HOWTO: What are e-invoicing and Peppol all about?

E-invoicing will become mandatory across all European countries by 2030. For Belgium, the B2B e-invoicing deadline is 01/01/2026. This article explains what e-invoicing is, how it’s being implemented in different countries, and what Peppol means for you as an Equicty Equstable customer.

TABLE OF CONTENT

• E-invoicing & country-specific implementation
  • Belgium
  • Netherlands
  • France
  • Germany
  • Italy
• What is Peppol?
  • How Peppol works
• Peppol ID
• Peppol registration vs Peppol connection
• Ready to activate Peppol in Equicty Equstable?

E-invoicing & country-specific implementation

The European Union has decided that by 2030, all member states must enforce digital invoicing for B2B transactions to help reduce fraud and streamline business administration. Each member state can choose how and when this becomes mandatory.

Belgium

Until recently, Belgium required e-invoicing only in B2G (Business-to-Government) transactions.
The Belgian government uses Mercurius, a platform that receives and processes e-invoices in UBL (Universal Business Language) format.

Starting 1 January 2026, B2B e-invoicing will also become mandatory.
Belgium has chosen Peppol as its national network standard in line with EU requirements.

In practice, this means:

• All B2B invoices between Belgian companies must be sent digitally via Peppol.

• Invoices made in Word or Excel and sent as PDFs will no longer be accepted.

• Every Belgian company must use software that can send and receive e-invoices through Peppol.

Good to know: Equicty Equstable fully supports Peppol – keeping your invoicing compliant without additional tools.

? Product screenshot placeholder: Equicty Equstable → Settings → Company Information → Peppol status panel.

Netherlands

The Dutch government has not yet announced a B2B e-invoicing deadline,
so for now, nothing changes for Dutch users.

? Sending invoices to the Dutch government (through Digipoort) is already mandatory via Peppol.

France

The e-invoicing deadline for France is 01/09/2026.
E-invoicing through Equicty Equstable will be introduced for France closer to that date.

Germany

Germany’s e-invoicing deadline is 01/01/2027.
We’ll provide updates as soon as Equicty Equstable supports e-invoicing in Germany.

Italy

Italy has already implemented mandatory e-invoicing for both B2G and B2B transactions.

What is Peppol?

Peppol (Pan-European Public Procurement Online) is an international network that allows companies and governments to securely exchange electronic documents, such as invoices, credit notes, and purchase orders.

How Peppol works

Peppol defines both:

1. The formal structure that documents (like invoices) must follow – the UBL format.

2. The network through which these documents are securely transmitted – using certified Access Points.

An e-invoice via Peppol is a structured UBL file transmitted through this network.

UBL (Universal Business Language) is a standardized XML format that allows computers to read and process invoice data automatically.

Peppol ID

Here’s how it works step by step:

1. You need software connected to Peppol to send and receive e-invoices — that’s Equicty Equstable.

2. Your customer must also be registered on Peppol (they may use any Peppol-certified tool).

3. Your Equstable account generates your Peppol ID, which uniquely identifies your company on the network.

   • In Belgium, your Peppol ID typically consists of:

     • Prefix 0208 + your KBO number, or

     • Prefix 9925 + your VAT number.

4. When you send an invoice through Equstable, the UBL and PDF are transmitted together to your customer’s Peppol ID.

5. The recipient’s software automatically reads and processes the UBL file — no manual entry needed.

Product screenshot placeholder: Equicty Equstable invoice screen – “Send via Peppol” button visible.

Peppol registration vs Peppol connection

It’s important to understand the difference between registering on Peppol and connecting to Peppol:

• Peppol connection: lets you send invoices using any software connected to the network.

  • Example: You can send invoices from multiple tools, as long as each is connected to Peppol.

  • See → HOWTO Send e-invoices via Peppol in Equicty Equstable”

• Peppol registration: is unique to your company and software and determines where you receive invoices.

  • You can only be registered in one tool for receiving at a time.

  • See → [link placeholder: “HOWTO Receive e-invoices via Peppol in Equicty Equstable”].

Analogy:
Sending is like dropping a letter in any mailbox — you can do that anywhere.
Receiving is like having a fixed address — you can only receive mail at one address.

Ready to activate Peppol in Equicty Equstable?

If you’re ready to activate Peppol and start sending and receiving e-invoices through Equicty Equstable, follow this guide:

[link placeholder: “HOWTO Enable Peppol in Equicty Equstable”]