UBL stands for Universal Business Language, a standard language for exchanging electronic documents, such as invoices. It is a file in XML format and has .xml as its file extension.
The UBL invoice contains all the information that a normal PDF invoice contains, but in a structured and fixed format. That means you can always find specific information in the same place on the invoice. These UBL invoices are XML files with an optional embedded PDF.
Because it uses a standard format, it is easy to read and process data in an accounting or financial system. An important prerequisite, however, is that both the supplier's and customer's systems support sending and processing UBL invoices.
Cost savings: You no longer waste time manually processing invoices.
More accurate: Because e-invoices are booked automatically and you no longer have to retype invoices, the chance of human error is virtually zero.
Faster payment: UBL invoices are immediately ready as booking proposals to the customer, making them paid faster.
If your current system does not offer this capability, it is always possible to do so using a Peppol Access Point Service provider, such as IxorDocs. You can send and receive UBL invoices via API and IxorDocs' e-invoicing portal.
IxorDocs supports both sending and receiving UBL documents. Because IxorDocs has its own recognition system, we can also convert documents received as PDF to UBL. You can also download the UBL and send it to your accounting package.
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<Invoice xmlns="urn:oasis:names:specification:ubl:schema:xsd:Invoice-2"
xmlns:cac="urn:oasis:names:specification:ubl:schema:xsd:CommonAggregateComponents-2"
xmlns:cbc="urn:oasis:names:specification:ubl:schema:xsd:CommonBasicComponents-2"
xmlns:ext="urn:oasis:names:specification:ubl:schema:xsd:CommonExtensionComponents-2">
<cbc:CustomizationID>urn:cen.eu:en16931:2017#compliant#urn:fdc:peppol.eu:2017:poacc:billing:3.0</cbc:CustomizationID>
<cbc:ProfileID>urn:fdc:peppol.eu:2017:poacc:billing:01:1.0</cbc:ProfileID>
<cbc:ID>2021006</cbc:ID>
<cbc:IssueDate>2021-06-17</cbc:IssueDate>
<cbc:DueDate>2021-07-17</cbc:DueDate>
<cbc:InvoiceTypeCode>380</cbc:InvoiceTypeCode>
<cbc:DocumentCurrencyCode>EUR</cbc:DocumentCurrencyCode>
<cac:OrderReference>
<cbc:ID>123</cbc:ID>
</cac:OrderReference>
<cac:AdditionalDocumentReference>
<cbc:ID>invoice.pdf</cbc:ID>
<cbc:DocumentDescription>CommercialInvoice</cbc:DocumentDescription>
<cac:Attachment></cac:Attachment>
</cac:AdditionalDocumentReference>
<cac:AccountingSupplierParty>
<cac:Party>
<cbc:EndpointID schemeID="0208">0478493179</cbc:EndpointID>
<cac:PartyIdentification>
<cbc:ID>test</cbc:ID>
</cac:PartyIdentification>
<cac:PartyName>
<cbc:Name>IXOR</cbc:Name>
</cac:PartyName>
<cac:PostalAddress>
<cbc:StreetName>Schuttersvest 75</cbc:StreetName>
<cbc:CityName>Mechelen</cbc:CityName>
<cbc:PostalZone>2800</cbc:PostalZone>
<cac:Country>
<cbc:IdentificationCode>BE</cbc:IdentificationCode>
</cac:Country>
</cac:PostalAddress>
<cac:PartyTaxScheme>
<cbc:CompanyID>BE0478493179</cbc:CompanyID>
<cac:TaxScheme>
<cbc:ID>VAT</cbc:ID>
</cac:TaxScheme>
</cac:PartyTaxScheme>
<cac:PartyLegalEntity>
<cbc:RegistrationName>IXOR</cbc:RegistrationName>
</cac:PartyLegalEntity>
<cac:Contact>
<cbc:ElectronicMail>info@ixordocs.com</cbc:ElectronicMail>
</cac:Contact>
</cac:Party>
</cac:AccountingSupplierParty>
<cac:AccountingCustomerParty>
<cac:Party>
<cbc:EndpointID schemeID="0208">0478493179</cbc:EndpointID>
<cac:PartyName>
<cbc:Name>IXOR </cbc:Name>
</cac:PartyName>
<cac:PostalAddress>
<cbc:StreetName>Schuttersvest 75</cbc:StreetName>
<cbc:CityName>Mechelen</cbc:CityName>
<cbc:PostalZone>2800</cbc:PostalZone>
<cac:Country>
<cbc:IdentificationCode>BE</cbc:IdentificationCode>
</cac:Country>
</cac:PostalAddress>
<cac:PartyTaxScheme>
<cbc:CompanyID>BE0478493179</cbc:CompanyID>
<cac:TaxScheme>
<cbc:ID>VAT</cbc:ID>
</cac:TaxScheme>
</cac:PartyTaxScheme>
<cac:PartyLegalEntity>
<cbc:RegistrationName>IXOR</cbc:RegistrationName>
</cac:PartyLegalEntity>
</cac:Party>
