This FAQ answers common questions about how Peppol works and about enabling Peppol in Teamleader Focus, whilst also answering questions about sending and receiving invoices through Peppol in Teamleader Focus. 

• General
• Registering on Peppol
• Sending e-invoices
• Receiving e-invoices
• Bookkeeping
• Archive/delete company entity or downgrade/churn

General

What does e-invoicing mean?
With e-invoicing, you invoice by means of an invoice in UBL format. This invoice is sent via the Peppol network. 
 

Is e-invoicing mandatory?
E-invoicing is mandatory in Belgium for both B2G and B2B transactions. The rest of the EU will soon follow, as e-invoicing should be the norm in the EU by 2030.
 

How do I create a UBL invoice?
Specific invoicing software does that for you. That software converts what you have on your invoice to the right format that can be read by Peppol and other invoicing software that can receive e-invoices, among others.
 

As a Belgian company, do I need to send invoices to other countries via Peppol?
No. The legal mandate only applies to invoices sent to other Belgian companies (B2B) or the Belgian government (B2G). For customers in other countries, you can still use regular email.

However, Peppol remains an option for international invoices if your customer is also on the network. For example, if you have a Belgian entity in Teamleader Focus, you can send e-invoices via Peppol to Dutch or Luxembourg government agencies or companies. This for example avoids the need to manually upload documents to foreign government portals.
 

As a non-Belgian company, do I need to send invoices via Peppol to my BE customers? 

For B2B: No. If your company is not established in Belgium, you are not legally required to use Peppol. You can continue to send invoices to your Belgian customers via email.
Note: If you have a Dutch or Luxembourg company entity in Teamleader Focus and have enabled Peppol, you can still choose to send them via Peppol though for better automation.
 

For B2G: Yes. If you send invoices to the Belgian, Dutch or Luxembourg government, then you either:

• Need to send it via Peppol, which is only possible if you send it from a Dutch or Luxembourg company entity in your Teamleader Focus account;

• or upload it manually if you're not able to send it through Peppol via Teamleader Focus.

  • If you need to send an invoice to the Belgian government, you can manually create your invoice in Mercurius platform.
  • If you need to send an invoice to the Dutch government, you can manually upload your invoices for the Dutch government via the portal of the ‘Rijksoverheid’.
     

As a Belgian company, I only invoice to customers (B2C), not businesses. Does the Belgian e-invoicing ruling apply to me?

Yes, because the ruling also applies not only to sending but also to receiving invoices. You will also have to receive e-invoices via Peppol from your Belgian suppliers. So even if you only send invoices to non-business customers, you’ll also need a way to receive your B2B invoices via Peppol. 

However, your invoices to non-B2B customers can’t go via Peppol. These still need to be regular PDFs or on paper.
 

For which Teamleader Focus packages is sending and receiving e-invoices available?

Sending invoices via Peppol is available for all packages.

Receiving invoices via Peppol is also available for all packages but the only exception are users of the SMART package.
 

Is there an extra cost related to e-invoicing?

No. It’s a regulation that our customers need to comply with. We just want all of our (potential) customers to have the best experience in complying with the law. That’s why we try to make it as easy as possible for them. Let us do the heavy lifting.
 

Is Teamleader Focus also compliant for Peppol in other countries e.g. Italy? 

No, Italy does not use Peppol for its e-invoices. And even if other countries do use Peppol, there are subtle differences per country. We’ll keep you posted on which countries are next.
 

Registering on Peppol

What does Peppol registration mean and is it the same as connecting to Peppol?

No - You can send invoices using different software tools by connecting to Peppol.
However, you can only register for receiving with one software tool. When you register, you indicate that you want to receive your invoices in that tool. In Teamleader Focus, this is currently only possible for Belgian and Luxembourg company entities. 
 

How can my suppliers know I’m registered on Peppol and how can they find me? 

They can find you based on your KBO number (BCE in Wallonia). Your KBO number in Belgium is your VAT number without the “BE” (so only the numbers). Via the website peppolscanner.be they can also check if and where you're registered on Peppol.
 

How do I know if my customer is registered on Peppol?

Teamleader Focus knows. We will look for your customer in the Peppol database. If your customer is registered on Peppol, Teamleader Focus will give you the option to send your e-invoice via the Peppol network.

If they’re not (yet) registered on Peppol, you can still send your invoice via the regular channels (post, email…)

Know that you can also check for yourself if a company is already registered on Peppol via the website peppolscanner.be. 

What if I want to send an invoice via Peppol but my customer isn't registered on Peppol yet?
If your customer is not (yet) registered on Peppol, you won’t be able to select Peppol as a sending option in Teamleader Focus. In that case, you are allowed to send the invoice via another channel, such as email.

Belgian customers who are not compliant after 01/01/2026 risk financial penalties:

• €1,500 for a first offence
• €3,000 for a second offence
• €5,000 for each subsequent offence
   

There is a three-month grace period between offences. After that, any new offence will result in a higher fine.
 

