---
title: "Payroll bureau or social secretariat: the difference"
description: "Accreditation, contributions, liability: what really separates a payroll bureau from an accredited social secretariat, and which one suits a Belgian SME."
url: "https://www.paycore.be/en/payroll-bureau-or-social-secretariat"
lang: "en"
---

1. [Home](https://www.paycore.be/en)
2. Payroll bureau or accredited social secretariat?

Choosing well

# Payroll bureau or accredited social secretariat?

Both handle your payroll and your social declarations. One thing sets them apart in law: who pays your contributions to the NSSO. Here is what it changes for you.

## The difference, point by point

What the NSSO says about the two kinds of representative an employer can appoint for its social obligations.

__Accredited social secretariat and payroll bureau compared, according to the NSSO__
| Point                               | Accredited social secretariat                                                                            | Payroll bureau                                                                                          |
| ----------------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Status                              | Accredited by the Minister of Social Affairs, under article 27 and following of the Act of 27 June 1969. | Non-accredited service provider, registered with the Crossroads Bank for Enterprises and with the NSSO. |
| Your NSSO contributions             | It collects them and passes them on to the NSSO: the exclusive right its accreditation grants.           | You pay them to the NSSO yourself. A non-accredited provider may not collect them.                      |
| Dimona, DmfA and other declarations | It files them for you, under a mandate registered with the NSSO.                                         | It files them for you, under a mandate registered with the NSSO.                                        |
| Your liability                      | You remain personally responsible for your obligations as an employer.                                   | You remain personally responsible for your obligations as an employer.                                  |
| Oversight                           | Subject to the NSSO quality barometer, and to the checks its accreditation imposes.                      | Subject to the NSSO quality barometer, and required to hold civil liability insurance.                  |
| Changing representative             | The change takes effect on the first day of a quarter.                                                   | The change takes effect on the first day of a quarter.                                                  |
| The name “social secretariat”       | It may use it.                                                                                           | It may not use it: it presents itself as a payroll bureau or service provider.                          |

## What it changes in practice

- ### How your contributions travel  
With an accredited secretariat, your contributions go through it before reaching the NSSO. With a payroll bureau, you pay them straight to the NSSO, based on the amounts your bureau calculates and sends you.
- ### The day-to-day work  
Payroll, payslips, Dimona, DmfA, contracts: the NSSO lets both represent you for your declarations, under a mandate. The difference is not in the tasks, but in the payment.
- ### Your liability does not move  
The NSSO puts it plainly: the employer always remains personally responsible for its obligations. If the representative fails, the institutions turn to you, whichever model you chose.

## Which one suits you?

There is no right choice in the absolute: both models are legal and overseen by the NSSO. There are preferences, and only you can weigh them.

### An accredited social secretariat, if you…

- would rather a third party paid your contributions for you;
- want the oversight framework that comes with accreditation;
- care that your provider carries the name social secretariat.

### A payroll bureau, if you…

- would rather pay your contributions to the NSSO yourself, with no intermediary;
- mainly want someone who knows your file and answers you;
- judge a provider by how it works rather than by its title.

Paycore is a payroll bureau: we calculate your payroll, produce your payslips and file your declarations, and you pay your contributions straight to the NSSO.

## Frequently asked questions

What employers ask us when they compare the two models.

Is a payroll bureau legal?

Yes. The NSSO recognises two kinds of representative: accredited social secretariats and non-accredited service providers. A payroll bureau belongs to the second: it is registered with the NSSO, insured for civil liability and subject to the NSSO quality barometer.

Who pays the contributions to the NSSO with a payroll bureau?

You do, directly. A non-accredited provider may not collect contributions: your payroll bureau calculates the amounts due and sends them to you, and you pay them to the NSSO.

Can I move from an accredited social secretariat to a payroll bureau?

Yes. A change of representative takes effect on the first day of a quarter, and the new mandate is registered with the NSSO. Your current contract may set a notice period: check it before choosing the date.

## Still unsure?

A first 30-minute meeting, free and without obligation, to look at your situation and tell you what suits you.

[Book a 30-min call](https://www.paycore.be/en/contact)[Call us on 02 537 77 71](tel:+3225377771)