All articles · 2026-01-05 · General
Laws that are not yet laws: how do you, as an entrepreneur, still move forward safely?
A new reality has emerged for Belgian entrepreneurs: you are expected to take into account rules that do not yet officially exist…
By Jan Hermans, CEO & founder of Lyff.
And that's frustrating, because entrepreneurship is complex enough as it is. Most entrepreneurs can handle clear rules, even if they are strict. What's hard to manage is a landscape where the rules shift as you watch. Especially when it comes to things that really have an impact: how you take money out of your company, how you plan your reserves, how you invest, and how you safeguard your own financial peace of mind.
In this chapter of Lyff.Starters, we talked about exactly that feeling: as if you already have to act from January 1st as if new laws exist, even though those laws are not yet final. And yes, that makes it very tricky.
You are expected to react to rules that do not yet exist
Let's be honest: uncertainty is currently a system, not an exception. Political decisions are no longer made in one go. They come in waves. First there's an idea. Then a proposal. Then a leak. Then a framework note. Then an “it seems that…”. And only much later comes a legal text that you can really build on.
The problem is that as an entrepreneur, you cannot work in waves. You have to make decisions at fixed times. You have a financial year, deadlines, salary and dividend planning, liquidity, investments. You cannot pause your strategy until politics finishes negotiating.
And yet, that's what's happening today: entrepreneurs are expected to anticipate already. This is reinforced by the fact that we increasingly hear from politicians that laws also apply to data from the past. That is chaos creation 101.
We see it especially with topics such as capital gains tax (meerwaardebelasting). Even when legal texts are not yet finalized, you notice that some institutions are already hedging their bets. And before you know it, a situation arises where you think: “Okay, if they're already acting like this, then I'll have to too.”
Acting out of fear or frustration
When rules are unclear, entrepreneurs often resort to one of two reflexes.
The first reflex is panic: quickly do things before it changes. The classic example: “Should we quickly take money out of the company before the withholding tax (roerende voorheffing) goes up?” Or: “Should we start something this year because it might become more expensive next year?” These types of decisions feel logical, but the risk is great: you do something with a strategy based on assumptions. And if those assumptions turn out to be wrong, that ‘quick move’ might end up being more expensive later on.
The second reflex is paralysis. Entrepreneurs who say: “Let's just wait until it's final.” On paper, that sounds sensible. In practice, it often leads to being too late, and then you have to react at the worst moment: when the law is already active and the market is already responding to it. You lose your negotiating position, your flexibility, and sometimes your options.
And that's the brutal truth: the right strategy is not in panic or waiting. It's in being prepared without trapping yourself.
What we at Lyff. do
If new legislation is coming, but it's not yet final, we don't suddenly change the whole plan based on rumors. That seems logical, but it happens more often than you think: people read headlines, get stressed, and immediately start shifting dividends, reserves, plans.
But if you make big decisions based on partial information, there's a good chance you'll disadvantage people (and yourself).
What does work is an approach where you build your plan on what is valid today, while also being prepared for what might change.
You ensure that you make choices that you can still adjust. You keep options open. You schedule moments to review. You make decisions based on what you know and not on what someone thinks will happen.
This approach doesn't require a crystal ball. It primarily requires discipline. Because honestly: most entrepreneurs can do this perfectly, but don't because stress forces them to “do something.”
What you can take away from this today
The most important lesson is simple: you don't have to be able to make a perfect prediction to be a good entrepreneur. You just have to avoid maneuvering yourself into a corner where you have no room left if something changes.
Specifically, that means three things:
Firstly: don't let incomplete information push you. Banks and institutions protect their risks. That's their job. But their timing is not always your best timing.
Secondly: make a plan that can move. If you plan something that you can only rectify later with a fiscal or financial cost, then you chose too rigidly based on uncertainty.
And thirdly: you don't have to do everything alone. An accountant is essential, but often primarily executive. What you also need is someone who strategically looks at the situation with you: “Okay, what if it turns out this way? What if it turns out differently? What will it cost us if we are too early or too late?” That's because there are too many moving parts today to carry on your own.
Sometimes the best move is not to act faster, but to act smarter. More calmly. With a plan that doesn't break if the rules change.
Do you have a question about your situation, or would you like us to discuss a specific scenario in a future episode? Send us an email via hello@lyff.be.