The European Commission started the 2026 implementation programme for VAT in the Digital Age (ViDA). Adopted on 11 March 2025, the package is phased in through 2035. For companies running Odoo, the structural milestone is 1 July 2030: intra-EU cross-border B2B transactions will come under new digital reporting requirements based on electronic invoicing.
2030 is not a reason to build a speculative connector today. It is an architecture horizon. Groups that sell, purchase or move stock across Member States should prevent VAT data and evidence from remaining fragmented across Odoo, spreadsheets and local tools.
The ViDA timeline that matters
OSS and IOSS clarifications apply from 1 January 2027. From 1 July 2028, measures cover certain short-term accommodation and passenger transport platforms, as well as Single VAT Registration; a Member State may postpone certain platform measures until 1 January 2030.
On 1 July 2030, Digital Reporting Requirements for intra-Community B2B transactions take effect. The directive provides for transaction-level reporting and builds on the European e-invoicing standard. By 1 January 2035, Member States concerned must align existing domestic real-time digital reporting systems with the EU model.
Belgium, France and ViDA are separate layers
ViDA does not replace national calendars. Belgium has required structured e-invoices for the domestic B2B transactions concerned since 1 January 2026 and is developing future e-reporting. France rolls out its reform from 1 September 2026. Their networks, platforms and data are not automatically the final implementation of 2030 ViDA reporting.
A Franco-Belgian group should map domestic sales and purchases, intra-Community B2B flows, B2C transactions and non-EU transactions separately. This determines the tax rule, channel, format, reporting time and responsibility.
Underside analysis: the data model before the interface
The main risk is not the immediate absence of a ViDA API in Odoo. It is an invoice that cannot explain the transaction: unvalidated VAT numbers, the wrong company, missing departure and destination countries, manually selected tax treatment, an unlinked credit note, or confusion between tax point and accounting date.
ViDA should be treated as data governance. Standard Odoo and its fiscal localizations remain the baseline. Extensions need a documented, testable business gap. Operators should provide access to structured documents, statuses, errors and evidence: “sent” is not an audit trail.
An Odoo roadmap
- Inventory companies, establishments, VAT numbers, localizations and intercompany flows.
- Classify transactions by country, place of taxation, customer and flow type.
- Validate structured invoice and credit-note data rather than relying on PDFs.
- Link order, fulfilment, invoice, correction, payment and transmission evidence.
- Version VAT rules and document exceptions and manual corrections.
- Test volumes, rejections, duplicates and reconciliation between Odoo, operator and returns.
- Track official implementing acts before freezing a ViDA interface.
This complements an Odoo multi-company architecture, accounting governance and security and access controls.
Official sources
- European Commission — ViDA and official timeline.
- European Commission — 2026 ViDA work programme.
- EUR-Lex — Council Directive (EU) 2025/516.
- Odoo 19 documentation — fiscal localizations.
Underside helps Belgian and French groups map VAT flows, govern ERP data and design an Odoo architecture that can evolve with European specifications.