Peppol e-invoicing for car dealers

In Belgium, electronic invoicing via Peppol is no longer a future prospect but an obligation. For garages and car dealers it significantly changes how invoices are created and sent. This guide explains what changes and how to adapt smoothly.

What is Peppol?

Peppol (Pan-European Public Procurement OnLine) is an international network and a standardised format for exchanging electronic documents, including invoices. A Peppol invoice is not a PDF but a structured, machine-readable file that the recipient's software can read and process automatically, without manual retyping.

What is changing in Belgium?

Since 1 January 2026, structured electronic invoicing is mandatory for B2B transactions between VAT-registered businesses established in Belgium. Peppol is the standard route to send and receive those invoices. In practice:

• a plain PDF by e-mail no longer counts as a legal B2B e-invoice;
• you must be able to send and receive structured e-invoices;
• the exchange runs over the secure Peppol network.

So for a dealer who invoices other businesses (e.g. leasing companies, firms, other garages) this is directly relevant.

Why it's also an advantage

The requirement sounds like an administrative burden, but in practice it saves time:

• Fewer errors, no more manual entry, so fewer mistakes and disputes;
• Paid faster, invoices land directly in the customer's accounting;
• Automatic processing, less paper, less follow-up;
• Always compliant, you automatically meet the legal requirements.

How AutoValet helps you

AutoValet automatically generates Peppol-compliant e-invoices as soon as a task or sale is completed, and sends them directly over the network. No separate invoicing tool to learn, no manual file conversion:

• invoice created automatically after task completion, linked to the right vehicle and customer;
• sent via Peppol, compliant with Belgian regulations;
• a complete, immutable history per vehicle in the Car Log.

This article is for information only and is not tax or legal advice. Consult the official information from the Belgian FPS Finance for the exact obligations that apply to your situation.

Further reading: Car-Pass: what it is and when it's mandatory.