E-invoicing is mandatory: is your company already getting the most out of Peppol?

For many businesses, Peppol was mainly a necessary step to comply with the regulations. Yet in practice, we at PKF BOFIDI notice that many companies are still only making limited use of its possibilities today.

A well-configured Peppol solution does more than send and receive invoices digitally. It helps automatically capture invoices, route approvals digitally, monitor payments more effectively, and gain faster insight into outstanding supplier debts and cash flow. This means Peppol becomes not only an obligation, but also a lever to organise your administration more efficiently and reliably.

Moreover, the story does not end with the current obligation. Additional digital obligations will be introduced in the coming years, making proper preparation today more important than ever.

Peppol as a driver of efficiency

In many companies, certain steps are still partly manual today: incoming invoices are forwarded by email, data is re-entered into the accounting system, approvals are spread across different people, and payments are followed up manually.
With a correctly configured solution, a large part of that process can be handled automatically and clearly.

For example:

• Incoming invoices that are captured automatically;
• Digital approval flows with a clear overview of outstanding invoices;
• Automatic links between invoices and payments;
• A better and more up-to-date view of supplier debts and cash flow;
• Less manual follow-up and less chance of errors.

This not only saves time, but also gives you more control within your company.

Control and security remain important

Although digital invoicing offers many advantages, it remains important to pay attention to your control processes. Peppol is an open network. This means you can receive invoices from other connected parties. In most cases, this happens without any issues, but it remains important to stay alert to incorrect or fraudulent invoices.

A few points to watch:

• Invoices from new or unknown suppliers;
• Changed bank account numbers;
• Invoices that do not match orders, deliveries, or agreements;
• Invoices that are processed automatically without clear approval.

We therefore recommend putting in place clear control and approval flows for new suppliers, changed payment details, or invoices above a certain amount. That way, you retain control without losing the benefits of automation.

Also with an eye on the future

E-invoicing is probably not the end point. In a next phase, Belgium will evolve towards e-reporting or near real-time reporting.

In 2026, invoice data will not yet be forwarded automatically to the authorities, but 2028 is mentioned as a possible timeline in the federal coalition agreement. Companies that structure their processes properly today will be in a stronger position for that next step tomorrow.

How can PKF BOFIDI support you with this?

Every company works differently. That is why we do not only look at whether you comply with the legal obligations, but also at which solution best fits the way you work.

We support companies, among other things, with:

• the implementation and optimisation of Peppol solutions;
• automating invoice and approval processes;
• preparing for future e-reporting;
• analysing existing workflows and software;
• advice on digital invoicing and process optimisation.

Are you connected to Peppol but unsure whether your solution is truly set up efficiently? Or would you like to assess whether your invoice flow, approval process, and payment follow-up could be organised better?
If so, please feel free to contact one of our experts.

This article was written by Robbe Geussens