Best practice in this situation:

• Check with your customer whether it’s correct that they are not registered on Peppol yet (they may have a different Peppol ID).
• Inform them that Peppol registration is mandatory.
• Ask when they expect to be registered, so you can send future invoices via Peppol.
• Clearly state in your email that the invoice is sent via email because the customer is not registered on Peppol yet, so you have proof as a supplier.

Can I register multiple entities with the same VAT number?

You can register one company entity with a unique KBO or VAT number to both send and receive invoices via Peppol. However, if other entities share the same KBO or VAT number, they can only be registered for sending invoices. 
If such a sending-only entity receives a response to an invoice it sent through Peppol, the response will still be correctly linked to the original invoice—even though that entity isn’t registered for receiving.

Sending e-invoices

Can I send Peppol invoices via Teamleader Focus but receive Peppol invoices somewhere else?

Yes, that’s possible. You can send from multiple instances if you want, but you can only receive at one place (similar to your home address). However, it’s always better to have everything in one place, is it not?
 

I made a mistake after sending my invoice via Peppol (forgot PO number, wrong address, etc.. ). Can I edit it and send it again via Peppol?

Peppol does not allow the same invoice to be sent twice with the same number as the invoice is already processed by the other company’s software. You need to make a credit note, copy the original invoice, update it to fix the mistakes and send the new one via Peppol. 
 

What if I need to send an invoice reminder?

You can’t send an invoice reminder through Peppol. If your customer did not pay, you can send an email reminder repeating the original invoice was sent via Peppol, and you can include the original invoice as a PDF.
 

Can I also send Peppol invoices to the government via Teamleader Focus (B2G)?
Yes! Teamleader Focus is equipped to identify government entities in Belgium and the Netherlands, allowing you to send invoices directly through the Peppol network.

• Belgium: For a Belgian entity invoicing the Belgian government, using Peppol is mandatory. Teamleader Focus ensures your invoices reach the Mercurius portal automatically.

• The Netherlands & Luxembourg: While manual portals exist, sending via Peppol through Teamleader Focus is the preferred and most efficient method for these government agencies as well.
   

What for invoices that are sent automatically via subscriptions?

Invoices that are sent automatically via subscriptions will also automatically be sent via Peppol if this option is enabled. Read all about that here.

What if I receive an error message after sending?

You may get a message after sending a Peppol invoice that your invoice has been rejected for the following reason: ‘IO (97) must contain at least 8 numbers’. This is because you have not entered a purchase order number or PO number. 

1. Firstly, you need to enable this setting (Go to Settings > Revenue > Preferences > 'Use PO numbers on your invoices'). From now on, you will be able to enter a PO number when creating an invoice.
2. Secondly, you cannot edit an invoice and resend it via Peppol. Therefore you need to make a credit note of the already sent invoice, copy the original invoice, update it to enter the PO number and send the new one via Peppol.
    

I can't send my invoice because the delivery date is required?

Invoices with the VAT rate “Sales inside EU” or "Sales inside EU services" require a delivery date. This is a Peppol requirement.

You can fill in the delivery date of your invoice when creating or editing it, in the field 'Delivery date'.
On a subscription you can also set a delivery date by going to the Advanced options > 'Delivery information' > Set delivery date.


 

Receiving e-invoices

(not available in our SMART package and only available for Belgian and Luxembourg company entities)

Can I send Peppol invoices via Teamleader Focus but receive Peppol invoices somewhere else?

Yes, that’s possible. You can send from multiple instances if you want, but you can only receive at one place (similar to your home address). However, it’s always better to have everything in one place, is it not?

Can I link incoming invoices to projects?

Yes, you can link your incoming invoices or expenses to projects. Read all about it here.
 

Can I link incoming invoices to orders?

Not yet, but this is something we will expand upon when we continue working on costs in general.
 

Can I pay incoming invoices via Teamleader Focus?
At this point in time, no. We will be working on a solution for this though. In the meantime you can work with Ponto to set your invoices to paid in Teamleader Focus.
 

Bookkeeping

Can I still send my outgoing invoices to my bookkeeping tool via Teamleader Focus?

You can still sync outgoing invoices to your bookkeeping software via Teamleader Focus (if you have an integration), even if they are sent via Peppol.
 

Can I send incoming invoices to my bookkeeping software?

Yes, it is possible to send incoming invoices through your bookkeeping tool via one of the integrations of our Accounting connector Booster. You can also send your expenses manually though via the button Send to bookkeeper.
 

Archive/delete company entity or downgrade/churn

What happens if I archive/delete my company entity?

If you archive or delete one or more company entities, you will be deregistered from Peppol for the VAT and KBO numbers linked to that entity.
 

What happens if I downgrade to the SMART package and can't receive e-invoices anymore? 

You will no longer be able to receive e-invoices via Peppol. This means you'll loose access to the module 'Expenses' and thus also to the e-invoices you received.
 

What happens if I stop using Teamleader Focus?

If you decide to stop using Teamleader Focus, we will deregister you from Peppol. You will no longer receive invoices via Peppol, so you’ll need to reregister in another software.