Invoices to other companies may no longer be sent in paper form or as a PDF by e-mail. So they no longer end up in the mailbox. As a result, e-invoices are remarkably often paid late. The period is up to 14 days, compared to 10 days by email.
Every company, no matter how small, is now required to invoice other companies via the Peppol network. Electronic invoicing has been mandatory in Belgium since 1 January for all transactions between companies. This administration must go through the Peppol network, a secure network for exchanging electronic documents. But you must avoid that invoices' disappear 'in a digital mailbox. That's where things are difficult today.

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Unpaid foreign invoices have a direct impact on your cash flow, working capital and credit risk. Fast and cost-efficient recovery is therefore essential. Fortunately, there are procedures within Europe that allow you to obtain an enforceable title without a classic, time-consuming lawsuit.

Below you will find the practical step-by-step plan and the right choices for each situation.

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Als ondernemer is het essentieel om aandacht te besteden aan ontvangen facturen. Wordt een factuur niet tijdig betwist, dan wordt ze vermoed aanvaard te zijn (art. 8.11 BW). In de praktijk betekent dit dat een laattijdig protest zelden wordt aanvaard en de betaling doorgaans afdwingbaar blijft. Toch zijn er uitzonderingen en nuancepunten die u als financieel professional moet kennen.

You will receive an invoice from a supplier for a delivery four years ago. Isn't that a bit long ago, do you still have to pay for it? What exactly does that work and what did the judge think of it in the end?

No news, good news!

The law states that any undisputed invoice can be considered an accepted invoice and must therefore be paid by the customer. At least if you invoice a company, because different principles apply to invoices to private individuals. However, traders must protest the invoice in question within a reasonable period of time if they plan not to pay it.

Exactly what that reasonable period entails is not specified, but in practice, a period of approximately 2 weeks after receipt of the invoice is considered fair for timely protest (slightly longer for complex invoices).

The dispute can also take place in various ways, for example by registered mail or by e-mail. In any case, it's not a bad thing to mention in your Terms and Conditions how and when customers can protest invoices.

So far the formalities, but what if your customer disputes your invoice?

A customer asks you to credit your invoice to them and send a new invoice to their company. Or someone else pays your customer's invoice. Is there something wrong with that? What points of attention should you take into account?

One of your customers is not paying their bills and is in bad financial condition due to the ongoing coronavirus crisis. You are therefore considering having his goods seized quickly. However, does that make sense and, by the way, won't there be a new 'ceasefire' for bankruptcies anyway?

When you land a large order for a new customer, you naturally want to make sure that payment is made correctly. Under the guise “trust is good, but control is better”, it's best to ask for an advance just to be on the safe side. But is that possible just like that? Are there certain limits that you should respect? And why is it important to explicitly include such an advance in your contracts?

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A customer does not pay a small invoice. However, you are wary of the costs of a lawyer. So you can't go to court yourself, without the intervention of a lawyer? How do you proceed with this?