</cac:AccountingCustomerParty>
<cac:PaymentMeans>
<cbc:PaymentMeansCode>58</cbc:PaymentMeansCode>
<cac:PayeeFinancialAccount>
<cbc:ID>BE19001288306712</cbc:ID>
<cac:FinancialInstitutionBranch>
<cbc:ID>GEBABEBB</cbc:ID>
</cac:FinancialInstitutionBranch>
</cac:PayeeFinancialAccount>
</cac:PaymentMeans>
<cac:TaxTotal>
<cbc:TaxAmount currencyID="EUR">21.00</cbc:TaxAmount>
<cac:TaxSubtotal>
<cbc:TaxableAmount currencyID="EUR">100.00</cbc:TaxableAmount>
<cbc:TaxAmount currencyID="EUR">21.00</cbc:TaxAmount>
<cac:TaxCategory>
<cbc:ID>S</cbc:ID>
<cbc:Percent>21.0</cbc:Percent>
<cac:TaxScheme>
<cbc:ID>VAT</cbc:ID>
</cac:TaxScheme>
</cac:TaxCategory>
</cac:TaxSubtotal>
</cac:TaxTotal>
<cac:LegalMonetaryTotal>
<cbc:LineExtensionAmount currencyID="EUR">100.00</cbc:LineExtensionAmount>
<cbc:TaxExclusiveAmount currencyID="EUR">100.00</cbc:TaxExclusiveAmount>
<cbc:TaxInclusiveAmount currencyID="EUR">121.00</cbc:TaxInclusiveAmount>
<cbc:PrepaidAmount currencyID="EUR">0.00</cbc:PrepaidAmount>
<cbc:PayableRoundingAmount currencyID="EUR">0.00</cbc:PayableRoundingAmount>
<cbc:PayableAmount currencyID="EUR">121.00</cbc:PayableAmount>
</cac:LegalMonetaryTotal>
<cac:InvoiceLine>
<cbc:ID>1</cbc:ID>
<cbc:InvoicedQuantity unitCode="C62">1.0</cbc:InvoicedQuantity>
<cbc:LineExtensionAmount currencyID="EUR">100.00</cbc:LineExtensionAmount>
<cac:Item>
<cbc:Name>* Mei 2023</cbc:Name>
<cac:ClassifiedTaxCategory>
<cbc:ID>S</cbc:ID>
<cbc:Percent>21.0</cbc:Percent>
<cac:TaxScheme>
<cbc:ID>VAT</cbc:ID>
</cac:TaxScheme>
</cac:ClassifiedTaxCategory>
</cac:Item>
<cac:Price>
<cbc:PriceAmount currencyID="EUR">100.0</cbc:PriceAmount>
</cac:Price>
</cac:InvoiceLine>
</Invoice>
Peppol BIS (Business Interoperability Specification) are a set of technical specifications designed to enable seamless and interoperable document exchange within the Peppol network.
Through the Peppol network you can, in addition to invoices, also exchange response messages with your customers or your suppliers. There are two types of response messages, namely IMR and MLR.
Hermes is a web application developed on behalf of BOSA. Thanks to Hermes, suppliers can send structured electronic invoices to all their Belgian clients, even those who cannot yet process these electronic invoices automatically.
To send an invoice through Peppol, create an account with a Peppol Access Point provider. You know your customer's Peppol identification (PEPPOL ID). You provide your provider with the structured electronic invoice. Your provider delivers your e-invoice to your customer's Peppol Access Point. Your client receives your invoice.
As the name suggests, a Peppol Access Point is your gateway to the Peppol network. It's a service you purchase from a service provider, such as IxorDocs (a certified Peppol Access Point). By using a certified Peppol Access Point, you can easily and securely send and receive e-invoices to and from any organization connected to the Peppol network, regardless of country or industry.
A Peppol ID is a unique number combination just like your phone number in the telecom network. It consists of a Scheme ID (country code) and Participant ID (organization number). In Belgium mainly the KBO number is used as the organization number, in the Netherlands the KVK number. With this number, your organization can be found in the Peppol network and you can safely and efficiently receive and send e-invoices.
Peppol is a secure, international network that allows companies to exchange electronic documents with anyone registered in the network. Peppol stands for Pan-European Public Procurement On-Line.
E-invoicing is the process of automatically creating, sending, receiving and processing invoices in a structured digital format, such as UBL (Universal Business Language). These digital invoices can be transferred directly and securely from one financial system to another, minimizing human intervention and errors. E-invoicing is increasingly becoming the norm in Europe, governments and European institutions are taking strategic initiatives to encourage e-invoicing.
