Why Your Total Assets at the End of 2026 May Be More Important Than You Think
October 2026 - As an entrepreneur, when closing out the fiscal year, you primarily focus on revenue, profit, and cash. However, your balance sheet total also deserves extra attention. That figure helps determine how much corporate social security contribution your company pays. And if you take action at the right time by the end of 2026, you may be able to influence the contribution for a later year.
A contribution separate from your salary
Every Belgian corporation pays an annual contribution to fund the social security system for the self-employed. This system was established in the 1990s, when an increasing number of business owners organized their activities through a corporation and paid themselves a relatively modest salary.
As a result, social security contributions on personal professional income came under pressure. Since 1992, the company itself has therefore also paid an annual flat-rate contribution. This is not a tax or a penalty, but a social security contribution, covering, among other things, pensions, child benefits, and health insurance.
Today, the amount depends on the size of the company, with the balance sheet total playing a key role.
New Amounts on the Way
Currently, there are two rates: small companies pay 409 euros, while larger companies pay 1,022 euros. The threshold is currently set at a balance sheet total of 879,163 euros.
That is set to change. A draft bill approved by the Council of Ministers in April 2026 provides for four brackets:
up to and including 879,163 euros: 393 euros
from 879,164 to 5,119,715 euros: 1,024 euros
from 5,119,716 to 10,239,431 euros: 1,536 euros
above 10,239,431 euros: 2,048 euros
Please note: this is currently a draft bill. Until the new regulation is published in the Belgian Official Gazette, the current amounts remain in effect.
Don’t just look at your current balance sheet
There’s an important detail that business owners often overlook: the corporate contribution is not calculated based on the balance sheet for the current fiscal year. The reference is the total assets from the second-to-last closed fiscal year.
If your fiscal year coincides with the calendar year, the timing works as follows:
the contribution for 2026 is based on the 2024 fiscal year
the contribution for 2027 is based on the 2025 fiscal year
the contribution for 2028 is determined by the 2026 fiscal year
That last fiscal year runs through December 31, 2026. This gives you, as a business owner, time to consider whether adjusting your balance sheet makes sense.
What options do you have?
One possible approach is your checking account. If your company still owes you, as the business manager, a significant amount, you can withdraw that amount. The company thereby repays a debt and sees its available funds decrease. As a result, both assets and liabilities decrease, and so does the balance sheet total.
Other transactions can have the same effect. Consider, for example:
an early repayment of a bank loan
paying outstanding supplier invoices on time
a dividend payment, which reduces cash on hand and equity
Whether such a move is prudent, of course, depends on your company’s financial situation.
Do the math first, then decide
It’s not a good idea to adjust your balance sheet solely to reduce your corporate tax liability. After all, withdrawing money from your business or paying off debt early also affects your cash flow.
However, if you’re already planning to use excess cash for other purposes, pay down debt, or settle your checking account, it might be worth considering the timing before the end of the fiscal year.
Ask your accountant to run a simulation based on the figures available today. If your company is close to a contribution threshold, even a relatively minor adjustment can make a difference. This is especially true if you’re near the 879,163-euro threshold or if the higher thresholds under the proposed new system become relevant.
In short: don’t wait until your financial statements are final. If your total assets may impact your future corporate tax liability, the end of 2026 is the time to review the figures with your accountant.
