UBL invoice

What is a UBL invoice? 

UBL stands for ‘Universal Business Language’ and is a standard for the format of e-invoices (e-invoicing). Put simply, a UBL file is the invoice in XML format. People sometimes also speak of a ‘UBL invoice’.

Why use UBL invoices?

Invoice information structured according to the UBL standard is immediately readable and processable by software applications. The invoice becomes ‘readable’ for a computer: thanks to the fixed structure of a UBL invoice, such a file can then be imported and processed without manual intervention in, for example, accounting software.

This of course has clear advantages: no more risk of errors, no needless copying or typing. Processing can often be much faster too.

Exchange with your accountant

To exchange UBL invoices with your accountant, they need accounting software that can handle UBL documents. If you work with an external accountant, there is a good chance that their accounting software can currently process such UBL files.

With onFact you can link many accounting programs directly. This means that your invoices, credit notes and purchases are automatically forwarded to e.g. ExactOnline or Yuki - discover all accounting integrations here. However, some accounting packages do not offer a direct integration. In that case you can download your documents from onFact as a UBL file to forward them to your accountant. They can then load them into the accounting software, where they can be imported and processed largely automatically.