Monard Law | View firm profile
- Peppol e-invoicing: mandatory since 1 January 2026
From now on, all Belgian companies subject to VAT must exchange their B2B invoices only through the secure Peppol network. Traditional PDF invoices or e-mail attachments no longer suffice.
What will this mean for your company, in specific terms?
- Date of receipt is fixed
Peppol registers exactly when an invoice is delivered. However, under contract law, it remains crucial to determine when an invoice is deemed to have been received, because this affects payment terms, disputes and possible interests.
- Automatic processing as tacit acceptance
Many companies process Peppol invoices automatically in their accounting package. This gives rise to a new risk: it is easier for automatic processing to be interpreted as tacit acceptance, especially when there are no provisions to the contrary in the agreement. Therefore, clear provisions in your general terms and agreements are essential.
- Disputes
Because the actual receipt of an invoice through Peppol can no longer be disputed, a diligent approach to disputed invoices becomes all the more important. Your contract counterparties will be quicker to claim that your company did not dispute the invoice in due time.
We advise you to limit this risk by fine-tuning your general terms, stipulating:
- Within what period an invoice can be disputed;
- How this should be done;
- That technical receipt through Peppol does not imply automatic acceptance.
- New Civil Code: Book 7 to enter into force
The Civil Code is being thoroughly renewed. In the course of 2026, Book 7 – Specific Agreements will enter into force. This will bring important changes, including for sales, contractors and service provision.
For service agreements, special attention will have to be paid (among other things) to the following:
- Criteria for obligations of means vs. obligations of results;
- More extensive information duties;
- Revised rules on price reviews and additional services;
- New rules on notice and termination;
- Restrictions on liability clauses.
New ‘default rules’ mean that certain provisions in your current agreements may no longer be legally sound or enforceable.
Therefore, this is the ideal opportunity to have your templates, agreements and general terms revised and updated where necessary. This can be done efficiently under the motto ‘Better safe than sorry’.
- How we can support you
Our team would be happy to provide you with practical support with:
- Updating your general terms and templates;
- Adapting your agreements to the new regulations;
- Including correct Peppol clauses;
- Optimising your internal processes from a legal perspective.
This will allow you to comply with the legislation and gain efficiency and legal security.
Do you have questions or would you like a screening of your documents? Do not hesitate to contact us! We like to think with you in a proactive manner, and we are always available for a short catch-up. A cup of coffee is waiting for you at our new offices in Hasselt @Re-Core.