Fixed-price e-invoicing setup for micro-businesses in Belgium and Croatia

Domestic B2B e-invoicing on a standard electronic network is now mandatory in Belgium, and the rules carry penalties for non-compliance. Very small businesses still invoicing from spreadsheets, word processors or basic tools must switch, but most e-invoicing vendors and integrators target larger companies. Micro-businesses are left to pick a tool, connect it and test it on their own. Croatia appears to have a similar domestic B2B rule from 2026, but this is not yet verified with a cited source.

Who pays: Owners of micro-businesses (roughly 1–5 people) in Belgium, and possibly Croatia, who issue B2B invoices and are not yet set up properly. Examples include tradespeople, consultants, small agencies and small wholesalers. A secondary buyer is the small accounting firm that wants to refer clients for the technical setup without doing it themselves.

A fixed-price technical setup package. It covers: (1) a short intake call to review how the client invoices today; (2) a recommendation of an existing certified e-invoicing tool that fits their volume and budget, without acting as a network access point; (3) account setup and connection to their spreadsheet or accounting tool; (4) migration of their invoice template, customer list and numbering; (5) a live test invoice sent and received; (6) a one-page checklist for daily use. An optional yearly check-up reviews tool changes and new obligations. The service is strictly technical and gives no VAT-treatment or tax advice. Those questions are referred to the client's accountant.

• Intake call and a short written summary of the client's current invoicing setup
• Tool recommendation with a one-paragraph rationale (existing certified tools only)
• Configured e-invoicing account connected to the client's spreadsheet or accounting tool
• Migrated invoice template, customer list and invoice numbering
• One successfully sent and received test e-invoice, documented with a screenshot
• One-page checklist in the client's language for daily sending and receiving
• Optional: yearly check-up session and an updated checklist

A fixed-price setup for very small businesses facing a mandatory e-invoicing rule: choose a compliant e-invoicing tool, connect it to their existing spreadsheet or accounting tool, migrate their invoice template, send a test invoice and leave a one-page checklist, with an optional yearly check-up..

Today’s alternatives: Doing it themselves with a free or low-cost certified tool and the vendor's help pages. Asking their existing accountant, who may bundle setup or charge hourly. Using e-invoicing features offered by their bank or current accounting software. Hiring an enterprise integrator, which is usually oversized and too expensive for micro-businesses. Whether independent one-person setup services already exist locally in Dutch, French or Croatian has not been checked.

Keeps

The core mechanic: a fixed-price, technical-only setup for micro-businesses facing a mandatory e-invoicing rule. It ends with a tested invoice and a one-page checklist, plus an optional yearly check-up.

Changes

The service is delivered in Dutch, French or Croatian. It recommends tools certified for the local network and local rules. It frames the urgency around a mandate that is already live in Belgium rather than a phased rollout. It adds explicit referral of tax questions to accountants and a GDPR data processing agreement.

Not included

It does not provide VAT, tax or accounting advice. It does not operate as a certified network access point or build its own software. It does not file anything with tax authorities on the client's behalf.

Over about 10 days, one person builds a one-page offer in Dutch or French for Belgian micro-businesses. The page states the fixed price (for example €199), the scope (technical setup only, no tax advice) and a booking form. The founder sends personalised messages or emails to 50 micro-businesses, posts the offer in 3–5 local self-employed or small-business groups, and contacts 10 small accounting firms about referrals. Every contact and reply is logged in a spreadsheet. The founder delivers any paid setups using an existing certified tool's free or trial tier, with a simple data processing agreement signed before any client data is handled.

Continue if: Within 10 days, at least 3 businesses pay the fixed price or a deposit, shown by payment receipts. Alternatively, at least 10 qualified prospects book an intake call and at least 1 accounting firm agrees in writing to refer clients. Both outcomes can be checked in the contact log and payment records.

• The Belgian mandate is already in force, so many businesses may have switched already. The remaining market may be late adopters who are harder to reach or price-sensitive.
• Free or bundled tools from banks and accounting software vendors may make paid setup seem unnecessary.
• Accountants may offer the same setup themselves and act as competitors rather than referral partners.
• Clients may push for VAT or tax advice. Rules on unlicensed tax or accounting advice in Belgium and Croatia have not been checked.
• Handling client invoice data and tool credentials creates GDPR and security obligations.
• The language barrier limits who can run this in each market.
• The Croatian mandate details are not yet verified with a cited source.
• Rule changes, deadline extensions or tolerance periods could reduce urgency.

• E-invoicing over a standard electronic network is mandatory for all domestic B2B transactions in Belgium from 2026.Fact
• The Belgian mandate includes penalties for businesses that fail to comply.Fact
• Croatia requires e-invoicing for domestic B2B transactions between VAT-registered businesses from 1 January 2026.Hypothesis
• Large e-invoicing vendors mainly target larger companies, leaving micro-businesses underserved.Hypothesis
• Micro-businesses will pay €150–350 for a fixed-price technical setup.Hypothesis
• A full setup takes 2–4 hours per client.Estimate
• Start cost is about €0–300, excluding translation.Estimate
• Small accounting firms may act as referral partners rather than competitors.Hypothesis
• Technical setup without VAT advice is low legal risk, though local rules on unlicensed advice have not been checked.Hypothesis