Peppol e-invoicing: how to be ready for 2026

From January 1, 2026, structured Peppol e-invoices will become the standard for B2B transactions in Belgium. D Soft guides SMEs, software suppliers, and governments toward a future-proof invoicing flow. This guide brings together the most important insights from our Peppol solutions page so that you know exactly what steps you can take today.

Why Peppol?

Peppol stands for Pan-European Public Procurement Online and forms the backbone of the new generation of e-invoicing. The network works with standardized formats such as UBL, which allows data to be imported directly into your ERP system. On the outside, Peppol is a secure highway on which documents travel, but the real magic happens in the Access Points. These certified intermediate stations guarantee that every invoice or delivery note ends up with the right partner and that you receive status notifications as soon as the document has been delivered. Precisely because more and more countries are adopting the same standard, you also get international interoperability. Add to that the built-in encryption and traceability, and you can see why Peppol is becoming the spearhead of Belgian B2B legislation in 2026.

What will change from 2026?

From January 1, 2026, the tax authorities will only accept structured invoices for Belgian B2B transactions. A PDF will therefore no longer suffice. It will also not be enough to convert outgoing invoices only: you will also need to be able to process incoming documents via Peppol. SMP registration will be crucial in this regard. This register tells other companies which document types you can receive and to which Access Point they should send their invoices.

How does D Soft help?

D Soft is an official Peppol Service Provider with both Access Point and SMP accreditation and ISO27001 certification (this will be mandatory for Peppol access points in the future). This allows you to keep all traffic in one place and eliminates the need to switch between different suppliers. We integrate directly with your ERP, accounting, or DocTrails environment and support multiple document formats. You may start with invoices today, but you can easily switch to packing slips, order confirmations, or other messages later using the same setup.

Checklist for the transition

To ensure a smooth transition, it is best to start by taking stock of your document flows: which customers and suppliers fall within scope and which messages (invoices, packing slips, order confirmations) do you want to digitize? Next, check whether crucial data such as VAT numbers, IBANs, and PO references are available in the EN 16931 format. Next, we plan the integration together via API, SFTP, or DocTrails; one workshop is enough to map out your technical landscape. Once the link is in place, run a pilot with a limited customer cluster and brief your internal teams with our FAQ “Peppol explained.” Finally, don't forget to inform customers and suppliers.

Ready to go live?

The fastest way to go live is to click on the “REGISTRATION PEPPOL & E-INVOICING” button on our site; this will send your request directly to the Peppol team. Do you have a more complex scenario or would you like a discovery call? Then use “REQUEST YOUR QUOTE HERE.” During the process, we set up monitoring via DocTrails so you can track processing times and failed messages. This makes it easier to substantiate the ROI of e-invoicing internally.

Tip: take a look at the section “Ready to digitize your business with Peppol?” on our website. You will discover how DocTrails, DocConnect, and DOCFlows automate your document flows.

Frequently asked questions from customers

Is Peppol mandatory for B2C? No, but many companies voluntarily extend it to private flows in order to maintain a uniform approach. What about international entities? Foreign companies with a Belgian VAT number must follow the same rules; for purely cross-border traffic, Peppol offers added value because more and more countries are adopting the same standard. Internationally, however, this is in line with ViDA regulations. What about archiving? The retention periods remain the same, but thanks to DocTrails and DocArchive linked to DocTrails, you immediately have an audit trail and version management, which makes tax audits easier.

With D Soft, you are not only compliant, you are also building an efficient and secure invoicing chain. Contact us at peppol@dsoft.be and we will guide you from the initial analysis to full adoption.