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Cessation of your business operations

Are you planning to cease your business activities in Belgium? Certain procedures must be completed with the relevant authorities, such as business counters, the Federal Public Service (FPS) Finance or the National Social Security Office (NSSO).

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Why is an official ceasing of activities required?

If you have not applied to all the relevant authorities for the official dissolution of your business, you will have to continue paying social security contributions and VAT, and you may face penalties.

A change in business activity does not mean the end of your business

Would you like to change activity, discontinue one or more activities while keeping the others, close an establishment, change your company’s legal status or sell your business? You can make these changes using other procedures. 

Change the status of your company 

How to cease your business operations

The procedure for winding up your activities depends on your company's legal status.

Closing a sole proprietorship

Closing a sole proprietorship is a five-step process.

  1. Unregister from the CBE: your business counter will record the date of cessation and issue you a certificate (€111.50 per establishment unit, 2026 rate)
  2. If you cease your VAT-related activities, file the cessation of VAT activity declaration (Form 604C) within the month, either free of charge on your own or through your accountant or business counter (for a fee)
  3. Notify your social insurance fund and your mutual insurance fund within 15 days of the cessation. Send them your certificate of cessation from the CBE and a personal statement confirming that you have ceased activities. Once you have done that, you will no longer be required to pay your social security contributions
  4. If you were an employer, cancel your registration with the NSSO 
  5. Request the suspension of your specific permits (FASFC, Unisono, etc.)

Ceasing the activities of a company or nonprofit organisation (ASBL)

Winding up a company or nonprofit organisation is a more time-consuming process.   In fact, before applying to deregister your company, you must first complete three successive steps: dissolution, liquidation, and completion of the liquidation.  Consult a notary 

  1. Dissolution: the partners (or the general assembly of a nonprofit) decide to liquidate the organisation. To do so, they appoint a liquidator. The dissolution takes place at the notary's office. It is then recorded in a notarised deed and published in the Belgian Official Gazette. After dissolution, the company continues to exist solely for liquidation purposes.
  2. Liquidation: the liquidator settles all outstanding debts and claims and, if necessary, sells the assets (e.g. cash, equipment, a building). The remaining amount is divided among the partners as specified in the articles of association. In the case of a nonprofit organisation (ASBL), if the articles of association do not specify what to do with the remaining amount, it is donated to an organisation with a similar mission. 
  3. Completion of the liquidation: the closure is a legal act performed before a notary. The notary will therefore draft a notarial deed certifying the completion of the liquidation. The business's court clerk records the dissolution and the completion of liquidation in the Crossroads Bank for Enterprises.
  4. You must then have the registration cancelled at an accredited business counter (€111.50 per establishment unit, 2026 rate).
  5. If you are subject to VAT, complete the cessation of VAT activity declaration (Form 604C) within the month, either free of charge on your own or through your accountant or business counter (for a fee). 
  6. Notify your social insurance fund and your mutual insurance fund within 15 days of the cessation. Send them your certificate of cessation from the CBE and a personal statement confirming that you have ceased activities. Once you have done that, you will no longer be required to pay your social security contributions.
  7. If you were an employer, cancel your registration with the NSSO. 
  8. Request the suspension of your specific permits (FASFC, Unisono, etc.)
Find a business counter

 

Turbo-liquidation

Does your company have any debt? If so, you may, under certain conditions, complete the dissolution, liquidation and completion in a single proceeding. Consult your notary for more information.

Learn more on Manage My Business

 

Social rights after cessation

There are several reasons why you might cease your activities: retirement, bankruptcy, inability to work, switching to a salaried job, etc. 

You are entitled to different forms of social protection depending on how you cease your activity (cessation of activity). There is an important difference between a voluntary cessation and a forced cessation.

Voluntary cessation: continuation of insurance

Are you ceasing your activity voluntarily? In that case, you will no longer be self-employed during the following quarter and will lose your entitlement to sick and disability benefits. You can also choose to keep your insurance through your mutual insurance fund, but only for a limited time.

Contact your mutual insurance fund for more information.

Involuntary cessation: bridging right
 

Have you been forced to cease your activity due to bankruptcy, an inability to work or another reason? You may be eligible for the bridging right, a temporary financial allowance that preserves your social benefits. 
 
 

Contact your social insurance fund to find out if you are eligible.

What to do if your business goes bankrupt

Is your company no longer able to pay its debts? The commercial court may declare bankruptcy. A person called a receiver sells the company's assets. The money is used to pay creditors, i.e. the people or organisations to whom the company owes money (for example, suppliers, banks and administrations). You will then lose control of your business. 

Learn more about bankruptcy

 

What can you do? 

Don't wait until it is too late. If you anticipate financial difficulties, a judicial reorganisation may sometimes be a solution; this is a process in which you attempt to reach an agreement with your creditors under court supervision.

Learn more about repayment options

 

Who can help you?

Consult a chartered accountant or a lawyer at the first sign of problems. Each region also offers support to entrepreneurs facing problems; please feel free to contact them: 

Frequently asked questions

What's the difference between dissolution and liquidation?

Dissolution is the decision to cease the activities of a company or a nonprofit organisation. From that point on, the company's sole purpose is to be liquidated.

Liquidation is the next phase: all debts are paid, assets are sold, and the remaining balance is distributed in accordance with the rules (or articles of association).

Am I still required to pay social security contributions after cessation?

Yes, but only until the quarter in which your activities cease. After that, your obligation to pay contributions ends, provided that you have notified your social insurance fund on time that your business has ceased activities.

Can I close my business if I have outstanding debts?

Yes, but those debts must be paid first. If you are a sole proprietor, you remain personally liable. In the case of a company, the process is carried out through liquidation. Are the debts too high? This could lead to bankruptcy.

What happens to the assets of a nonprofit organisation on dissolution?

The assets may not be paid to members of the nonprofit organisation. They must be donated to another organisation with an objective similar to that defined in the articles of association.