As of January 1, 2026, digital invoicing via 'Peppol' will be mandatory for all Belgian VAT-registered companies. By 2030, this will apply across Europe.
What is Peppol? And what are the advantages of Peppol e-invoicing.
Brent de Boey from Agromanager explains.
Peppol is an international network that allows companies and governments to securely and automatically exchange digital invoices and documents. Since March 1, 2024, it has been mandatory in Belgium for invoicing to public authorities. From January 1, 2026, it will be mandatory for all businesses in Belgium as part of a European directive. Exceptions include invoicing abroad, for example to customers in France or the Netherlands, and invoicing to consumers. The Netherlands has not yet announced when Peppol will be required.
How does Peppol work?
Peppol is a standardized IT system supported by all local authorities and operates with a Peppol Scheme and Peppol ID. You can think of it as a mailbox. The sender sends an invoice to a so-called Access Point. The message is then automatically forwarded to the recipient’s Access Point. The invoice then arrives directly in their accounting software.
Agromanager's software has already been updated to allow companies to add the required Peppol Scheme and Peppol ID to the invoice data.
What’s the difference compared to sending a PDF? Sending a PDF still involves many manual steps. The sender creates the PDF and sends it by email. The receiver has to manually process it. Peppol links invoices directly to the recipient's accounting software via Access Points. This greatly reduces the risk of errors.
Company identity is verified
With a PDF, everyone decides on their own layout. Peppol invoices are uniform. Key information like the amount, VAT, bank account, and payment term is always in the same place. Automatic processing minimizes errors. Peppol also generates an automatic delivery confirmation. So, you always know if your invoice was received.
PDF invoices sent by email can end up in spam folders. With Peppol, that’s history, as all company identities are verified in advance. This automated system also prevents fraudulent invoices.
More on invoicing in Agromanager in our next blog.
Do you have questions now? Feel free to contact the Agromanager helpdesk. We’re happy to assist!
