Invoices must be paid within 30 days. That is the legal starting point. However, companies are free to agree longer payment terms among themselves. This can be particularly problematic for SMEs. Delays in payment of invoices can in fact lead to liquidity problems.
As of July 1, 2017, the payment period that large companies may agree in their commercial relationship with SMEs has been capped. Since then, the large company must pay invoices from the SME company within 60 days. This legal capping was intended to protect SMEs. But practice shows that the average payment period between entrepreneurs is still higher than the legal starting point of 30 days (in the first half of 2020 around 40 days). The corona crisis even prompted some large companies to unilaterally change the agreed payment period.
To provide further protection for SMEs, a bill was introduced in March 2021. That bill provides that large companies cannot agree with SMEs (including the small self-employed) on payment terms longer than 30 days. If the large business does not pay until after those 30 days, it will owe statutory commercial interest.
The bill is now before the House of Representatives. The Council of State has now issued a positive opinion.