Peppol will very soon become the default for all B2B invoicing in Belgium. But what if you, your clients or your suppliers, aren't on the Peppol network in time? And what about issuing PDF invoices at all?

What if you're not connected in time?

The government provides a grace period of 3 months during which it will tolerate violations provided you can demonstrate that you have made preparations "in time and in a reasonable manner" — according to the FPS Finance — but simply couldn't get Peppol-ready on time. After that, or in the absence of valid proof, fines from €1,500 to even €5,000 per violation will follow. So following Cashfeed on LinkedIn is already a good start!

What if your client isn't connected in time?

Then you can simply send your PDF invoice. However, you are expected to encourage your supplier to get the connection sorted out ASAP.

What if your supplier isn't connected in time?

Then you may in principle refuse that invoice and are therefore not obligated to pay it. You don't have to refuse it, so you can also simply pay it and request the supplier in question to send via Peppol from now on.

Will PDF invoices disappear completely then?

No. PDF invoices remain the standard in B2C and in B2B you're still allowed to send them along, as long as the main invoice is a valid XML file (Peppol file). Your PDF then merely serves as an attachment. With a tool like Cashfeed you can start from your PDF, and we convert it to XML. That way you're completely compliant with everything!