{"id":9363,"date":"2024-10-28T17:06:10","date_gmt":"2024-10-28T16:06:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/prod-migration-second.local\/?p=9363"},"modified":"2025-09-02T16:05:17","modified_gmt":"2025-09-02T14:05:17","slug":"e-invoicing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.accountable.eu\/en-be\/blog\/e-invoicing\/","title":{"rendered":"E-invoicing: what you need to know as a self-employed in Belgium"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><strong>As a business, you could previously invoice however you liked, as long as all the required information was included. Many invoices were still sent by post or as scanned PDFs. But starting January 1, 2026, all invoicing between Belgian companies will need to be done through e-invoicing.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>This article covers everything you need to know about e-invoicing as a self-employed in Belgium.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n    <!-- wp:acf\/blog-annotation -->\n    <div class=\"wp-block-acf-blog-annotation flex items-start gap-4 bg-light-purple py-6 px-4 rounded-lg mb-3 mt-3\">\n                    <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"flex-shrink-0\" src=\"https:\/\/www.accountable.eu\/wp-content\/themes\/accountable\/assets\/rebranding-images\/icons\/blog\/widgets\/exclamation.svg\" alt=\"exclamation\">\n        \n        <div class=\"blog-annotation__text\">\n            <p class=\"font-inter text-lg text-purple m-0\">E-invoicing will become mandatory for all VAT-liable self-employed individuals, including self-employed in a secondary occuptations and small businesses exempt from VAT (turnover &lt; \u20ac25,000).<\/p>\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n    <!-- \/wp:acf\/blog-annotation -->\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"e-invoicing\">E-invoicing: what is it?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>An electronic invoice, or e-invoice, is an invoice sent online in a specific standardized format.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u26a0\ufe0f <strong>Important:<\/strong> Electronic invoices are not the same as online or digital invoices. Scanning and sending an invoice as a PDF is not the same as e-invoicing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>What makes e-invoicing unique?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>An e-invoice must <strong>meet specific standards<\/strong> to ensure it can be accurately read and processed by invoicing software. <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>These invoices are also created using<strong> invoicing software<\/strong>. With such software, you can <strong>automatically send, receive, and process e-invoices<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>For self-employed, the shift to e-invoicing means that starting January 1, 2026, you\u2019ll need to use certified invoicing software to send invoices to businesses and to receive invoices from them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"peppol\">What is Peppol?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>When we talk about e-invoicing, we also talk about Peppol. Peppol stands for <strong>Pan-European Public Procurement Online<\/strong>. The European Commission developed the Peppol network to streamline the exchange of electronic invoices within the European Union.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Or, in simpler terms: <strong>Peppol acts like an address book that ensures the secure transfer of electronic invoices between systems<\/strong> (from one business to another).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>To send and receive e-invoices, freelancers must register on the Peppol network. The good news? Registration is free and straightforward, as most e-invoicing software offers this service at no extra cost.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\ud83d\udca1 <strong>Accountable Tip:<\/strong> With Accountable, you can send and receive e-invoices for free. Plus, you can register on the Peppol network <a href=\"https:\/\/web.accountable.eu\/signup?_gl=1*1wkee3d*_gcl_aw*R0NMLjE3MzU2NTY1NjQuQ2owS0NRaUF5YzY3QmhEU0FSSXNBTTk1UXp2aXdtNWJ3QzVBTXlFZ1c1aGVuMVBucjRtdjYwRXRFVVUwWDhfT1RKMDFCbVF2UFFZYnVmVWFBaF9hRUFMd193Y0I.*_gcl_au*MTc0MTE3NzEzMi4xNzMxNjc5MTAw\">with just one click in the app<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"advantages\">What exactly are the advantages of e-invoicing?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Every year, the government misses out on a hefty sum of tax revenue due to insufficient invoicing or outright fraud.<strong> Introducing mandatory e-invoicing will significantly complicate tax evasion in the future. <\/strong>Yet, that&#8217;s merely <a href=\"https:\/\/einvoice.belgium.be\/be-en\/article\/8-good-reasons-adopt-e-invoicing\">the tip of the iceberg in terms of e-invoicing benefits<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>It&#8217;s a considerable leap forward for environmental conservation as well. <\/strong>Just think of the reductions in paper, ink, and postal deliveries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But the perks extend to you as well. