How do I back up my invoice data?

Your data is stored safely in the cloud and remains available in your account. Would you like to keep your own copy of your data as well, for example for your own archive or for your accountant? Then use the export features of Sage Cloud Demat Invoicing.

Why export yourself?

As a business owner, you are legally required to retain your invoices and accounting documents: in Belgium, a retention period of 10 years applies (art. 60 of the Belgian VAT Code). With your own export, you always have a copy at hand, even offline.

Exporting documents (invoices, credit notes, expenses)

You can export your documents in bulk as a zip file:

1. Go to the document overview, for example Invoices
2. Select the documents you want to export (or filter by period first)
3. Click Export
4. Choose which file types you want in the export:
   • XML (UBL): the standard format for importing into accounting packages
   • PDF: a PDF version of each document
   • Attachments: the original attachments (scans, photos)
5. Enter the email address the export should go to (multiple addresses are possible, separated by a comma or semicolon) and click Start export

You will then receive an email with a download link to the zip file.

Note: The download link remains valid for 48 hours. After that, the zip file is automatically deleted. So download your export right away and store the file in a safe place.

The same export option also exists for credit notes and expenses. Useful for your accountant: you can enter your accountant’s email address, or choose separate emails per document with the UBL file attached (for a digital mailbox of your accounting software).

Exporting customers, suppliers and products

You can also export your master data as an Excel file (.xlsx):

1. Go to Contacts → Clients (or Suppliers, Contact persons, Products)
2. Click Export
3. Wait until the export is ready and click Download

Store your exports safely

• Cloud storage (Google Drive, OneDrive, Dropbox)
• External hard drive
• Keep invoice data for at least 10 years (legal retention obligation, art. 60 of the Belgian VAT Code)

Do you have questions about your data or would you like guarantees about retention? Contact our support team, we are happy to assist!