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Self-billing is currently a hot topic in the financial and administrative world. In self-billing, the customer (buyer) creates and sends the invoice to their supplier, reversing the traditional process where suppliers issue invoices to buyers. The supplier simply reviews and approves instead of generating it themselves.
Self-billing via Peppol
In Belgium, self-billing via Peppol is fully possible and compliant with VAT legislation for registered businesses. More broadly, in jurisdictions where Peppol is used or accepted, self-billing can be implemented as a structured, standardized process, helping companies simplify and accelerate their administration.
Technical update: The Peppol Hotfix
To ensure ongoing compliance and international interoperability, the Peppol BIS Self-Billing 3.0.1 Hotfix was released in March 2026. This update refines the framework by refreshing identifier codelists (such as the Electronic Address Scheme, EAS, and specific country identifiers, like the new code 0245 for the Slovak Tax Identification number, DIČ) and updating validation artefacts. It furthermore confirms that in a self-billing flow, the buyer is the invoice issuer and the supplier is the invoice receiver, directly affecting how B2B e-invoices are structured and validated across the Peppol network.
Benefits of self-billing
Simplified processes:
Self-billing automates invoice creation based on contracts or purchase orders, significantly reducing the risk of manual errors.
Full legal compliance:
With mandatory B2B e-invoicing now in place in Belgium, Peppol ensures that invoices meet stringent European standards such as EN 16931, allowing organizations to remain automatically compliant with national and international legislation.
Efficiency and speed:
Invoices are created, sent, approved, and processed faster, which significantly reduces payment cycle times.
Cost savings:
By reducing administrative burdens, paper usage, and manual checks, operational costs decrease. Additionally, self-billing provides full audit trails and transparency.
Why choose self-billing via Peppol?
Interoperability:
Uniform data standards allow different systems to understand each other and collaborate effectively, while the global Peppol network simplifies international transactions.
Flexibility:
Peppol self-billing specifications suit a wide range of business models and sectors, from large enterprises to government agencies. The specifications cover the secure exchange of both self-billed invoices and credit notes. Self-billing enables organizations to manage their processes efficiently and digitally. Examples of applications:
Large enterprises automating high volumes of transactions, e.g., a dairy processor sending self-bills to milk producers.
SMEs integrating professionally into modern digital supply chains, e.g., an IT consultancy receiving self-bills from a larger company for multiple projects.
Public institutions standardizing and automating procurement processes, e.g., a central purchasing office or school network issuing self-bills to suppliers under a framework contract.
Self-billing makes transactions simpler, more efficient, and better aligned with the digital processes of both small and large organizations.
Security:
The Peppol network uses controlled access points and strict security protocols, ensuring data integrity and confidentiality.
The standardized Peppol format ensures self-billing invoices can be correctly received and processed by any Peppol participant, regardless of software or country.
Self-billing with Banqup
Banqup fully supports self-billing via Peppol: you can easily create, send, and receive self-bills, with features that make the process reliable and user-friendly.
Supported delivery channels:
Self-billing documents can be delivered via email, Peppol, or directly in Banqup, depending on what the recipient uses. This keeps delivery flexible and clear.
Automatic numbering:
Banqup supports automatic numbering for self-billing documents, giving each invoice and credit note a unique reference automatically. Critically for VAT compliance, you can create a specific numbering sequence for this, which is kept separate from your regular sales invoices, in line with the agreements with the recipient. This ensures your self-billing documents are well-organized and easily auditable in your accounting.
Sending and receiving via Peppol:
Banqup is connected to the Peppol network, allowing you to electronically send and receive self-billing documents with partners connected to Peppol. This makes it easy to comply with invoicing requirements in Belgium.
Take a look at the related Help article.
Conclusion
Self-billing via Peppol is a powerful solution for organizations looking to optimize, automate, and comply with international standards in their invoicing processes. By implementing this approach, companies benefit from increased efficiency, lower costs, and maximum compliance. To learn more about Peppol, consult the full guide on Peppol and e-invoicing here.
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