The Peppol mandate arrives in March. Here's what service providers need to know

Peppol mandate hits in March 2026. Legal requirements, compliance steps, and the advisory opportunity for accountants, lawyers, and consultants.

The deadline is approaching. So is your opportunity.

It's February 2026. In a few weeks, on March 1st, the way companies invoice each other across Europe changes forever. All B2B businesses will be required to send and receive electronic invoices via the Peppol network. No paper. No unstructured PDFs. No exceptions. This is no longer guidance. This is law.

If you're an accountant, lawyer, consultant, or IT service provider supporting small and mid-market enterprises, this moment is yours to claim. This article explains why.

What is Peppol, and why does it matter?

Peppol stands for Pan-European Public Procurement On-Line. In practice, it means this. Companies can no longer send invoices as paper or unstructured PDFs. Invoices must now be fully electronic and "structured." Machine-readable. Numbers in their proper places. Amounts in standard format. VAT numbers, tax rates, bank details. Everything in the same way, every time.

This structure is called EN 16931. Peppol is the network that safely and reliably moves these invoices from sender to receiver. Why Peppol? Because it's secure, traceable, and directly connected to tax systems. No errors. No manual entry. No fraud. This is mandatory digital transformation.

How this affects your clients

Let's get concrete. From March 1st, 2026, this applies to all B2B businesses across the EU. That covers almost every enterprise. The legal foundation: EU Directive 2014/55/EU, known as the eInvoicing Directive. Every EU country has implemented this in domestic law.

What does this mean in practice? Companies can no longer send traditional paper invoices for B2B transactions. PDF invoices between businesses are now obsolete for regulatory compliance. They must have a Peppol provider or participate in Peppol directly. Their accounting software and ERP systems need upgrades. They must format invoices correctly according to EN 16931 standard.

Many companies don't yet understand this. They don't know they need to register. They don't know which provider to choose. They don't know what it will cost. And they don't know that penalties for non-compliance are substantial.

The business opportunity embedded in compliance

This uncertainty is your raw material. That confusion. That regulatory requirement. That tight deadline. That's what you can turn into advisory revenue. Accountants, lawyers, IT consultants, and compliance specialists can now position themselves as Peppol experts. This is a service every business needs. This is something you can sell.

Think about companies in your network who don't yet know this is coming. You can now frame their problem. Build their roadmap. Guide their implementation. Integrate their systems. This is advisory. This is recurring revenue. This is the difference between 'we offer services' and 'we solve problems.'

The practical requirements: what you need to know

Let's get technical. But only as much as needed. The standard: Invoices must comply with EN 16931. This is European. This is universal. It makes invoices machine-readable and automatable.

The network: Peppol is the network carrying these invoices. It's decentralized. It's secure. It uses digital signatures. Both sender and receiver are verified.

Access options: Companies can participate two ways. Directly via a Peppol Access Point (complex, requires technical setup). Via a Peppol Service Provider (much simpler, subscription model). Most SMBs choose the second option.

Software requirements: Their accounting software, ERP system, invoicing tool. All must be Peppol-compatible. Many modern systems already support this. Older systems may not.

Tactical steps for service providers right now

You have a few weeks. What do you do? Step 1: Get educated. Read up. Understand Peppol, understand EN 16931, understand the regulatory landscape.

Step 2: Know which providers exist. Major players: Qvalia, Peppol Bis, Vertex, EDICOM. Smaller regional providers. Know who does what.

Step 3: Build a readiness checklist. For your clients: Do they have Peppol-compatible software? Have they set up a Peppol account? Have they trained their team? This becomes your advisory toolkit.

Step 4: Create a timeline. For those not ready this month: what's the recovery plan? For those already upgrading: what are the next milestones?

Step 5: Position yourself publicly. A blog post. A LinkedIn article. A webinar. 'What Peppol means for your business.' This attracts the right audience.

The compliance piece: what you cannot miss

Non-compliant companies face real consequences. Tax authorities across the EU can impose penalties for non-compliance with Peppol requirements. These are not small amounts. These are operational penalties for businesses that fail to send invoices through Peppol.

Where you make money: the advisory angle

Back to your advantage. These are the conversations you can have now. 'You need to be ready by March 1st. Here are your options.' 'Your software isn't compatible. Here are the alternatives and their costs.' 'Your team needs training. Let's arrange it.' These are consulting engagements. These are implementation projects. These are workshops. These are training sessions. These are provider referrals. These are long-term relationships.

This is advisory. This is value. This is your advantage. Peppol is a compliance requirement. For service providers who see it coming, it's also a business opportunity.

Further reading

• Official Belgian e-Invoicing Portal
• EDICOM: Belgium B2B E-Invoicing
• ING Belgium: Peppol Mandatory
• Marosa VAT: Complete Belgium E-invoicing Guide
• Qvalia Belgium E-invoicing Superguide
• Vertex: 2026 Belgium E-Invoicing Mandate
• Fiskaly: Belgium B2B E-Invoicing Mandate 2026
• EU Digital Building Blocks - eInvoicing in Belgium