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>A substantial portion of invoicing and processing being automated means <strong>you&#8217;ll spend less time on these tasks<\/strong>. <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>The likelihood of mistakes drops significantly due to the invoices&#8217; standardized format<\/strong>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Increased deduction for invoicing software: the tax authorities are temporarily allowing <strong>an <a href=\"https:\/\/www.accountable.eu\/en-be\/blog\/deductibility-e-invoicing\/\">increased deduction of 120% for expenses related to e-invoicing<\/a><\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>While further advancements are on the drawing board, it&#8217;s quite feasible that e-invoicing could alleviate other administrative burdens down the line. For instance, VAT listings and declarations could also become (partially) automated once e-invoices become the norm.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"invoicing\">Peppol e-invoicing<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Electronic invoicing is facilitated through invoicing software that automates the sending, processing, and even payment of invoices. But what does that involve exactly?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>To enable this, it&#8217;s crucial that the invoices follow <strong>specific standards<\/strong> and that the files can be easily read by the software. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>E-invoices are created as XML files according to the UBL (Universal Business Language) format, which was specially developed for digital invoices. <strong>These standards ensure that all the necessary information for an invoice is indeed present.<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Electronic invoices are sent (automatically) to the recipient via a secure channel like <strong>PEPPOL<\/strong>. At the recipient&#8217;s end, the e-invoice can be directly incorporated into the accounting system for automatic processing. Since this program adheres to the same standards, the information can be easily read, and processing errors are rare. <strong>As a business owner, these channels also make it much easier to track the status of your invoices.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>\ud83d\udca1 <a href=\"https:\/\/help.accountable.eu\/en\/articles\/9759438-sending-invoices-via-peppol-with-accountable\">Sending Peppol invoices with Accountable? Find out how it works here<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"FAQ\">FAQ E-invoicing<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"schema-faq wp-block-yoast-faq-block\"><div class=\"schema-faq-section\" id=\"faq-question-1711626039287\"><strong class=\"schema-faq-question\">When will e-invoicing become mandatory in Belgium?<\/strong> <p class=\"schema-faq-answer\">E-invoicing is already mandatory for public contracts. From January 1, 2026, Belgian businesses will also be required to invoice each other electronically. While e-invoicing is not required when invoicing individuals, if you sell to individuals directly, you must still be registered on Peppol in order to receive electronic invoices from your suppliers.<\/p> <\/div> <div class=\"schema-faq-section\" id=\"faq-question-1735834326199\"><strong class=\"schema-faq-question\">Is sending Peppol invoices free?<\/strong> <p class=\"schema-faq-answer\">Yes, Peppol is free. You can register for free on the Peppol network using invoicing software like Accountable. Once registered, you can send and receive unlimited e-invoices via Accountable, even on the free plan.<\/p> <\/div> <div class=\"schema-faq-section\" id=\"faq-question-1711626040829\"><strong class=\"schema-faq-question\">How can I start with e-invoicing?<\/strong> <p class=\"schema-faq-answer\">To start, you&#8217;ll need an e-invoicing software program. This could be part of a larger software package or a bespoke invoicing program tailored to your business. Accountable, for example, is a perfect accounting and invoicing program for freelancers and self-employed individuals. Your chosen program should also allow you to send invoices to businesses and individuals via Hermes. This tool ensures your invoices reach your client in a readable manner, even if they do not have a program to process e-invoices. It also allows you to track the processing of your invoices, just like on the Mercurius platform for public contracts.<\/p> <\/div> <div class=\"schema-faq-section\" id=\"faq-question-1711626041557\"><strong class=\"schema-faq-question\">Are there costs associated with e-invoicing?