In general and on a recurring basis, the survival rates of VAT-registered enterprises are higher in Flanders than in Brussels and Wallonia. They are also higher for enterprises with staff. Also, the more significant the employment, the higher the survival rates.
Enterprises set in the form of a legal entity are also more likely to survive than those established as a natural person.
Some activity sectors have a significantly lower than average 5-years survival rate. This is particularly the case for telecommunications, gambling organisations and postal and courier activities.
However, it should be noted that a low rate does not necessarily mean a poor ‘health’ of the sector, but can sometimes simply be the result of special VAT arrangements for the enterprises concerned. For example, some enterprises could register to VAT for a short time in order to recover VAT. These births/removals then directly affect the short-term survival rate