By Cloudare Technologies | August 2025

Belgium is moving into a new digital era. Starting 1 January 2026, all VAT-registered businesses must issue and receive structured e-invoices for B2B transactions. What began with government contracts (B2G) is now extending to the entire private sector, bringing Belgium in line with the EU’s VAT in the Digital Age (ViDA) reforms.

 What the Law Says

• Anchored in the Royal Decree (July 2025), published in the Belgian Official Journal.
• Mandatory use of structured electronic invoices (EN 16931 standard).
• Peppol BIS Billing 3.0 is the default format, though other compliant formats can be agreed upon.
• Transmission via the Peppol network or alternative channels that meet legal requirements.

“As from 1 January 2026, all Belgian enterprises liable to VAT will have to use structured electronic invoices in their transactions with each other.”
— Belgian Government (einvoice.belgium.be)

 Who’s In Scope?

• Included: All Belgian VAT-registered businesses, including those with a fixed establishment.
• Transactions covered: Domestic B2B supplies of goods and services, and some cross-border cases where both parties are VAT-registered in Belgium.
• Exemptions: VAT-exempt sectors, flat-rate schemes, bankrupt entities, and businesses not established in Belgium.

 Timeline You Can’t Ignore

Date	Milestone
1 Jan 2026	B2B e-invoicing becomes mandatory
2028 (Planned)	Belgium to move towards near real-time e-reporting, aligned with EU ViDA

 What If You Don’t Comply?

The law introduces progressive penalties:

• €1,500 (first offense)
• €3,000 (second offense)
• €5,000 (third and subsequent offenses)

Non-compliance also creates operational risks—delayed payments, audit flags, and reputational harm.

 Technical Requirements

• Format: EN 16931 structured invoice.
• Transport: Typically via Peppol access points.
• Archiving: At least 7 years in digital format.
• Validation: Rounding and business rule checks as per Belgian specifications.
• Fallback: If delivery fails, resend immediately via a compliant alternative.

 How Cloudare Can Help

At Cloudare, we simplify compliance:

• Peppol-ready integrations for Oracle, Zoho, Odoo, and custom ERPs.
• Automated validation engines to reduce rejection risks.
• Dashboards and alerts for compliance monitoring.
• Future-proof frameworks ready for EU’s 2028 e-reporting.

 Don’t wait for 2026—future-proof your systems today.

Reach us at hello@cloudare.in to get started.

Quick Readiness Checklist

Train your finance & IT teams before 2026.

Map your invoice flows (ERP/AP/AR).

Check EN 16931 coverage in your ERP.

Connect to a Peppol access point & run test invoices.

Ensure archiving and error handling are in place.