. Most importantly I would like to be able to order eSIMs online instantly instead of having to go to a retailer like Proximus.

Of course with the best network quality possible.

Does Orange allow this?

Has the BASE mobile network improved?

Thanks for your input!

As a freelancer in broadly speaking IT/engineering/PM, I'm often contacted by recruiters from many different staffing agencies for the same jobs. Both big established ones and tiny new ones, both Belgian and international.

So I wonder, where do they source their jobs?

I know multiple big companies that work with an MSP (e.g. Randstad sourceright or Manpower TAPFIN) instead of managing their own external workforce. But how/where are these jobs then publicized? How to get direct access to these?

I prefer to work with end customers or MSP directly, or at least get in the door before involving a 3rd party (if required), to avoid big middleman cuts or even worse getting burned for the job.
This has worked a couple times before, but these jobs have come to me directly or indirectly from the end customer hiring team, through my network.

There's probably a lot more where I don't know people on the inside, and I'm curious how to find them.
Mostly/initially for myself, but since I have a big network of professionals in my industry I might consider playing middleman myself with fair and transparent fees (e.g. fixed fee, time limited and/or low % options).

Anyone here who knows?
Freelancers fixing their own jobs, transparent or ex-staffers?

Hi, I'm wondering how freelance (web) developer are handling the AI revolution which is currently happening. Does it have an impact on your workload, customers, income?

Personally I still have one loyal customer but I realize I didn't get any new "big" mission for 2 years now. Of course, there are other parameters (financial crisis impacting SME and organizations I used to work with...), but I can't help to think it's also AI related (customer "insourcing", doing more by themselves).

What are you thought on that? Are you embracing AI development, working without it, planning to do something else?

Hi Belgian freelance community!

I am looking into going freelance with my current employer which is in the IT consultancy industry. I am currently there for 6 years as an employee with the same years of seniority. Since I am trying to build a startup with a friend of mine I requested to start as a freelance contractor at my current employer as well to consolidate.

For the rate, they took the current cost as an employee and derived the day rate from that. I'm insure if this is fair since I feel like the rate is a bit low for the position I have at this company and I will be taking on more risk. On the other hand I'm unsure if my negotion position is strong enough to negotiate a higher rate since I'm the requesting party.

Currently my gross is 6100 + car (3500 net), hospitalisation, meal vouchers, CAO bonus and project extension bonus. The propose day rate is 550.

To be honest I'm pretty new to this and it is hard for me to be fully aware of the risk. Any insights would be greatly appreciated!

Couple months ago I was introduced to a company via an intermediary. I did not get the role.

Fast forward to couple weeks ago, I see the same but new position posted on their company website and I thought, what the heck, just hit apply.

The morning after the company itself called me to schedule an interview.

My question is, if we do continue the collaboration, am I still tied to the initial recruiter? Technically, the original position got filled in, and the is a new role.

* I did not sign any right to present documents, just an one liner email stating that they can introduce me to the company.

Update May 19th: ALREADY 75 Answers. Let’s go for the min 300! feel free to share to your freelance/entrepreneur/PME/KMO community. Thanks a lot

___________

I'm an HR senior, recently went independent (Scaelevia People). A few weeks ago I shared 3 proposals with Minister Éléonore Simonet at an event in Louvain-la-Neuve. She invited me for a private audience with her cabinet onJuly 15.

I want to walk in with your numbers, not just my opinions. So I built a short survey to back what I keep hearing in coffee chats and networking conversations.

what I'm proposing:

1. A "Belgian SME quota" on RFPs (public + corporate). 2 out of 5 contracts should go to a Belgian SME, freelancer, or independent consultant — registered in an open directory. Inspired by the US Small Business Set-Aside (23% reserved since 1953).

2. A free HR Start Kit triggered automatically at the 1st hire. Toolkit + budget for 2 coach sessions + behavioral assessment of the founder. Because 50% of Belgian SMEs close within 5 years and freelancer/SME burnout diagnoses are up 67% since 2018.

3. A double lever for women entrepreneurs. Tax Shelter for those moving from side-gig to full-time + employer credit for SMEs hiring women in key positions. Only 21.1% of female self-employed in Belgium become employers — vs 36.9% in Germany.

The ask: 6 minutes. 16 questions. Anonymous. Bilingual FR/NL. Closes June 30.

Aggregated answers go directly to her cabinet for the meeting. No names attached.

🔗 Survey: [first comment]

Merci ! Bedankt !

Weten is meten 😄

Laurence

So I’ve been working for employers all my life and was with my previous employer for 14 years. I had a great salary (a bit more than 7K brutto), car and all the benefits.
Microsoft bought us and started scrapping roles. Mine was affected. Now i’m working for another employer for 3400€ brutto also with a car. Most of the time my salary isn’t enough and I need to pitch in from my savings (although the missus earns now what I had before). daycare is a big cost that will end in
september.

