The Belgian e-invoicing mandate: what every SME needs to know in 2026

From January 2026, sending a PDF invoice by email is no longer sufficient for Belgian B2B transactions between VAT-registered businesses. The law requires structured electronic invoicing — typically via the Peppol network — so that invoices arrive directly in your client's accounting system with a legal delivery timestamp.

Who is affected? Essentially every Belgian company registered for VAT that invoices other businesses. Freelancers, SMEs, and larger groups all need a compliant sending channel. Consumer invoices (B2C) follow different rules, but most Snapfact users focus on B2B.

Peppol is not a brand or a software product. It is a European network of Access Points that exchange UBL/XML invoices in the EN 16931 standard (BIS Billing 3.0 in Belgium). Your obligation is to send through such a network — not to master XML yourself.

What happens if you do not comply? You risk penalties, rejected invoices, and payment delays when clients refuse non-compliant documents. The practical risk today is operational: large buyers already filter incoming mail for Peppol-only delivery.

Snapfact acts as your technical layer: recipient lookup by VAT number, automatic UBL generation, certified send via e-invoice.be, PDF email fallback when the counterparty is not on Peppol, and a full audit trail. You click Send — we handle routing and proof of delivery.