Peppol mandatory: what changes for your Belgian SMB since January 1st

Since January 1st, 2026, all Belgian VAT-registered businesses must issue and receive their B2B invoices via the Peppol network (Pan-European Public Procurement OnLine). Email PDFs and paper invoices are no longer accepted for business-to-business transactions.

Two weeks in, many SMBs have buried their heads in the sand and are now rushing to comply. Here's a clear take.

What is Peppol, exactly?

Peppol is a standardized protocol for exchanging electronic documents. Instead of emailing a PDF or uploading to a proprietary portal, you issue a structured invoice (XML, UBL format) routed automatically to your client through the Peppol network.

For the client, it lands directly in their accounting software — no manual entry, no scanning, no OCR.

What changes for you?

If you invoice other Belgian businesses:

Your invoices must go out in Peppol format
You need a registered Peppol access point
Your clients receive invoices directly in their software

If you receive supplier invoices in B2B:

You must be able to receive them in Peppol format
Ideally, they should auto-integrate into your accounting

B2C is not concerned at this stage. Same for invoices issued to foreign customers (but it's coming — Europe is pushing for generalization by 2030).

How Odoo handles it

This is the right moment to mention why Odoo has a clear edge here.

Odoo natively integrates a free, unlimited Peppol access point.

Where most providers (Qonto, Sage, Cegid, and even some third-party access points like Mailteck) charge per document — typically €0.15 to €0.50 per invoice — Odoo provides unlimited access at no extra cost.

For an SMB issuing 200 invoices a month, the annual saving is around €400 to €1,200. At higher volumes, it scales fast.

What you need to check

If you're already on Odoo (16+), there are 4 steps to validate:

Activate the e-Invoicing module in accounting settings
Register with the built-in Peppol access point (a few clicks, no complex KYC)
Configure the UBL format as default on your invoice templates
Test sending to a Peppol-connected client (most large structures have been since 2024)

For receiving, even simpler: once connected, supplier invoices land automatically in "Invoices to validate".

What if I'm not on Odoo yet?

Several options:

Stick with your current software: most vendors (Sage, Cegid, Bob Software, Horus) released Peppol connectors. Check per-document pricing.
Migrate to Odoo: relevant if you have other motivations (integrated ERP, e-commerce, etc.) on top of Peppol compliance. The Peppol saving adds to the other benefits.
Use an intermediary platform: solutions like Bizyhood, IT Pro Cloud, Mailteck bridge between your current software and Peppol. Often per-document.

Common pitfalls we've seen

A few classic traps from client cases over the past weeks:

Wrong VAT number on the client side → the Peppol invoice goes nowhere
Missing legal mentions on Odoo invoice templates (mandatory electronic mention)
Bank accounts not linked to the invoicing entity (typical for holding/subsidiary setups)

These get fixed quickly but cause real stress when a client says "I haven't received your invoice" while you've sent it.

Our recommendation

If you're not yet compliant, handle it this week. The risk isn't an immediate fine (the administration is in "educational" mode for the first months) — it's invoices not landing at the client and therefore payment delays.

If you're on Odoo and want us to do the audit + activation for you, contact us. It's typically half a day of guidance, no more.