Now have the opportunity to start a(hopefully) long contract for 550€ a day.

question is: should I do it? I don’t think I’ll earn more than what I have now (2300net) if I optimize everything?

btw I’m 50 if that matters.

Hi everyone, so I was hoping anyone could help me figure out the following:

- Started my business in 2024, did a short book year (April - December)
- Allocated 2024 profit into liquidation reserve
- Fast forward, now 2026

Now the question is, how much can I take out this year at 20% RV? According to VVPR bis laws, it's now BJ+2, so I assume I can take out all the profits from 2025 and partially from 2026 (early dividend) at 20% RV?

Can someone tell me if I am wrong or not, do I need to wait until after the general meeting (June), or can I allocate the dividend then already?

I live in Brussels and I’ve been doing YouTube as a fun side thing. Until now it made basically €0. Then in April one video spike happened and I made around €3600 in Google AdSense revenue. Google should pay it out at the end of May.

I don’t have another job at the moment, and I’m not registered as indépendant.

I really don’t expect this to continue. Going forward, I’d guess maybe around €100/month, if that. So I’m trying to figure out what the correct Belgian way to handle this is.

Can this kind of one-off YouTube/AdSense income be declared as “revenus divers”, or does the fact that I have no other job and the channel is monetised mean I should register as indépendant à titre principal?

I’ll probably contact a guichet/accountant too, but I’d love to hear from anyone who has dealt with something similar. I moved to Brussels last year, so plz be nice!

Thanks!!

Hi everyone, I’ll be starting as a self-employed worker in Belgium next year and I’m curious how other freelancers handle investing.
Do you invest yourself or outsource it (financial advisor/wealth manager)? If you invest yourself, what do you mainly use (ETFs, real estate, stocks, pension savings, etc.)?

Also, how would you recommend someone prepares over the next year to start investing on their own? Just trying to understand how self-employed people approach long-term wealth building.

People making around €6k–€10k per month in their company after all expenses: how much do you pay yourself, and how much do you leave in the company? Also explain your personal/family situation if relevant. I’m trying to understand what the smartest setup is depending on the situation.

Current situation: Belgian born and raised but currently working in Central Europe on an employee contract taking home about 6.5k euro net per month while working in IT.

Do any of you live outside of Belgium while freelancing for a Belgian client?

With the favourable B2B constructs here locally I can get another 2-3k euro net more per month if the Belgian client would allow me to freelance for them locally.

Is that possible or have most clients also changed to expect some sort of (stupid) office attendance from freelancers?

How are you all preparing for retirement?

I assume most of you pay yourselves a relatively small salary and take the rest through dividends, while personally saving and investing for retirement.
What strategy are you using? What are you doing specifically? What kinds of investments are you focusing on?

Curious to hear your views and long-term approach.

Hi

I'm currently working for a bigger IT consultancy firm. I'm specialised in networking (Mainly HPE Aruba).
Background: ~7/8 years in networking

• Company X (2018–2021): Network Consultant working across multiple clients () with Aruba, Cisco, PaloAlto, F5, Checkpoint, Fortigate, and SD-WAN
• Company Y (2021–present): Started as Network Engineer for 4 years, recently moved into a Technical Consultant role (Jan 2025). Mainly focus is Aruba Campus/DC/WLAN, from first meetings up to implementations. Some experience with security products (Tenable). Also experienced in the presales part.

I've recently received an offer from a company to become a freelancer (on a fixed yearly contract, 220days/year) and a 500€/day ex vat.

Is this a fair rate? I don't have a good comparison.

I’ve been browsing developer positions on platforms like ProUnity and Connecting Expertise (both Belgian freelance/consultancy marketplaces), and I keep running into the same dilemma: should I apply directly as an independent freelancer, or is it better to go through an intermediary (consultancy, portage salarial, umbrella company, etc.)?

I’m curious what people here have experienced, especially in the Belgian market. A few things I’m wondering about:

•	Do clients on these platforms actually prefer one over the other?

•	Is the daily rate significantly impacted depending on how you present yourself?

•	How does it affect contract length, renewal chances, or the relationship with the end client?

•	Any legal/tax considerations I should be aware of (e.g. main occupation freelancer vs. secondary, vennootschap vs. natuurlijk persoon)?

Would love to hear from people who’ve been on both sides of this. What are the real pros and cons you’ve lived through?

I'm closing my company, which is a Comm V. I was told that the bedrijfsrevisor would be a certain price, but got an invoice for almost double that, 2200€. My accountant is handling everything and he's usually very reliable if a tad expensive.

Does anyone here have experience with this and knows what price such services usually go for?