E-invoicing: Stop the Panic and the Commercial Pressure!

As the deadline approaches (for Belgium and France), e-invoicing is generating growing concern among business leaders. Between vague communication, fear-driven messaging, technical jargon, and pressure driven by hidden commercial interests, it’s becoming harder and harder to navigate.

Yet it is possible to approach this transition with peace of mind, provided you get the right guidance. At Simpleter, we firmly believe this: e-invoicing should never become a burden, let alone a source of stress.

First, let’s bring some clarity

The reform simply requires all businesses to send and receive structured electronic invoices (UBL, Factur-X, CII, etc.), relying on the European PEPPOL infrastructure to transmit these invoices.

In France, this transmission will go through approved platforms (the well-known “PA’s”), certified intermediaries that send invoices to the government and between businesses.

For large companies, the deadline is set for September 2026. For smaller companies, it will be September 2027. And for Belgian companies, the change begins January 1st, 2026.

But rest assured: all these formats and all these PA platforms are interoperable. Your invoices can be received and processed by any PA. Solutions already exist that let everyone keep their existing business software while remaining fully compliant.

The illusion of PA diversity: a well-kept secret

What most vendors do not clearly explain is that many PA platforms sold by software providers are actually white-label interfaces, that means PA services rebranded under their own name but technically powered by a third party.

A white-label PA means the vendor does not operate its own certified infrastructure, but instead relies on someone else’s. Vendors rarely disclose that they use a white-label PA from another provider.

The French tax authority (DGFiP – Direction Générale des Finances Publiques) even specifies on its website that it makes no distinction between direct technical PA and white-label PA in its official registry.

This means software vendors may appear as PA providers even though they rely entirely on another company’s infrastructure.

The result? You’re led to believe that there are dozens of distinct solutions… while the data actually flows through the same pipes!

This can lead to additional costs, technical dependency, and sometimes even the requirement to use a specific accounting software just to access the PA.

Another thing no one tells you: you may already be compliant—without buying a PA or an accounting tool!

If your business software (such as Simpleter) can already send and receive invoices in the correct format, you are likely already compliant with the reform without changing a thing.

Why? Because 95% of small and mid-sized businesses work with an external accountant. Companies can delegate invoice transmission to their accountant, as every accountant must be connected to an official PA to continue operating.

So your invoices—sent from your business tool in the correct format—arrive directly to them, without you having to do anything more.

With Simpleter, no tricks or hidden catches:

•  You keep your existing business ERP
•  Your accountant keeps his/her own accounting software and PA
•  And invoices are exchanged in a standard format, without friction

A quick note on commercial pressure

Many accounting software vendors have registered as PA providers, most of them through white-label arrangements.

These vendors heavily encourage accountants to recommend their solution to their customers, often offering commissions or financial incentives for each new customer.

This creates commercial pressure on businesses, who are presented with bundled offers (software + PA), even though they may not need any of it if they use an ERP like Simpleter.

The Simpleter promise: zero stress, zero dependency

Our ERP already supports the electronic UBL-format required by the reform.

Our Belgian customers will be affected as early as January 1st, 2026, which is why our ERP is already fully ready. We’ve tested everything, validated everything, automated everything.

So why wait to get peace of mind?

To put it simply

•  You send and receive your invoices in UBL format directly through your Simpleter business software
•  Simpleter automatically transmits the invoices in the correct format to your external accountant via their PA, even if you don’t have a PA yourself
•  You are already compliant, without purchasing your accountant’s accounting software or PA!

Simpleter: e-invoicing… made simple.

Want to talk about it? Contact us at www.simpleter.fr/enor follow our updates on LinkedIn.