What you're legally owed
When a B2B invoice goes unpaid in Belgium, the governing statute is Loi du 2 août 2002 concernant la lutte contre le retard de paiement (transposing EU Directive 2011/7). It gives freelancers and small suppliers automatic rights to statutory interest and a flat compensation fee on every overdue invoice — no contract clause required.
- Statutory interest
- ECB refinancing rate + 8 percentage points (B2B)
- ~10.65% per year in early 2026
- Flat compensation fee
- €40
- indemnité forfaitaire
- Default payment term
- 30 days from receipt of invoice; max 60 days B2B
- Public sector max
- 30 days
These amounts accrue automatically from the day after the invoice due date. You do not need a contract clause to invoke them — the statute creates the right directly. A contract can set a higher rate, but not a lower one.
How to enforce it in Belgium
The primary enforcement path for freelancers in Belgium is the Procédure sommaire d'injonction de payer.
Available at the Justice de Paix for debts under €5,000 and at the Tribunal de l'Entreprise for B2B debts. For undisputed commercial debts, the 'IOS procedure' (introduced 2016) lets a bailiff issue a payment order extra-judicially within one month.
Small claims limit: €5,000 (Justice de Paix).
Official portal: www.justice.belgium.be
What to do this week
- Add a late-fee clause citing Loi du 2 août 2002 to your contract template. Use the freelance contract template as a starting point.
- Add one line to your invoice footer: “Late payments accrue interest under Loi du 2 août 2002 at ECB refinancing rate + 8 percentage points (B2B), plus a €40 indemnité forfaitaire.”
- When an invoice goes overdue, use the free late-fee calculator to get the exact amount owed, then send a formal demand letter citing the statute. The demand letter guide walks through exactly what to include and what to leave out.
- If the letter's deadline passes, run the escalation playbook — or file directly via the Procédure sommaire d'injonction de payer, which is designed to be used without a lawyer for undisputed debts.
One thing most freelancers don't know
Belgium's IOS procedure lets a bailiff issue an enforceable order for undisputed B2B debts without going to court at all — unique in the EU.
This guide is a plain-language summary of Loi du 2 août 2002 as it applies to freelancers and small suppliers. It is not legal advice. For disputes over larger amounts, or anything with a contested fact pattern, consult a lawyer admitted in Belgium.