How long can I wait before I send my invoice?

And what are the consequences of sending an invoice too late?

When do you send your invoice, after having delivered a product or service? You can't wait indefinitely, but drawing up an invoice after each sale is not always efficient either. What term is acceptable, when are you really too late and what are the consequences? You can read all about it here.

How long can I wait before I send my invoice

What does the law say about the invoicing period?

According to the law, you have to send an invoice at the latest on the '15th calendar day of the month following the delivery or the provision of services'. But when your invoice contains VAT, a different rule applies. The VAT legislation states that you should send an invoice as soon as you have to pay your VAT on it. Within 5 working days following the month in which you delivered a product or service, that is. 

 

When do I send my invoices in practice?

Usually, many companies send their invoices at the end of each month. Legally, this is not a problem as long as you send your invoices within a reasonable period of time after the delivery or service. But be aware that a judge may consider an excessively long period of time for invoicing to be suspicious in the event of disputes concerning collection. You want to avoid that! 
 

Invoiced too late. What are the consequences?

When you send your invoice late, you risk a fine. For a first offence, this will be between 50 and 500 euros. The second time, the fine will be a maximum of EUR 1,250. If you continue to send invoices outside the legal invoicing terms, you will be fined between EUR 250 and EUR 5,000 for each late invoice.


So it is important to be quick. Also because invoices sent quickly are usually paid faster.
 

Have your invoices already been sent, but still not paid? 

Then you can call on Unpaid! In a few minutes you can start up a claim to receive your hard-earned money as soon as possible. And all that without the intervention of a lawyer or court:

Ready to start collecting?

Enter your VAT number and we will handle the rest.

Would you first like some more information? Feel free to call us at +32 9/396.34.00 or email us at info@unpaid.be.