What does the new Belgian government mean for ICT freelancers and employers?

Belgium has long had a thriving freelance tech market. ICT professionals have worked as independent consultants for years, offering flexibility to both themselves and the companies they serve . But that flexibility has come with legal grey areas particularly around what qualifies as genuine self-employment versus disguised employment.

The new Belgian government has signaled that those grey areas are about to get much smaller.

For ICT freelancers and employers alike, understanding what's changing, and acting on it, is no longer optional.

What Policy Reforms Are Expected?

The new government's coalition agreement points to several key reforms that will reshape the freelance and consulting landscape in Belgium:

1. Simplification of Self-Employed Status

One of the headline commitments is making it easier to become and remain self-employed in Belgium. This includes reducing administrative burden, streamlining registration processes, and improving access to social protections for independent workers.

For ICT freelancers, this is broadly positive news: less paperwork and clearer rules around what you're entitled to as a self-employed professional.

2. Restructured Social Contributions

Social contributions for the self-employed are expected to be reformed to offer greater transparency and predictability. Under the current system, contributions are calculated retrospectively, which can create cash flow challenges. The new model aims to align contributions more closely with actual income in real time.

This would give freelancers a much clearer picture of what they owe and when.

3. Stricter Controls on False Self-Employment

This is the reform with the most immediate risk for both freelancers and employers. The new government is intensifying efforts to identify and penalise false self-employment (schijnzelfstandigheid in Dutch), where a person works as a freelancer in name but functions as an employee in practice.

The criteria used to assess this — exclusivity with one client, working under direct supervision, fixed hours, integration into the company's structure  — are being more actively enforced.

4. Company Car Regulation Reform

Belgium's generous company car regime is under review. While this affects all sectors, ICT consultants who operate through a company and use a company car as part of their remuneration package will want to monitor how the tax treatment evolves.

The direction of travel is toward greener, more electrified fleets, with the fiscal benefits of combustion engine company cars being phased out.

What Does This Mean for ICT Freelancers?

The Opportunity: More Clarity, Less Admin

For genuine independent IT professionals , the reforms offer real benefits. Simplified status, more predictable contributions, and clearer legal frameworks mean less time managing administration and more time doing the work you're paid for.

The Risk: Stricter Scrutiny of Long-Term Single-Client Contracts

If you've been working with one client for an extended period — especially if you work on-site, follow their processes, and operate under their day-to-day direction — your contract may now come under closer scrutiny.

A relationship that was previously accepted as freelance could be reclassified as employment. The consequences include back payment of social contributions and taxes, for both you and your client.

What to do: Review your current contracts and working arrangements with a legal or HR specialist. Ensure your contract reflects genuine independence — varied clients, your own tools, results-based deliverables, and freedom to organize your own work.

What Does This Mean for Employers and Clients?

Reassess Your Freelance Collaboration Models

Many Belgian companies have built their IT operations around a mix of permanent staff and external freelancers. What was common practice may now be flagged as non-compliant. HR and legal teams need to audit existing freelance relationships against the new criteria.

Key questions to ask:

• Does the freelancer work exclusively for us?
• Do we direct how and when they work, rather than just what they deliver?
• Are they integrated into our team in the same way as employees?
• Have they worked with us for an extended, open-ended period?

If the answer to several of these is yes, reclassification risk is real.

Consider Compliant Alternatives

Employers who need flexible IT talent without the legal exposure have options: working through an established ICT consultancy or staffing partner that manages contracts compliantly is one of the most effective ways to access the talent you need while keeping risk off your plate.

How iStorm Projects Helps

iStorm Projects, as a specialist ICT consultancy, works with both freelancers and employers to set up working relationships that are practical, efficient, and legally sound.

For freelancers: We help you understand how the new rules apply to your situation, connect you with clients through compliant contract structures, and ensure your independence is clearly documented.

For employers: We support you with legal contract models, risk assessments of existing freelance relationships, and access to a wide network of ICT professionals — structured in a way that keeps you compliant under the evolving Belgian framework.

As part of Select Group, iStorm Projects has direct links to top IT recruiters and a deep network of freelance and consultancy talent, giving you flexible solutions without the legal guesswork. 
 

iStorm Projects, as a specialist ICT consultancy, works with both freelancers and employers to set up working relationships that are practical, efficient, and legally sound.

For freelancers: We help you understand how the new rules apply to your situation, connect you with clients through compliant contract structures, and ensure your independence is clearly documented.

For employers: We support you with legal contract models, risk assessments of existing freelance relationships, and access to a wide network of ICT professionals — structured in a way that keeps you compliant under the evolving Belgian framework.

As part of Select Group, iStorm Projects has direct links to top IT recruiters and a deep network of freelance and consultancy talent, giving you flexible solutions without the legal guesswork.