Luxembourg adopts electronic invoice

Luxembourg is another European country that is beginning the transition towards electronic invoicing. Local public entities are already requesting electronic invoices from all their customers through the Peppol network. We’ll tell you everything you need to know to send an electronic invoice to Luxembourg correctly, as the regulations apply to both local and foreign companies.

Electronic invoice in Luxembourg

As is happening in many European countries (Sweden, Belgium, Germany, etc.) and increasingly globally (New Zealand, Australia, Singapore, Japan, etc.), local authorities in Luxembourg have decided to implement electronic invoicing with the standards and use of the Peppol network. Invoices must be issued and received in structured electronic format, using standards and formats that comply with the requirements established by European legislation. A specific type of XML format (eXtensible Markup Language) is used that allows the transfer of structured data between computer systems. We’ll talk about the exact format (UBL format) later on.

Electronic invoice regulations

Electronic invoicing in Luxembourg is regulated by the European Directive 2014/55/EU on electronic invoicing in public procurement. This law defines the technical, legal, and operational conditions that electronic invoices must comply with in European Union countries.

Since 2022, electronic invoicing has been progressively introduced throughout the country for B2G (Business to Government) transactions. These are the dates and companies affected:

Since May 18, 2022, large companies are required to send electronic invoices to their public customers.
Since October 18, 2022, medium-sized companies are required to send electronic invoices to their public customers.
Since March 18, 2023, all companies in the country are required to send electronic invoices to their public customers.

On the part of public organizations, since 2020 all public entities (including municipal and local organizations) are required to have the capacity to receive and process invoices in structured electronic format.

As a result, at present, any provider to the Public Administration of Luxembourg must issue electronic invoices through the Peppol network for them to be processed and accepted. This is important as this regulation affects both local and foreign companies, and Luxembourg’s public entities no longer accept invoices in PDF format via email.

How to send an electronic invoice to Luxembourg through Peppol?

As previously mentioned, Luxembourg has adopted the electronic invoice by implementing the standards and procedures of the Peppol network. This means that if you want to send an electronic invoice to a government entity, it is essential that you know and comply with the following requirements so that your invoice is processed correctly.

Certified Peppol Access Point

As dictated by the European directive on electronic invoicing, all European Union member countries must have the ability to manage the exchange of electronic invoices through the Peppol (Pan-European Public Procurement Online) network.

For a company to be able to exchange electronic documents through Peppol, it is essential to meet an important requirement: to be registered with a certified Peppol Access Point. This provides secure access to the environment, allowing the exchange of electronic documents that comply with the requirements and standards of the recipient.

If you need to manage the sending of electronic invoices through this network, it is important to work with a service provider that is a certified Peppol Access Point to access this environment.

UBL format

To send an electronic invoice to a public entity in Luxembourg, it is necessary for the sender to generate and send the invoice in XML format of the UBL (Universal Business Language) type. This structured electronic format was developed by OASIS Open.

Receiver’s Peppol Id

The Peppol Id is an identifier that facilitates the location and connection of companies within the Peppol environment. It works in a similar way to an email address. To ensure that the invoice is correctly addressed to the recipient, it is essential that the sender knows the recipient’s Peppol Id and that this identifier appears on the invoice. By ensuring this information on the invoice, its correct registration and processing by the receiving company are ensured.

In the B2Brouter directory, you can find Peppol identifiers and other data, for public entities in Luxembourg. Some examples:

Manage international invoice with B2Brouter

With B2Brouter, you can easily send electronic invoices to Luxembourg without having to worry about fundamental technical aspects, such as the appropriate invoice format, the proper sending method, and the correct routing code for the recipient. This way, you ensure that you meet all the necessary requirements efficiently and without unnecessary complications.

B2Brouter is a certified Peppol Access Point that allows you to manage all your electronic invoices through Peppol. It also enables you to send through other networks or use other sending methods, working with different formats such as UBL, Facturae or PDF. This way, you can manage all your invoices from the same platform:

With just a few simple steps, you can send international electronic invoices, including countries such as Luxembourg:

Register on B2Brouter.
Configure the Peppol KYC.
Create your client: You only need to add the receiver’s identifier. B2Brouter’s directory automatically provides you with your client’s tax data, configures the invoice format (UBL), the sending method (Peppol), and provides you with the correct routing code (Peppol ID of the recipient).
Create the invoice by entering the data in a form and send it by just pressing a button.

With B2Brouter, you can easily comply with the European electronic invoicing regulations, managing all your electronic invoices, both national and international, with public and private clients.

Furthermore, you can also integrate your management system or ERP with B2Brouter if you want to automate this entire process.