Business or Individual Client: What Actually Changes

Key Takeaway:

Legal criterion	Individual Client (B2C)	Business Client (B2B)
Right of withdrawal	14-day mandatory withdrawal period (distance / off-premises sales)	Excluded by default (binding upon signature)
Price display	Mandatory tax-inclusive (TTC / VAT included)	Primarily tax-exclusive (HT), with VAT breakdown
Legal identifiers	Full name and residential address	Company name, corporate registry, VAT ID
E-invoicing rules	Standard PDF delivery by email permitted	Structured e-invoicing mandatory (Peppol / PA)
Late payment penalty	€40 recovery fee strictly prohibited	Mandatory €40 statutory recovery fee from day 1

A quote signed by an individual (B2C) and a quote signed by a business (B2B) don't carry the same legal, tax, and administrative implications, even if the commercial offer starts out the same.

Here is why these rules differ and how to adapt your quotes and invoices to stay 100% compliant in both France and Belgium.

1. What legally distinguishes a business client from an individual?

The distinction is rooted in economic law:

• The individual client (consumer / B2C): a private individual acting for non-commercial, personal needs. Consumer protection laws apply strictly to protect them.
• The business client (company / B2B): a corporation, freelancer, or legal entity acting within their commercial activity. The relationship is governed by commercial law, which is far stricter regarding payment terms and statutory penalties.

Make sure to select the correct client status before sending a quote: it determines mandatory clauses, VAT numbers, and transmission channels.

2. Cancellation rights and mandatory quote details

Warning: With individual consumers (B2C), the 14-day cooling-off period is a mandatory public policy rule for off-premises or distance contracts. If you start work before this window without written express waiver, the client can legally cancel and refuse to pay for work performed.

• In B2C: Online quote signing (electronic signature) or on-site visits trigger a mandatory 14-day statutory withdrawal period unless the consumer explicitly waives it for immediate work.
• In B2B: There is no cooling-off period. Once signed, the quote constitutes a binding contract. Prices must prominently specify HT (before tax) along with applicable VAT rates and EU VAT numbers.

3. Deposit invoice: mandatory under tax rules

Whenever a deposit is paid upon quote signing, tax legislation requires a numbered deposit invoice to account for VAT. While consumers can receive this as a standard PDF via email, B2B transactions require structured records adhering to current e-invoicing standards.

4. Electronic invoicing: standard email vs structured networks

• For consumers (B2C): You may continue emailing quotes, deposit invoices, and final balance invoices as regular PDF attachments.
• For businesses (B2B): B2B transactions mandate structured digital transmission (e.g., Peppol XML UBL in Belgium, partner platforms in France). Simple PDF emails no longer constitute valid legal invoice delivery between companies.

5. Late payment penalties

• In B2B: Statutory late interest applies immediately past the due date, plus a mandatory €40 debt recovery fee.
• In B2C: Charging this €40 fee to a private consumer is strictly illegal.

3 key takeaways

How HeyDevis handles these rules

HeyDevis adapts your workflow automatically based on your client's profile:

• In B2C: deposit invoices are created and sent automatically upon signature.
• In B2B: you maintain manual control before invoicing and can export Peppol-compliant UBL XML files for business e-invoicing networks.