What is Peppol and why do you need it as a Belgian business owner?
If you have picked up anything about e-invoicing in Belgium over the past few months, the term "Peppol" has probably come up more than once. But what is it exactly? And what does it mean in practice for you as a self-employed professional or small business owner?
The short explanation
Peppol is a secure digital network on which businesses and governments exchange electronic documents — such as invoices — directly with one another. It stands for Pan-European Public Procurement Online and was originally developed by the European Commission.
The best comparison is simply e-mail — but specifically for invoices, with one key difference: where an e-mail sends a PDF as an attachment that someone has to process manually, Peppol sends a structured digital file that is automatically imported by your client's accounting software.
No manual re-typing. No invoices disappearing into spam folders. No disputes about whether an invoice was actually received.
How does it work in practice?
You do not need to do anything technical yourself. The only thing you need is invoicing software that is connected to the Peppol network.
In practice it works like this:
- You create an invoice in your invoicing software
- You click "send"
- Your software automatically converts the invoice into the correct format and sends it via the Peppol network
- The invoice arrives automatically in your client's accounting software
You and your client each have a Peppol ID — comparable to an e-mail address, but for invoices. Based on your client's VAT number, the network instantly knows where the invoice should go.
Why has Belgium made this mandatory?
Several reasons. First, electronic invoicing significantly reduces tax fraud — the government has much better visibility of transactions. Second, it is simply more efficient: invoices are processed faster, fewer errors are made, and businesses get paid sooner.
And third: Belgium is getting ahead of European legislation that will in any case become mandatory for cross-border transactions by 2030. We are simply doing it a few years earlier.
What if my client is not on Peppol?
This is a practical issue that many business owners run into. If your client is not yet connected to Peppol, your invoice cannot be delivered digitally.
In most cases, good invoicing software offers a fallback: if your client's Peppol address cannot be found, the invoice is still sent by e-mail as a PDF. Strictly speaking this is not fully compliant, but it is a practical interim solution while everyone makes the switch.
In time, every VAT-registered business in Belgium will be connected — after all, it is mandatory. So this problem will largely resolve itself.
What does it cost to get on Peppol?
Nothing extra, if you use the right software. You simply pay for your invoicing software — the Peppol connection is included as standard.
There is even a tax incentive: for income years 2024 through 2027, self-employed professionals can apply an enhanced tax deduction of 120% on subscriptions to invoicing software. Every euro you spend on your invoicing tool is therefore deductible at 120%.
How do you get started?
Step 1: choose invoicing software that is Peppol-ready. Step 2: register on the network via that software. Step 3: send your first e-invoice.
With Cleero you complete these steps in just a few minutes. Your Peppol registration happens automatically after verifying your identity, and you can start sending and receiving invoices straight away. No technical knowledge required.
Try Cleero for free — no credit card required.