As of January 2026, e-invoicing will be mandatory for all B2B transactions between VAT-registered companies. By e-invoicing, we are not talking about an invoice in PDF that you send via e-mail. An e-invoice is a structured, digital document (such as XML, EID and UBL) that can be processed automatically by financial software.
Sales invoices to your customer via Peppol
These e-invoices are sent from your invoicing software to your customer. This transfer is done via Peppol, a European network that exchanges electronic invoices between companies and governments in an automatic and standardised manner.
Receive purchase invoices from your supplier via Peppol
Your company is registered on Peppol through your company number and/or VAT number. So your supplier knows they can deliver their invoices to you and send them fully automatically, without human intervention.
Comparison of Peppol with the Post Office
Like your letters and other mail, you can only receive your purchase invoices at your own address. On the Peppol network, your address is your company number or VAT number. You can therefore only be connected to one party for receiving your purchase invoices.
However, you can send sales invoices through different ‘mailboxes’. Just as the Post Office delivers your letters to the recipient, Peppol delivers your sales invoice to your customer. If you create sales invoices in different software programmes, each software programme can put the sales invoices on Peppol.
You can find more information about Peppol and what the term Access Point is in our article ‘What is Peppol?‘.
How to start with e-invoicing?
It is best to prepare for the transition to electronic invoicing in good time. But how? We give you a few tips.
- Make sure you have the right tools. What software do you need?
- Program for receiving purchase invoices via Peppol
- Program for sending sales invoices via Peppol
- Ask your suppliers to already have their invoices sent to you now via Peppol or as UBL files. This way, you can also already have these invoices automatically processed by your systems.
- Try sending your sales invoices via Peppol now to customers who are already on Peppol.
- Don’t wait for the obligation to take effect. Start it on time, this way you can find out what works best for you and there is less chance of mistakes.
What will change with e-invoicing?
Depending on your current situation, much or nothing will change. Some situations below:
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You use an ERP programme/accounting programme into which you already receive purchase invoices: little changes for you.
In accounting programmes where you can already receive purchase invoices in today, in the future you will receive them via Peppol instead of e-mail. Likewise, sales invoices that you now create in your accounting programme and send via e-mail will in the future be sent via Peppol.
You will only have to indicate that you wish to receive your purchase invoices via Peppol in your accounting program. Keep in mind that you can only receive your purchase invoices from Peppol in one system. If you wish to change later, you must at that time disconnect your registration with Peppol in your old package so that you can afterwards re-register to Peppol with your new system.
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You are using an ERP programme/accounting programme in which you cannot currently receive purchase invoices: your way of working needs to change.
Currently, you probably receive your purchase invoices by post or via your mailbox. You place them onto your computer to process yourself. In the future, you will need to choose a software programme in which to deliver your purchase invoices or your current software supplier is going to need to add this functionality. Contact your software supplier to see how you can receive purchase invoices in the future. Also for creating your sales invoices, you need to choose a software programme that can post sales invoices on Peppol. If your current supplier cannot do this yet, contact them in time to check if they will add this.
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You are using a pre-accounting system: little is likely to change for you.
Examples are Billit, Clearfacts, EenvoudigFactureren, Facturalia, OkiOki, … The pre-accounting systems today receive your purchase invoices because suppliers send them to your pre-accounting e-mail address … You will in the future – unless you already do so today – keep track in your pre-accounting system when an invoice has been paid.
It is also best to prepare sales invoices in your pre-accounting system now, because using Word or Excel will no longer be possible. In most pre-accounting systems, sales invoices can already be created today. The pre-accounting system then delivers these sales invoices via Peppol. Make sure you activate Peppol in your pre-accounting system to be able to receive purchase invoices.
Keep in mind that you can only receive your purchase invoices from Peppol in one system. If you wish to change later, you must disconnect your registration with Peppol in your old package at that time so that you can re-register to Peppol with your new system afterwards.
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Custom made software: you are going to have to make adjustments
If you have ever had your own software created to keep track of your purchase invoices or to create sales invoices, you are going to have to modify your software programme to receive purchase invoices through Peppol or to send sales invoices through Peppol. Contact your software supplier in time.
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Do you receive all invoices by e-mail or post: your way of working needs to change.
Choose, in agreement with your accountant, a software programme in which you can receive your purchase invoices or prepare your sales invoices in the future. Most accountants work with certain suppliers. It is convenient to choose the same supplier that your accountant also works with.
Why e-invoicing via Peppol?
Today, invoices are often exchanged via pdf. This pdf is then analysed by computers to see what the total amount is, the customer’s name, invoice date, etc. In this process, computers make mistakes by considering the wrong date as the invoice date, for example…
Through an e-invoice, a structured document, a computer knows immediately what the total amount, customer name, invoice date… is.
Advantages e-invoicing via Peppol?
Nobody really likes change, but e-invoicing does bring some benefits that make the adjustment worthwhile anyway. Some examples are:
- It reduces the administrative burden as invoices are processed automatically.
- This makes you more efficient and gives you more time for your core business.
- It reduces the risk of errors, making your financial data more accurate and giving you better insight into your income and expenditure.
- And last but not least, it is secure! Your e-invoices are encrypted and secured in such a way that you are assured of the highest level of security.
Send invoices from your webshop, cash register or invoicing system via Scrada to your customers
You were able to read above that a software programme must have access to the Peppol network. If you have a customised solution, an invoicing programme, webshop, cash register system… then there is no need to have your own Peppol Access Point.
On the one hand, Scrada can be used as a digital daily receipt book, cash book or delivery of sales, payment methods and sales invoices in accounting. On the other hand, Scrada can also be used to place sales invoices on Peppol and at the same time deliver them in accounting. Indeed, Scrada sends invoices via Peppol to B2B customers and via e-mail to B2C customers. Moreover, a copy of each invoice sent automatically goes to your accounting software.
This is what the path your invoice takes looks like:
Scrada API gebruiken?
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