From January 1, 2026, all B2B transactions in Belgium must issue electronic invoices in a structured format via the Peppol network. PDF invoices sent by email between pros are over, this is now a tax offence.
Why this obligation?
The European Union has been pushing for 5 years to harmonise B2B invoicing in order to reduce VAT fraud and speed up accounting reconciliation. Belgium is applying this directive with a fast timetable:
- January 2024: obligation for the public sector (already in force).
- January 2026: obligation for all transactions between VAT-registered businesses.
What it concretely changes for you
If you are a craftsman or building contractor:
- You must have a Peppol ID (the equivalent of an "email address" for structured invoices).
- Your B2B invoices must be sent in UBL 2.1 format (structured XML, not PDF).
- They travel through a Peppol Access Point (Storecove, Unifiedpost, etc.), comparable to an email provider.
- You remain free to also generate a human-readable PDF, still useful for your private customers (who are not concerned by Peppol).
How Batizzy helps you
Our invoicing module handles automatically:
- Generation of compliant UBL 2.1 XML for every B2B invoice.
- The Peppol ID stored on your pro profile (BCE auto-validated).
- Sending via our partner Access Point (planned for Q1 2026).
- Storage for 10 years (Belgian accounting requirement).
You keep editing your invoices normally, the XML is generated and sent in the background. No change in your daily routine.
To get started
- Create your Batizzy pro account (BCE check auto in 5 min).
- Fill in your Peppol ID in your settings (or let us generate it).
- Keep invoicing normally, the rest happens invisibly.
Tip: if you mainly invoice private individuals, you are not concerned. But if you have even one B2B customer (another craftsman, a shop, a company), Peppol is mandatory from the first invoice onwards.
More details on the official FPS Finance website: finances.belgium.be/peppol.
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