Practical information

Setting up an entity

Topics:

A concise, practical overview of the intellectual property rights that are relevant to your business
Here, we list the intellectual property rights that are most relevant for companies conducting business in Belgium, throughout the EU and globally.
How to protect your intellectual assets (trademarks, patents, copyrights and models)
In some cases, official procedures need to be followed in order to obtain such exclusive intellectual property rights. Furthermore, an overview is provided of where applications for registered trademarks, patents and models can be filed, and the conditions to be met to effectively obtain such protection.
Ways to use your intellectual property rights as a strategic asset and how to enforce them
We describe how you can strategically use your intellectual property rights (for instance by licensing them out or transferring them to third parties); furthermore, it highlights the basic conditions to be met in order to effectively enforce your intellectual property rights against infringement.

If you are in one of the following situations, you may be in need of reliable information:

You are about to set up a subsidiary operation in Belgium and need help in setting up a structure that complies with all the relevant social security and labour law requirements (agency registrations and employment-related documents)
You want your company’s trading activities to be properly structured and registered, plus you need advice on drawing up the appropriate documents, such as employment agreements, work regulations and agreements with self-employed workers
You need to deal with individual dismissals or collective redundancies, but are unsure of which legal procedures and protocols to employ
You require help in drafting a wide variety of contracts (e.g. local contracts, secondment contracts, global employment contracts, consultancy agreements, etc.) as well as policy documents (e.g. company car policies, stock option plans, IT policies, etc.)
You have recently expanded your workforce and find you need information on the rules governing companies over a certain size
You are about to employ a non-EEA national in Belgium and would like to know about the work permit and residence permit requirements that apply in such a case.

If you are faced with one of the following issues, you may be in need of reliable information:

You are now a corporation and you need information about accounting requirements and Belgian accounting principles
You have a challenging accounting question that you cannot resolve in-house
You want to keep up-to-date on developments in domestic and international financial reporting
You need assistance for the day-to-day maintenance of your accounting records, year-end closings, review and preparation of your annual statutory accounts

If you are faced with one of the following issues (and if certain conditions are met), you may need the help of a statutory auditor:

You are founding a business in Belgium by making a contribution in kind
You are now a regulated business and have to begin filing audited financial statements
You are a rapidly growing company and need a global audit process for your financial statements
You are changing the legal form of your company and need the special-purpose report required by Belgian law
Your business has grown and exceeded its legal thresholds, and you now need to file audited consolidated financial statements
You want to increase your capital by way of a contribution in kind
You want to distribute interim dividends during the year
You want to merge your business with another business

If you face one of the following issues, you may be looking for reliable information to help your further decision-making:

You would like reliable advice on EU tax opportunities and risk management
You need guidance on how to deal with EU tax law issues and how to document the procedures for reporting purposes
You want to know how to safeguard your company's EC Treaty rights

The chapter will be of interest to you if you want to know more about:

Ensuring your personal tax affairs in Belgium are in proper order;
The tax implications of your investment in real estate or movable property;
Planning opportunities for earned income, as an employee or a self-employed person;
The various tax deduction and tax credit possibilities for individual taxpayers.

If your company is faced with any of the following issues, you need reliable information:

Your company supplies goods or renders services to a wide range of customers in Belgium.
Your company wants to improve the way it anticipates and manages any VAT liabilities.
Your company has a requirement to keep VAT books and wants to optimise its VATaccounting and reporting processes and comply with ongoing regulatory changes.
Your company wants to optimise its VAT compliance, wants to monitor procedures so that it can lessen the impact VAT has on its cash flow.
Your company sends electronic invoices to its customers or receives electronic invoices from its suppliers.
Your company is digitising its invoice records or other documents.
Your company is investing in real estate in Belgium (purchasing, selling, letting, renovation, etc.).
Your company is investing in marketing schemes.
Your company is active in acquiring or selling other companies.