An answer to the most frequently asked questions around Peppol

FAQ Peppol

When switching to Peppol, a lot of questions come up. We answer the most frequently asked questions on this page. Do you still have a question of your own? Do not hesitate to contact us.

1. Does Peppol apply to me?

Every Belgian company subject to VAT that invoices other companies (B2B) or the government (B2G) is obliged to send these invoices electronically via Peppol as from 2026. Depending on your customer base and the suppliers you work with, you need to take a number of things into account.

If you are not subject to VAT, exempt from VAT or if you invoice private individuals, this does not have to be done electronically via Peppol.

Peppol

  • The government’s goal is to encourage businesses to digitize their administration. By making e-invoicing mandatory, the invoicing process between businesses and the government can be automated.
    This legislation also provides better visibility on VAT obligations and ensures improved tax monitoring.

  • From 2026, invoices between businesses and the government must be sent electronically. The Peppol network (Pan European Public Procurement OnLine) has been chosen as the channel for electronic invoicing.
    By standardizing the e-invoicing format, invoices can be automatically processed by any accounting software.

VAT Obligation

  • Peppol is only for invoices with VAT to companies. However, if you are not subject to VAT, registration within Doccle is convenient. In fact, you can receive and store all your incoming invoices in it for free.

  • Here you need to check whether you are subject to VAT. Anyway, registration via Doccle remains interesting for receiving and storing your incoming invoices.

Foreign invoices

  • For sending invoices to foreign countries, check the regulation for those specific countries. Also for the invoices your might receive from foreign companies. Nevertheless there is a clear trend within the European Union to standardize electronic invoicing, with Peppol as a widely used solution.

Invoicing to private persons

  • As a company, you have to register anyway because you have to receive your invoices via peppol. In addition, you have to send invoices via peppol to other companies and governments via peppol.

    This will be possible with Doccle from spring. Nothing will change for your private customers.

  • Invoices to individuals should not be sent via Peppol. But you are still required to register your company, for example through Doccle where this can be done for free. After all, all your incoming invoices will reach you via Peppol.

2. How do I arrange everything for my accounting and invoicing?

In this section, we provide more clarity on what you and your accountant should do correctly. Thanks to the Peppol integration in Doccle, you can keep all your incoming and outgoing invoices clearly organised in Doccle. Which makes your VAT return a lot easier.

If you work with an accountant, we clarify on this page how to do this correctly.

Accountant

  • It’s useful to centralize your administration in Doccle. Thanks to Peppol integration in Doccle, you can store all your incoming and outgoing invoices securely in one place. You can also upload payment receipts and cash register tickets. This makes VAT declarations much easier since all your documents are in one central location.

  • You can only register your company once to receive invoices through Peppol .If your company is already registered to receive your peppol invoices through your pre-accounting of invoicing package, you cannot register through Doccle.

    If you still prefer to receive your invoices via Doccle for free, you can cancel your registration in your pre-accounting package and start a new registration in Doccle.

  • The Share with Accountant feature in Doccle automatically sends invoices received in the format in which they arrived. The feature can forward all common formats such as pdf, word, excel and even xml and UBL.

  • Doccle is your gathering place to store and automatically forward all relevant documents. By registering your company on Peppol through Doccle, all your incoming invoices will automatically arrive in your Doccle account.

    You can use the ‘Share with bookkeeper’ feature to automatically send these invoices to your bookkeeper or accounting package. More info on ‘sharing with your bookkeeper’ can be found via the link below.

    How do I share my documents with my accountant
  • As a self-employed person, you are not required to work with an accountant. But keeping correct accounts is required by law. Even after 2026, you are not obliged to cooperate with an accountant. However, registration on Peppol is mandatory for sending company invoices.

    Doccle can help you with this and collects all your incoming invoices in a secure place. Sending invoices will soon be possible via Doccle as well, where you can keep your way of preparing invoices (even if this is via excel or word, for example).

Formatting invoices

  • Electronic invoices are sent in UBL format, which is not easily readable for customers. That’s why Doccle always attaches a PDF version of the invoice, ensuring that your customer can read it properly.

  • To send invoices via Peppol, they must be formatted in the standardized UBL format. This allows e-invoicing to be processed automatically, from machine to machine or from one software system to another.

  • Today, invoices are often created in Word, Excel, or PDF, but these formats cannot be sent via Peppol. To send invoices through Peppol, they must be in the standardized UBL format so that they can be read by an accounting system.

    With Doccle, you create your invoice as usual in Word, Excel, or an accounting software, then upload it to Doccle. Doccle automatically converts it into the UBL format and sends it via Peppol. A PDF version of the original invoice is also attached.

  • For the time being, it is not yet possible to format invoices in Doccle. Only invoices created in other programs, such as office applications word or excel, or even invoices created with pen and paper, can be uploaded and converted to the mandatory UBL format.

  • At Peppol, you can only send via UBL format. This is the European standard for e-invoices. An existing invoice via another format (word, pdf, excel, …) can be converted to UBL within Doccle and sent via Peppol from mid-2025. So you can keep your current way of formatting invoices.

3. How do I start with this correctly?

You need to register for Peppol in the first place. This can be done very easily via Doccle.

Account

  • You only need 1 account for both. So a separate account as a self-employed person is not necessary. By the way, you can split your private and business by working with categories.

Registration

  • Don’t have a Doccle account yet? Then create one first. Once you have an account, you can add Peppol yourself via the map on the home page or via the “Connections” menu. And then follow the next steps.

    Create your free account
  • You can only be directed to the Peppol network for receipt of invoices via 1 application. If you are already registered elsewhere, please contact this application to cancel the registration.

  • For receiving invoices, you can only register with one provider. However, for sending invoices, multiple registrations are possible.

Price

  • Registering on Peppol and receiving invoices is free. Sending invoices, which will be available soon, will require a small fee.

    We strive to keep e-invoicing costs as low as possible.

4. Who do I notify?

Inform

  • If your customer is not registered on Peppol, you will receive a notification when sending the invoice via Doccle. In this case, the invoice will be sent by email to ensure it reaches your customer.

  • When you send an invoice via Doccle, Doccle checks, based on the company number (KBO), whether your customer is already registered on Peppol. If not, you will receive a notification, and the invoice will automatically be sent via email.

  • This is not absolutely necessary, but is of course always allowed.

  • In the Doccle application, you get a notification if a customer is not yet registered on Peppol.

  • Best to request this yourself from the supplier. For example, via email or by giving them a call.

  • There is no standard procedure for this. It is best to inform your customers yourself that you will be sending your invoices via Peppol from now on.

  • There is no standard procedure for this. It is best to contact your supplier yourself to ask to receive your invoices through Peppol.

  • Best to inform your suppliers yourself that you are registered on Peppol.

Got a question about Peppol yourself?

If so, send an email to community@doccle.be.