E-invoicing has recently become the standard in Belgium. Since 1 January 2026, many entrepreneurs have been required to send their invoices through Peppol. But what exactly is Peppol, why is it being introduced, and who is affected by this requirement? We explain everything step by step.
What is Peppol?
Peppol is a secure network for sending and receiving electronic documents, such as sales invoices and credit notes. You can compare it to the postal service or email:
- For the postal service, you use a letter and the postal network.
- With email, you use an email program and the internet.
- In the case of Peppol, you use accounting or invoicing software that converts your invoice into data and sends it securely to your customer’s software.
As it is structured data instead of a formatted PDF file, your customer’s accounting software can read the invoice automatically and without errors.
The advantages of e-invoicing via Peppol
Invoicing using Peppol has two major advantages.
Firstly, it is much less susceptible to fraud. Every sender on the network is identified, making it almost impossible to send invoices in the name of another company.
Secondly, it saves time. Invoices are sent directly to your customer’s accounting package without having to be retyped manually. This significantly reduces the risk of errors and speeds up the entire process.
When will Peppol become mandatory?
From 1 January 2026, Peppol will be mandatory for all sales invoices and credit notes that fall under the e-invoicing legislation. You can already use Peppol before that date, which is useful for getting used to it.
The obligation applies to:
- Businesses subject to VAT
- Businesses exempted from VAT (small businesses with an annual turnover of less than €25,000)
This applies when you invoice other Belgian companies that are subject to VAT or exempted from VAT.
Who is not required to use Peppol?
Entrepreneurs who are not subject to VAT, such as doctors, physiotherapists and nurses, are excluded from the obligation, but may use Peppol if they wish.
The obligation also does not apply to invoices to private individuals or companies abroad. In some cases, you can send such invoices via Peppol, but this is often not yet technically possible.
Which documents are covered by the obligation?
The Peppol obligation only applies to sales invoices and credit notes. Documents such as quotations, work orders, or timesheets do not need to be sent via Peppol, and this would not be technically possible anyway.
How to get started with e-invoicing through Peppol
You don’t have to worry about complicated technical settings. Accounting and invoicing software such as Dexxter automatically connects you to the Peppol network.
In Dexxter, you will find the Peppol option in the settings under “Integrations”. There, you can easily verify your identity via itsme.
Once that is done, Dexxter will check whether your customer is connected to Peppol when sending invoices. If so, the invoice will be delivered directly to your customer’s accounting package through the network.
From 2026, this will also apply to receiving invoices: you will then need to be able to receive purchase invoices via Peppol as well.
Ready for 2026
Peppol makes invoicing safer, faster, and more transparent. With the right software, you will hardly notice any difference in your daily work routine, except that everything will run much more smoothly and be much less prone to errors.
Do you have any questions about Peppol or would you like to start e-invoicing now? Feel free to get in touch with our support team.
