Pension savings for the self-employed
Self-employed people in Belgium receive a notably lower statutory pension than employees, and have access to schemes employees do not: a dedicated supplementary pension scheme, and for company directors an individual pension commitment funded by the company.
| Provider | Plan | Price | Key points | View plan |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 CBC BanquePartner KBC |
Epargne pension | On request |
| View plan |
 BNP Paribas Fortis |
Pension Invest Plan | On request |
| View plan |
 P&V |
Épargne Pension | On request |
| View plan |
 Baloise |
Save Plan | On request |
| View plan |
 Argenta |
Flexx | On request |
| View plan |
 Belfius |
Life Plan | On request |
| View plan |
 AG |
Top Rendement | On request |
| View plan |
 Fédérale Assurance |
Vita Pension | On request |
| View plan |
 AXA |
Pension Plan Fisc Secure | On request |
| View plan |
Prices and features surveyed on July 31, 2026. They may have changed since. Always check the offer on the provider’s website before signing up.
Why the gap exists
The Belgian statutory pension of a self-employed person is calculated on a career income basis that has historically produced a lower result than an employee's, even after reforms narrowed the gap.
That makes supplementary building less optional than it is for employees. For many self-employed people the statutory pension alone does not maintain anything close to their working income.
The compensation is that the schemes open to the self-employed are more generous, and stack: they are not alternatives to ordinary pension savings but layers on top of it.
The dedicated supplementary scheme
Belgium's supplementary pension scheme for the self-employed — VAPZ in Dutch, PLCI in French — allows contributions within a ceiling expressed as a share of professional income.
Its advantage is double: the contributions are deductible as professional expenses, which reduces income tax, and they reduce the base on which social contributions are calculated. No other pension product does both.
That double effect is why it comes first in the sequence. Only once its ceiling is used does ordinary pension savings become the next best euro to invest.
Company directors and the company route
A director of a Belgian company can also build a pension through an individual pension commitment funded by the company rather than personally, within limits set by the so-called 80% rule.
The amounts involved are far larger than personal schemes allow, which makes this the main pension instrument for many directors. It is also considerably more technical and depends on your remuneration history.
This is territory where an accountant earns their fee. The ceiling calculation, the funding schedule and the interaction with existing contracts are specific to each file and expensive to get wrong.
Our verdict
Order matters more than product choice here. The dedicated self-employed scheme comes first, ordinary pension savings second — because the first reduces both your income tax and your social contributions, while the second reduces only your tax. Doing them in the wrong order leaves money on the table every year.
Frequently asked questions
Why do the self-employed need more pension savings?
Because the Belgian statutory pension for self-employed people is calculated on a basis that has historically produced a lower result than for employees. Supplementary building is therefore less optional, and the schemes open to the self-employed are correspondingly more generous.
Which scheme should I fund first?
The dedicated supplementary pension scheme for the self-employed, because its contributions reduce both your income tax and the base on which your social contributions are calculated. Ordinary pension savings, which reduces only tax, comes after its ceiling is used.
Can I combine both schemes?
Yes. They are layers, not alternatives: the self-employed scheme and ordinary pension savings each have their own ceiling and their own tax treatment, and using both is the standard approach for anyone with the capacity to fund them.
What is the individual pension commitment for directors?
A pension built through your company rather than personally, within limits set by the 80% rule relating the total pension to your remuneration. The amounts far exceed personal schemes, but the calculation is technical enough to warrant an accountant.