Peppol at the garage: mandatory e-invoicing, explained simply
Since 1 January 2026, an invoice sent to another Belgian business must be a structured electronic invoice, transmitted over the Peppol network. A PDF by e-mail or paper is no longer enough between professionals. Here is what changes in practice in a garage, and how Plyx takes care of it.
Who is concerned in a garage?
The obligation covers invoices between VAT-registered businesses in Belgium. For a garage, that means every invoice addressed to a company: fleets, self-employed people who expense their vehicle, leasing companies, other garages, parts dealers.
Private individuals are not concerned: a private customer's invoice stays on paper or as a PDF, as before. Businesses under the VAT exemption scheme must be able to receive Peppol invoices, but are not required to issue them.
The other side of the same obligation: you must also be able to receive. Your parts suppliers, your equipment rental company or your accountant now invoice you through Peppol.
What the law says, in four points
- The format. A structured invoice following the European standard EN 16931, in practice Peppol BIS in UBL. A PDF, even a signed one, is not an electronic invoice in the legal sense.
- The network. Transmission goes through Peppol, via an accredited access point. Every business is identified there by its company number.
- The fines. €1,500 for a first offence, €3,000 for a second, €5,000 thereafter. A grace period covered the first quarter of 2026 for businesses that had started to comply.
- The tax incentive. Small businesses benefit from an increased 120% deduction of subscription costs for e-invoicing software, for the 2024 to 2027 financial years. Your accountant will tell you exactly what you are entitled to.
What changes in practice in the workshop
- An invoice to a company leaves through Peppol, with a verified company number, in one click from the software.
- Credit notes follow exactly the same path.
- Your suppliers' invoices land in your software, no longer in your inbox.
- Your accountant receives structured data: less retyping, fewer errors, a simpler VAT return.
How Plyx sends an invoice through Peppol
- You finalise the invoice as usual. Plyx checks that the customer has a VAT number and looks it up on the Peppol network.
- One click on “Peppol”: the invoice is converted to the official format, checked, then transmitted through an accredited access point.
- You see the status on the invoice: sent, delivered, or to be corrected, with a plain explanation.
- Customer not reachable on Peppol? Plyx tells you before sending and offers e-mail instead.
Your suppliers' invoices also arrive in Plyx through Peppol, ready to be matched with your parts orders.
Three pitfalls we often see
- Invoicing a company without its VAT number: the invoice cannot leave. Plyx fills in the name and address from the official register as soon as you type the number.
- Believing that a PDF sent by e-mail is still enough between professionals.
- Forgetting reception: without an access point, your suppliers' invoices no longer reach you.
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Is a garage that only invoices private customers concerned?
For its sales, no: the invoice to a private customer stays on paper or as a PDF. But it must be able to receive the Peppol invoices of its suppliers, who are required to send them that way.
Do I need a separate Peppol account?
You must be registered on the network through an access point. With Plyx, registration is done with our partner, and sending then happens from the invoice, without leaving the software.
What happens if the customer is not on Peppol?
A VAT-registered Belgian business must be on it. If Plyx cannot find it, it warns you before sending and you can send by e-mail until the company complies.
What about credit notes?
Same rule, same path: Plyx sends them through Peppol like invoices, and they carry the reference of the invoice they correct.
How do I get started?
Contact us: we set up your Peppol access with you, we test an invoice, and you are ready. Allow half a day, data migration included if you are changing software.