Vision 2030: mandatory e-invoicing approaches

With the introduction of mandatory e-invoicing in Belgium fast approaching, the dust is quickly settling. Looking beyond that first deadline, time is running out for what is still to follow as well.

With less than a year to go until the deadline, several companies are getting nervous. As of 2026, e-invoicing will be mandatory in Belgium, alongside many other European countries. Moreover, those looking to the future know that Near-Real Time Reporting is on its way by 2028, with a general European obligation for e-invoicing according to the ViDA standard by 2030.

ViDA?

Belgium, of course, is not alone in its digitization efforts. The entire EU needs to be ready for VAT in the Digital Age (ViDA) by 2030 – the aspiration of the European Economic and Financial Affairs Council (ECOFIN) to not only digitize, but also coordinate these efforts across the union to encourage conformity and prevent excesses.

In other words, companies operating internationally have a lot of work ahead of them: they need to look for solutions that align them with the local implementation of ViDA in every market where they operate with a VAT number. E-invoicing and e-reporting are already active today in Italy, France, Poland, Germany and Romania, among others.

Some 1.2 million VAT numbers are active in Belgium. It is estimated that only 25% of these companies today are ready for the challenges posed by future VAT obligations. This means that as many as 75% are looking at a year full of headaches and regulatory stress. Those who are not yet working on their own implementation risk missing the beat.

8 years of implementation experience

Those who want to ensure a correct implementation should look for a partner with the right experience and expertise. Arco has been working on the development of international e-invoicing since 2017. Over the past eight years, we gained experience with application areas in different countries, which means teething problems have now been completely eliminated.

This makes the Arco solution a future-proof, scalable and flexible answer to the challenges companies will face in the coming years. Arco also offers customers the ability to link approval flows for RFPs and bids, in addition to standard ten-year archiving capabilities.

Contact an Arco expert to discuss the best options for your organization. Together, we will explore what steps your company needs to take to be ready for the transition and how Arco Information can provide the necessary support.