Register Beneficial Owners (UBO)

A legal obligation not to be neglected, on pain of penalties

Register Beneficial Owners (UBO)

We are J. Jordens, and the registration of beneficial owners, better known by the acronym UBO (Ultimate Beneficial Owner), is one of the legal obligations that many directors discover too late, often after receiving a reminder from the authorities. Here is what you absolutely need to know.

What is the UBO register?

The UBO register is a national register that lists the natural persons who directly or indirectly hold actual control of a company. This obligation stems from Belgian and European legislation on the fight against money laundering and terrorist financing. Every Belgian company, including SRL/BV, SA/NV and ASBL/VZW, must comply with it.

Who is considered a beneficial owner?

• Any person directly or indirectly holding more than 25% of the voting rights or shares of capital.
• Persons exercising control by other means (agreements between partners, veto rights, etc.).
• In the absence of clear identification, the senior executives of the company are considered beneficial owners by default.

The legal deadline and annual update

The initial declaration must be made within the month following registration of the company. This is not a one-off formality: it must be confirmed or updated at least once a year, and after any change affecting the identity or holding of the beneficial owners. Many companies forget this annual update, which exposes them to reminders, or even penalties.

Penalties for non-declaration

Failure to comply with this obligation can result in administrative fines, potentially amounting to several thousand euros, as well as a block on certain administrative procedures related to your company until the situation is regularized. This is an obligation taken very seriously by the Belgian tax administration.

How the process works with us

We help you precisely identify the persons to be declared according to the structure of your shareholding, prepare the required supporting documents, and make the declaration via the official platform. We also handle annual follow-up so your company stays compliant without you having to worry about this deadline every year.

Reliable expertise for your compliance

Since 1948, our firm has supported Belgian companies with all their administrative obligations, including the most technical ones such as the UBO register. We guarantee a correct declaration from the outset, which avoids often time-consuming corrections and regularizations.

The case of structures with complex shareholding

For companies whose shareholding includes other companies or cascading structures, identifying the ultimate beneficial owners can prove more delicate. We then trace the chain of control up to the natural persons concerned, documenting each step so your UBO declaration can withstand any in-depth audit by the administration.

Consultation of the register by third parties

The UBO register is not intended solely for the administration: certain information can be consulted, under conditions, by third parties demonstrating a legitimate interest, notably in the context of anti-money laundering efforts. An incomplete or erroneous declaration can therefore have repercussions beyond the mere risk of administrative penalty, notably on the trust of your financial partners.

A correct UBO declaration, kept up to date every year, protects your company against avoidable penalties and reassures your financial partners about the actual transparency of your shareholding structure, a criterion increasingly scrutinized by banks. We also remain available throughout the year to answer your questions about this obligation, which is often a source of confusion for young companies.

Do you need to declare or update your beneficial owners? Contact us for fast support in line with current regulations.