As the world becomes more and more digitalized, companies wishing to stay as competitive as compliant to the regulations need to adapt. Belgium is no exception, as both the government and businesses are investing their efforts towards technologies. Regarding transactions between companies within the VAT regime (B2B), structured electronic invoicing will become mandatory as of January 1st, 2026, within Belgian territory. It has already been compulsory for transactions between companies and public authorities (B2G) since March 2024. 

Your company needs to understand the ins and outs of this legal framework and to make the necessary changes to the way invoicing and accounting are managed. Offering a Peppol-based management system, Odoo is the ideal partner to ensure your business is aligned with the mandatory requirements. Moreover, our suite of professional applications also helps you achieve greater success by automating, simplifying and centralizing your operations.  

The first thing to be aware of is that the European Union has decided to standardize the regulation around electronic invoicing, by setting up the Directive 2014/55/EU and the standard EN 16931 in 2014. Following this decision, European countries have been required to adapt their legislation accordingly in the years that followed, with a deadline set to 2030 to be compliant.

The second thing to understand is that e-Invoices refer to issuing, sending and receiving invoices digitally. The electronic invoicing system includes two types of invoices:

• Ordinary electronic invoices: The ordinary electronic invoice relates to an electronic format with mandatory data displayed in a free structure and format. In Belgium, this type of invoice can be sent to every customer (except B2G) until the 31st of December 2025. After that, it will only be authorised for private individuals (B2C) and international transactions in or outside Europe.
• Structured electronic invoices: The structured electronic invoice is a document processed automatically and electronically with a defined form. In Belgium, being compliant with the new European standard EN 16391 in place will be compulsory for all B2B transactions from the 1st of January 2026. It was already the case for transactions with public authorities (B2G) since 2024. That means those documents need to align with Peppol BIS format (or another compliant format), and pass through the Peppol network. 

Still authorised for B2C and international transactions, paper and PDF invoices will however soon be a thing of the past for companies doing business between each other or with public entities. Structured electronic invoices will indeed be the new modern and compliant way to follow for every Belgian VAT registered company established or having a fixed address in the country.

Moreover, the Belgian coalition government announced in January 2025 the intention of adding another layer of control within the invoicing system. From January 2028, the idea will be for the companies under VAT regime to report near real-time B2B domestic transactions, based on e-Invoices, to the tax authorities.

Pan-European Public Procurement On-Line, commonly known as Peppol, is a framework that the European Union decided to try first as a pilot project for 3 years and to adopt after this trial and analysis period. In Belgium, it has been launched as an official and compulsory set of rules in 2024 for B2G transactions and will be in 2026 for B2B ones. 

The idea behind this regulation is:

• To eliminate paper commercial transactions, invoices included, between public authorities and companies (B2G) and between businesses (B2B)
• To push for the use of public e-Procurement
• To structure the fragmented electronic invoicing landscape
• To align in terms of format, connectivity and legal rules, as e-Invoices need to have a structured common format, to be sent via a certain secured network and to meet the legal compliance requirements

Using the Peppol BIS format, through the Peppol network, via certified providers offers you several guarantees. Firstly, data is transferred in a secure manner, answering the framework agreements. Secondly, the standardised format ensures everyone is on the same page. Thirdly, the cooperation model brings together every party involved.

In 2022, the European Commission agreed on several ways to modernize the EU’s Value-Added Tax (VAT) system. The goal was to simplify things for companies, to address better fraud and to deal with the overall VAT challenges in the current economy. 

Standing for “VAT in the Digital Age”, ViDA implies a few major changes by 2030. Amongst those, we can mention the e-Invoicing becoming mandatory, the real-time digital reporting to tax authorities to fight against fraud, and the single VAT registration made simpler for companies making transactions within the European Union. 

ViDA aligns with the e-Invoicing regulations explained above, in continuous initiatives to modernize and secure the European accounting and invoicing landscapes.

Receiving and sending invoices is natural for every company, no matter its size or its industry. Therefore, it is essential to make the necessary changes and/or adjustments to the way you deal with your accounting and invoicing to meet the new European standard on the matter. 

Sending invoices simply via email won’t be enough anymore, as it is a highly sensitive channel often targeted by various types of fraud. 

Even if 2026 is in a year’s time, it never is too soon to get started. On the contrary, it actually gives you more time to set everything up at your own pace, avoid any rush and stress and be one step ahead of everyone.

As in Belgium, Peppol is the key network for e-Invoices regarding the public authorities (B2G) and companies (B2B) transactions, it is critical that your company uses a certified provider that is compliant and integrates the new set of rules. 

Furthermore, you can leverage the tweaks needed to improve the overall efficiency of your daily operations. Indeed, while adapting your workflows to be compliant with the new e-Invoicing regulations, you can take the opportunity to streamline your processes by opting for an all-in-one business management software. 

Odoo provides businesses of all sizes, and from all sectors, an all-in-one solution to manage everything from a single interface. The software includes accounting and invoicing as integrated modules made certified to deal with sending and receiving invoices via the Peppol network. Opting for our interface gives you the guarantee that you always benefit from up-to-date and compliant applications meeting the new requirements, at no extra charge. 

With the integration between Odoo and Peppol, your business will manage invoicing securely and automatically, in full compliance with the legislation in place. This offers more efficiency and transparency and allows to manage the invoices easily and quickly, hasslefree. 

Not only Odoo provides you with a compliant invoicing application, but it also offers a comprehensive company management system allowing you to:

 Manage every department of your business through one single interface

 Streamline all your processes and workflows to gain efficiency 

 Automate many of your operations to work faster and better 

 Centralize all of your data to improve communication and reduce the risk of error

 Save valuable time that you can reinvest in added-value projects

Choosing Odoo means taking an opportunity to further grow your business and achieve greater results. Our platform allows you to master all of your daily operations smarter, in less time and with more efficiency. And on top of that, you don’t need to worry about being aligned with the new regulations in terms of e-Invoicing, our team does that for you!

Contact us to know more about Odoo's company management system.