E-Invoicing in United Kingdom
Public sector acceptance of EN 16931-compliant invoices with growing Peppol adoption
The UK requires all public entities to accept structured e-invoices but does not currently mandate private sector usage. Peppol is commonly used in healthcare and growing in other sectors. Businesses dealing with the NHS or government agencies benefit from using EN-compliant XML invoices.
Key Milestones
2017
EU Directive Transposition
UK transposes EU Directive 2014/55/EU into local law before Brexit.
2019
NHS E-Invoicing
NHS England begins requiring Peppol e-invoices from suppliers.
2023
Procurement Act 2023
Procurement Act 2023 codifies acceptance of electronic invoices in public contracts.
Current
2024–2025
Increasing use of structured invoicing across public sector bodies.
Key Legal Framework
EU Directive 2014/55/EU: Dutch e-invoicing legislation follows this directive
Ministry of Interior: Enforces EN 16931 format via Peppol or Digipoort
Open Networks: Netherlands promotes standardization via Peppol
B2G (Business-to-Government)
Mandatory acceptance for authorities to receive EN 16931-compliant invoices.
B2B (Business-to-Business)
Voluntary but increasingly used for automation and efficiency.
B2C (Business-to-Consumer)
Optional, adoption is limited and driven by sector (utilities, telecoms).
Submission via Invoice Portal
Send EN 16931-compliant invoices to UK public buyers and NHS through our certified Peppol Access Point with full validation.
Peppol BIS 3.0
UBL 2.1
UBL 2.1
Technical Formats
EN 16931 XML/UBL formats supported. NHS and large buyers maintain Peppol onboarding policies for structured invoicing.
EN 16931
XML
XML
Is e-invoicing mandatory in the UK?
Only for public sector to accept structured invoices. Private sector usage is voluntary.
Do I need to use Peppol for the NHS?
Yes, it’s required for most NHS suppliers.
What invoice format is accepted?
EN 16931 UBL and Peppol BIS 3.0 formats are accepted.
Can SMEs participate?
Yes, and Peppol makes onboarding easy for businesses of all sizes.
Summary
The UK requires all public entities to accept structured e-invoices but does not currently mandate private sector usage. Peppol is commonly used in healthcare and growing in other sectors. Businesses dealing with the NHS or government agencies benefit from using EN-compliant XML invoices. Our platform simplifies invoice delivery and ensures compliance with UK public sector requirements.
Need Help with E-Invoicing Compliance?
As a certified Peppol Access Point, we provide complete e-invoicing solutions for businesses across Europe. Our platform handles format conversion, real-time validation, and seamless integration with national systems.
