{"id":94600,"date":"2026-03-09T22:42:26","date_gmt":"2026-03-09T21:42:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dexxter.be\/building-a-pension-as-a-self-employed-professional\/"},"modified":"2026-05-15T13:25:20","modified_gmt":"2026-05-15T11:25:20","slug":"building-a-pension-as-a-self-employed-professional","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dexxter.be\/en\/blog\/building-a-pension-as-a-self-employed-professional\/","title":{"rendered":"Building a pension as a self-employed professional?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It is common knowledge that self-employed individuals in Belgium cannot rely on a high statutory pension. Anyone who wants to maintain their standard of living after their career must take the initiative to build a supplementary pension.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Fortunately, there are several tax-efficient ways to save for the future as a self-employed person. With the right choices, you can build a solid pension while saving on taxes today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Supplementary pension via VAPZ (Free Supplementary Pension)<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For self-employed individuals in a primary occupation, the Free Supplementary Pension for the Self-Employed (VAPZ\/PLP) is usually the first and most important step.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">With a VAPZ, you can set aside a portion of your income for your pension every year. You can contribute a maximum of 8.17% of your net professional income, with a ceiling of \u20ac3,965.77 per year. Some providers allow contributions starting from approximately \u20ac100 per year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The major advantage of a VAPZ is tax deductibility. The contribution is considered a social cost and reduces your taxable income. As a result, you save taxes at your highest marginal rate, which in Belgium can often reach 50%. Additionally, you benefit from a favorable tax regime upon payout.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Social VAPZ<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">You can also opt for a Social VAPZ. This allows you to save up to 9.40% of your net professional income, with a maximum of \u20ac4,562.82 per year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In addition to the pension, a Social VAPZ offers extra protection, such as:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Benefits in case of disability<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Maternity leave allowances<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Additional social guarantees<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The downside is that part of your premium is used for these extra insurances. Therefore, the full amount is not invested for your pension build-up. In other words: you usually build up slightly less pension capital than with a classic VAPZ for the same premium. The Social VAPZ is therefore mainly interesting for the self-employed who want extra protection during illness or a temporary cessation of activity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">POZ: Pension Agreement for the Self-Employed<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In addition to the VAPZ, there is the POZ (Pension Agreement for the Self-Employed). This system can be used perfectly alongside a VAPZ and allows you to build up even more pension.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The contributions you pay within a POZ entitle you to a tax reduction of 30%. However, the tax benefit is usually smaller than with a VAPZ. Furthermore, an insurance tax of 4.4% is due on the premium. In practice, the VAPZ is often maximized first before considering a POZ.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Building a pension as a part-time self-employed person<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In principle, self-employed persons in a secondary occupation (part-time) can also use a VAPZ or POZ, but certain conditions apply.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">You must:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Pay at least the same amount of social security contributions as the minimum for a self-employed person in a primary occupation.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Be registered as self-employed in a secondary occupation for at least three full calendar years.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The minimum contribution for the self-employed in a primary occupation is, for example, \u20ac890.51 per quarter (2024). In practice, many part-time entrepreneurs must grow their business first before they can utilize these systems.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Even more tax-efficient pension savings<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In addition to these systems for the self-employed, you can also use classic forms of pension savings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Pension Savings:<\/strong> Pension savings provide a tax reduction of up to \u20ac297 per year, depending on the amount deposited.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Long-term Savings:<\/strong> Via life insurance (long-term savings), you can receive an additional tax reduction of up to \u20ac705 per year.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Many self-employed individuals combine these systems to optimize their pension build-up to the maximum.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Frequently asked questions about self-employed pensions<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Can I adjust my contributions if my income changes?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Yes. You have flexibility with both a VAPZ and a POZ. You can adjust your premiums annually within legal limits. In a lean year, you can lower or even skip contributions. When your income rises again, you can contribute more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>What happens to my pension if I stop working as a self-employed person?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">When you stop, you can usually let the contract continue &#8220;dormant.&#8221; You no longer pay new premiums, but the accumulated capital remains and can continue to grow. In some cases, the contract can be transferred to a new employer or converted into an individual life insurance policy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>When can I start a VAPZ or POZ?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Self-employed in a primary occupation can start as soon as they are active and paying social security contributions. Part-time self-employed can usually only use these systems after being active for three calendar years and paying sufficient social security contributions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Where can I view my pension?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">An overview of your statutory and supplementary pension rights can be found on <strong>mypension.be<\/strong>. On this platform, you can also run simulations of your future pension.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>It is common knowledge that self-employed individuals in Belgium cannot rely on a high statutory pension. Anyone who wants to maintain their standard of living after their career must take the initiative to build a supplementary pension. Fortunately, there are several tax-efficient ways to save for the future as a self-employed person. With the right [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":29,"featured_media":94104,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[39],"tags":[65,66],"class_list":["post-94600","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-sole-proprietor","tag-self-employed-in-main-occupation","tag-self-employed-in-secondary-occupation"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dexxter.be\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/94600","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dexxter.be\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dexxter.be\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dexxter.be\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/29"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dexxter.be\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=94600"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/dexxter.be\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/94600\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":94601,"href":"https:\/\/dexxter.be\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/94600\/revisions\/94601"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dexxter.be\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/94104"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dexxter.be\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=94600"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dexxter.be\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=94600"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dexxter.be\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=94600"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}