<\/strong> <p class=\"schema-faq-answer\">There are no fees directly associated with e-invoicing, but you should consider your monthly software expenses. For example, Accountable costs about \u20ac20 to \u20ac30 per month, which is quite reasonable when you consider the cost savings associated with electronic invoicing. But the good news is that costs for e-invoicing are temporarily 120% deductible.<\/p> <\/div> <div class=\"schema-faq-section\" id=\"faq-question-1711626086333\"><strong class=\"schema-faq-question\">Is e-invoicing safe?<\/strong> <p class=\"schema-faq-answer\">E-invoicing is safe as the invoices are sent through a closed network. These networks also require user identification to ensure that only authorized users can access the invoices. This also means you can be confident that the invoices are genuine rather than an attempt to deceive you.<\/p> <\/div> <div class=\"schema-faq-section\" id=\"faq-question-1711626142698\"><strong class=\"schema-faq-question\">Do invoices need to be stored on paper?<\/strong> <p class=\"schema-faq-answer\">You are not obliged to keep your e-invoices on paper, but you are allowed to. According to the Federal Public Service (FPS) Finance, you may u0022store invoices either on paper or electronically, regardless of the original format.<\/p> <\/div> <div class=\"schema-faq-section\" id=\"faq-question-1745833373933\"><strong class=\"schema-faq-question\">Is e-invoicing mandatory for part-time self-employed individuals or small businesses exempt from VAT?<\/strong> <p class=\"schema-faq-answer\">Yes, e-invoicing is mandatory for all Belgian self-employed individuals, including sole proprietors in part-time self-employment and self-employed individuals under the VAT exemption scheme for small businesses (annual turnover &lt; \u20ac25,000). Starting in 2026, they will be required to send invoices to Belgian companies in an electronic format.<\/p> <\/div> <\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>As a business, you could previously invoice however you liked, as long as all the required information was included. Many invoices were still sent by post or as scanned PDFs. But starting January 1, 2026, all invoicing between Belgian companies will need to be done through e-invoicing. This article covers everything you need to know [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":24,"featured_media":8697,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[280,269],"tags":[248,254,411],"class_list":["post-9363","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-humans-of-accountable-3","category-important-things-to-know","tag-bookkeeping","tag-invoice","tag-peppol-3"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.4 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>E-invoicing Belgium: everything you need to know - Accountable<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"E-invoicing will soon be mandatory for all Belgium self-employed. 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From January 1, 2026, Belgian businesses will also be required to invoice each other electronically. While e-invoicing is not required when invoicing individuals, if you sell to individuals directly, you must still be registered on Peppol in order to receive electronic invoices from your suppliers.\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-BE\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-BE\"},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.accountable.eu\\\/en-be\\\/blog\\\/e-invoicing\\\/#faq-question-1735834326199\",\"position\":2,\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.accountable.eu\\\/en-be\\\/blog\\\/e-invoicing\\\/#faq-question-1735834326199\",\"name\":\"Is sending Peppol invoices free?\",\"answerCount\":1,\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"Yes, Peppol is free. You can register for free on the Peppol network using invoicing software like Accountable. Once registered, you can send and receive unlimited e-invoices via Accountable, even on the free plan.\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-BE\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-BE\"},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.accountable.eu\\\/en-be\\\/blog\\\/e-invoicing\\\/#faq-question-1711626040829\",\"position\":3,\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.accountable.eu\\\/en-be\\\/blog\\\/e-invoicing\\\/#faq-question-1711626040829\",\"name\":\"How can I start with e-invoicing?\",\"answerCount\":1,\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"To start, you'll need an e-invoicing software program. This could be part of a larger software package or a bespoke invoicing program tailored to your business. Accountable, for example, is a perfect accounting and invoicing program for freelancers and self-employed individuals. Your chosen program should also allow you to send invoices to businesses and individuals via Hermes. This tool ensures your invoices reach your client in a readable manner, even if they do not have a program to process e-invoices. It also allows you to track the processing of your invoices, just like on the Mercurius platform for public contracts.