9 out of 10 companies connected to Peppol, Unizo sees no promised time savings yet

Nearly 90% of Belgian companies are now connected to Peppol, the digital invoicing platform that became mandatory at the beginning of this year. The Federal Public Service (FPS) of Finance hails this as a significant success, reporting that 1,060,000 Belgian businesses are registered on the network, close to the natural ceiling as about 10% of companies do not send or receive business-to-business invoices.

Despite the high adoption rate, the self-employment organization Unizo expresses criticism. A survey by Unizo indicates that the transition has been challenging for many entrepreneurs, with only 38% reporting a smooth experience. "The system functions technically, but the promised time savings are not yet there for many companies," stated Joran Ceulebroeck, a spokesperson for Unizo. He added that while businesses have invested in new software, the return on this investment is not yet sufficient.

Unizo points to persistent confusion, partly because some large organizations and government bodies are not yet fully utilizing e-invoicing themselves. Furthermore, Ceulebroeck mentioned that several Peppol platforms still suffer from "childhood illnesses," creating additional administrative work. "This will improve in the future. But many of our members are considerably less positive than expected six months after implementation."

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The system functions technically, but the promised time savings are not yet there for many companies.

Accountants also observe that the switch is not straightforward for everyone. Ludo Van den Bossche from the professional association of accountants noted that older self-employed individuals and those with small side businesses often require assistance to make the digital leap. He highlighted the benefits of automation, contrasting the past, where a self-employed person might bring a shoebox full of invoices to their accountant, with the current system where documents automatically enter the system, ensuring the accountant receives all necessary paperwork.

The FPS Finance sees the next challenge as fully exploiting the digital capabilities of the system, particularly in automating payments.

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This will improve in the future. But many of our members are considerably less positive than expected six months after implementation.