UBL and Peppol: what they are and how they relate.
Three terms keep coming back in e-invoicing: UBL, Peppol and EN 16931. They are a format, a network and a standard.
UBL: the format
UBL (Universal Business Language) is an open XML format for business documents. A UBL invoice holds the same information as a paper invoice, but in named fields: seller, buyer, lines, VAT per rate, totals, payment details. Because the fields are fixed, software can read the invoice without a person.
EN 16931: the standard
EN 16931 is the European standard for the content of an e-invoice. It lists the fields an invoice must or may have and the rules they must obey, for example that the line totals add up to the document total and that every VAT category has a valid reason. An invoice can be written in UBL or in a second syntax called CII.
Peppol: the network
Peppol is a network over which companies and governments exchange documents. Each participant is connected through a certified access point and has an identifier, often based on a company registration or VAT number. An invoice sent over Peppol must follow the profile Peppol BIS Billing 3.0, which is UBL filled in according to EN 16931 plus a few Peppol rules.
How they fit together
- EN 16931 says what must be in the invoice.
- UBL is the file it is written in.
- Peppol BIS Billing 3.0 is the exact way to fill in that file for the Peppol network.
- Peppol is one way to deliver it.
What erpsoftware.app does
Every sales invoice is created as UBL 2.1 in the Peppol BIS Billing 3.0 profile, next to the PDF. The output is tested against the UBL schema and the EN 16931 rules for domestic, intra-EU, reverse-charge and export invoices. You can download the file or send it along with the invoice.
Questions and answers
Is UBL the same as Peppol?
No. UBL is a file format. Peppol is a network for delivering documents, with its own rules about how a UBL invoice must be filled in (Peppol BIS Billing 3.0).
What is EN 16931?
The European standard that defines which information an e-invoice must contain and how totals and VAT must add up. UBL is one of the two syntaxes it allows.
What is a Peppol access point?
A certified service provider that connects a company to the Peppol network, comparable to a telecom provider for phone calls.
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