\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-BE\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-BE\"},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.accountable.eu\\\/en-be\\\/blog\\\/e-invoicing\\\/#faq-question-1711626041557\",\"position\":4,\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.accountable.eu\\\/en-be\\\/blog\\\/e-invoicing\\\/#faq-question-1711626041557\",\"name\":\"Are there costs associated with e-invoicing?\",\"answerCount\":1,\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"There are no fees directly associated with e-invoicing, but you should consider your monthly software expenses. For example, Accountable costs about \u20ac20 to \u20ac30 per month, which is quite reasonable when you consider the cost savings associated with electronic invoicing. But the good news is that costs for e-invoicing are temporarily 120% deductible.\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-BE\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-BE\"},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.accountable.eu\\\/en-be\\\/blog\\\/e-invoicing\\\/#faq-question-1711626086333\",\"position\":5,\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.accountable.eu\\\/en-be\\\/blog\\\/e-invoicing\\\/#faq-question-1711626086333\",\"name\":\"Is e-invoicing safe?\",\"answerCount\":1,\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"E-invoicing is safe as the invoices are sent through a closed network. These networks also require user identification to ensure that only authorized users can access the invoices. 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From January 1, 2026, Belgian businesses will also be required to invoice each other electronically. While e-invoicing is not required when invoicing individuals, if you sell to individuals directly, you must still be registered on Peppol in order to receive electronic invoices from your suppliers.","inLanguage":"en-BE"},"inLanguage":"en-BE"},{"@type":"Question","@id":"https:\/\/www.accountable.eu\/en-be\/blog\/e-invoicing\/#faq-question-1735834326199","position":2,"url":"https:\/\/www.accountable.eu\/en-be\/blog\/e-invoicing\/#faq-question-1735834326199","name":"Is sending Peppol invoices free?","answerCount":1,"acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"Yes, Peppol is free. You can register for free on the Peppol network using invoicing software like Accountable. Once registered, you can send and receive unlimited e-invoices via Accountable, even on the free plan.","inLanguage":"en-BE"},"inLanguage":"en-BE"},{"@type":"Question","@id":"https:\/\/www.accountable.eu\/en-be\/blog\/e-invoicing\/#faq-question-1711626040829","position":3,"url":"https:\/\/www.accountable.eu\/en-be\/blog\/e-invoicing\/#faq-question-1711626040829","name":"How can I start with e-invoicing?","answerCount":1,"acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"To start, you'll need an e-invoicing software program. This could be part of a larger software package or a bespoke invoicing program tailored to your business. Accountable, for example, is a perfect accounting and invoicing program for freelancers and self-employed individuals. Your chosen program should also allow you to send invoices to businesses and individuals via Hermes. This tool ensures your invoices reach your client in a readable manner, even if they do not have a program to process e-invoices. It also allows you to track the processing of your invoices, just like on the Mercurius platform for public contracts.","inLanguage":"en-BE"},"inLanguage":"en-BE"},{"@type":"Question","@id":"https:\/\/www.accountable.eu\/en-be\/blog\/e-invoicing\/#faq-question-1711626041557","position":4,"url":"https:\/\/www.accountable.eu\/en-be\/blog\/e-invoicing\/#faq-question-1711626041557","name":"Are there costs associated with e-invoicing?","answerCount":1,"acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"There are no fees directly associated with e-invoicing, but you should consider your monthly software expenses. For example, Accountable costs about \u20ac20 to \u20ac30 per month, which is quite reasonable when you consider the cost savings associated with electronic invoicing. But the good news is that costs for e-invoicing are temporarily 120% deductible.","inLanguage":"en-BE"},"inLanguage":"en-BE"},{"@type":"Question","@id":"https:\/\/www.accountable.eu\/en-be\/blog\/e-invoicing\/#faq-question-1711626086333","position":5,"url":"https:\/\/www.accountable.eu\/en-be\/blog\/e-invoicing\/#faq-question-1711626086333","name":"Is e-invoicing safe?","answerCount":1,"acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"E-invoicing is safe as the invoices are sent through a closed network. These networks also require user identification to ensure that only authorized users can access the invoices. 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