How do I apply for a company number?
The company number or ‘CBE number’ is a bit like an individual’s national registration number. It is assigned at the ‘birth’ of a company and remains the same for its lifetime. You also have to state this number on your website and on all your official business documents.
How do you go about applying for a company number?
You will be assigned a company number when you register your company with ‘the Crossroads Bank for Enterprises’ (CBE) database. This can very easily be arranged by a business one-stop shop or other recognised organisation, which will also attend to the other formalities, such as activating your VAT number.
You should bring the following with you:
- Your ID card
- Your(business) account number – have you thought about opening a business account?
- In certain sectors, you also need special licences (such as a professional knowledge certificate for the construction sector)
- When starting a company, you must also submit a copy of its articles of association
A business account is mandatory for a company. With a sole trader business, however, it is highly recommended to open a separate business account in order to keep personal expenditure clearly separated from business-related expenditure.
Different application processes for setting up a sole trader and a company
The procedure for obtaining a company number when setting up a company is not the same as when setting up a sole-trader business. For a sole trader, you follow the procedure set out above.
- For a company, you obtain the company number through the clerk's office at the commercial court where you deposit the deed of incorporation
- The commercial court also arranges registration with the CBE
- The only thing you then have to do is go to the CBE in person to complete the details
Your company number is also your VAT number
A company number is not suffice if you are liable to pay VAT. In that case, you must activate the company number as a VAT number.
The easiest option is to arrange to get your company number and have your VAT number activated for free.
If you open a business account, you’ll receive all kinds of Boostpack benefits to help get your business off to a flying start:
- Free activation of your VAT number*
- Free use of the handy Billit e-invoicing tool for a year**
- And numerous other benefits that could save you up to 1 000 euros
Already thought about opening your business account?
Starting your business also involves spending money on things like accounting, rent, purchasing equipment and so on. A business account makes it easier to manage your income and expenditure, and to keep personal spending separate.
If you haven't opened a business account yet, you should do it before applying for your company number, so you don’t have to arrange for your account number to be changed later in the ‘Crossroads Bank for Enterprises’ database.
Open the account quickly and easily online and deduct the costs from your tax return. Get our starter business benefits package for free and save yourself a lot of money!
* Get your VAT number activated for free
Your benefit
Arrange the administrative formalities to get your business started through Acerta’s or Liantis’ business counter at the special price of 109 euros and save on the cost of activating your VAT number (save 67 euros excl. VAT).
For 109 euros, they will do the following (in addition to the free activation of your VAT number):
- Register your business with the ‘Crossroads Bank for Enterprises’ (CBE) database (required)
- Get your company number
- Register you with a social insurance fund for your social status and social security contributions
How do you get these benefits?
Contact Acerta
Contact Liantis
What are the terms and conditions?
You can benefit from this if you:
- Register now with the social insurance fund at one of the above business counters in order to arrange your social security status and contributions, as well as arrange your registration with the CBE through that counter
- Have a business account with KBC Brussels
Additional terms and conditions
Limited to customers who have a business account with KBC Brussels, aren’t existing members of a social insurance fund and don’t already have a company number.
Learn more
Check out the Acerta website
Check out the Liantis website
** Use the handy Billit e-invoicing tool for one year free of charge
This discount is not valid for existing contracts. After the 12-month period, this benefit will expire and the prevailing subscription fee for the module you select must be paid. If a customer switches to another module during the first year, the benefit will expire and Billit will invoice the corresponding price in full. The 100 invoices referred to above relate to documents, purchase and sales invoices (including receipts and credit notes). Use outside the licence will be invoiced at the end of the selected licence period.