8,263 new businesses in Belgium in the last 30 days

Every new VAT-registered business, as at Statbel: a company, a sole proprietorship or an association with a VAT registration in the CBE. Owners' associations (of an apartment building) are not counted. It counts on the day its VAT registration appears in the CBE, and only if that registration comes within six months of its start date: an existing business that becomes liable for VAT later is not a start-up.

Like Statbel, we only count VAT-registered start-ups: companies, sole traders and associations with a VAT registration in the CBE, excluding associations of co-owners. We count them every day, on the day the VAT registration appears in the CBE. For the months before our own count, we show the official Statbel figures.

Statbel looks at VAT registrations: every enterprise that becomes liable for VAT is a start-up to Statbel, including a company that only becomes liable years later, such as a holding that takes up an activity. We look at new businesses: for us a start-up is an enterprise that becomes liable for VAT within six months of its start date in the CBE. Existing businesses that become liable later, or whose VAT activities only appear in the CBE late, are not counted. That puts our count slightly below Statbel's.

The CBE publishes the changes of the previous working day every morning. A VAT registration counts on the day of that update, so today is only complete after tomorrow's update.

Sole proprietorships are natural persons. We do not show their name.