Update: 8 March 2023
South Korea has recently approved a tax reform which introduces several measures for 2023, among which is the possibility of issuance of self-billing tax invoices.
This tax reform amends the current VAT law to allow the purchaser to issue invoices for the supply of goods and services.
However, this will only be allowed in specific circumstances, such as when the supplier cannot issue the invoice. The purchaser can claim a deduction for the related input VAT by issuing a self-billing invoice.
Therefore, issuing self-billing invoices for VAT-exempted supplies of goods and services will not be permitted. However, the issuance of self-billing invoices by the purchaser depends on confirmation from a district tax office.
This amendment will enter into force and apply to all supplies of goods and services from 1 July 2023.
This South Korean tax reform will expand the transactional scope of the country’s e-invoice issuance and continuous transaction control (CTC) reporting system (e-tax invoicing), as the transactions in the scope of e-tax invoicing are generally the same as those in the scope of VAT invoicing.
Interested in learning more about e-invoicing in South Korea? Contact a member of our expert team today.
Update: 17 January 2021 by Selin Adler Ring
Collection of real-time fiscal data is becoming one of the core public finance decision making tools. Transactional data provides a timely and reliable overview of the business sector, enabling governments to rely on analytical data in the decision-making process.
This is what has led many governments to adopt CTC regimes that require taxpayers to transmit their transactional data in real/ near-real time to government services. South Korea was one of the first countries to appreciate the benefits of a CTC regime and mandated reporting of e-invoice data to the government for certain taxpayers as early as 2011.
The year after the first implementation, the South Korean authorities expanded the mandate scope and the e-invoicing system became mandatory for more taxpayers. 2014 saw another expansion of the CTC mandate to reach its current scope.
The current system requires any business that is a corporate entity or an individual whose aggregate supply value for the immediately preceding tax year is KRW 300,000,000 or more to issue an e-invoice to the recipient of goods or services subject to VAT, as well as to report the invoice data to the government.
The South Korean e-invoicing system mandates the issuance of an e-invoice to the recipient and reporting of this invoice data to the government portal within a day of its issuance. Before e-invoices are transmitted, suppliers must digitally sign them with a PKI electronic signature. E-invoices are reported in an XML format to the National Tax Agency (NTS) Portal. Due to the near-real time reporting time-limit, the South Korean e-invoicing system falls under the category of CTC.
South Korea has implemented a comprehensive e-invoicing system from the beginning and as a result there haven’t been any major changes to the requirements or practices. This is a big relief for taxpayers in South Korea compared to other CTC jurisdictions where there are constant changes.
In addition to the benefits for taxpayers, a considered CTC regime is also less burdensome for the state as the implementation costs of the constant regulatory changes can be significant.
More and more governments are considering the adoption of CTC regimes and should look to South Korea as a success story for this approach which has worked well for both the government and taxpayers.
Please get in touch to discuss how Sovos can help your business comply with CTC regime reporting in South Korea or other jurisdictions subject to e-invoicing mandates.
The European Commission’s VAT in the Digital Age (ViDA) proposal continues to unfold with the latest details published on 8 December 2022. As a result, many EU countries are stepping up their efforts towards digitising tax controls – including mandatory e-invoicing.
While we see different approaches to initiate this transition across Northern Europe, the trend towards continuous transaction controls (CTCs) and e-invoicing mandates has accelerated.
Germany plans for e-invoicing mandate
Recent statements indicate that Germany is taking steps towards a B2B e-invoicing mandate, however, without a centralised reporting or clearance element – at least for now. During a VAT conference on 10 March, the Federal Ministry of Finance announced that a draft paper will be published in a couple of weeks for the introduction of the e-invoicing mandate.
It is worth noting that Germany had previously requested a derogatory decision from the European Commission to implement a mandatory e-invoicing regime, as announced by the Ministry of Finance in November 2022.
Sweden edges towards mandatory B2B e-invoicing
Sweden is another country where it would not be surprising to see an e-invoicing requirement emerge. The Swedish Agency for Digital Government (DIGG) has expressed the desire to implement mandatory e-invoicing in the country.
With the Swedish Tax Agency and the Swedish Companies Registration Office, DIGG has requested the government research the conditions for mandating e-invoicing in B2B and G2B flows, which would be added to the current B2G e-invoicing mandate.
The reasoning behind this request is that if the European Commission’s ViDA proposal is adopted, it will result in mandatory e-invoicing in cross-border flows. Therefore the national system should align for efficiency purposes. DIGG does not believe that alignment will occur voluntarily, but a mandate will be necessary.
Finland supports the ViDA package
In Finland, no mandatory B2B e-invoicing mandate is in place. However, buyers can receive a structured electronic invoice from their suppliers if requested. This regulation has been in effect since April 2020 for all Finnish companies with a turnover exceeding €10,000.
Furthermore, the Finnish government recently demonstrated their support of electronic invoicing by sending a letter to Parliament outlining its benefits. The government sees electronic invoicing as a means of increasing business efficiency and combatting VAT fraud through the ViDA package.
Lithuania introduces Peppol-based e-invoicing platform
Lithuania is laying the groundwork for the broader use of e-invoices. It has announced plans to build a technological solution that complies with the European standard for the transmission of electronic invoices.
The platform is expected to be available free of charge to businesses for at least five years and should be ready by September 2023. Additionally, the platform will meet Peppol Network requirements and comply with Peppol BIS 3.0.
Denmark enables automated e-invoicing via e-bookkeeping systems
Denmark has also been working on digitizing the business processes by implementing a new bookkeeping law. The Danish Business Authority has initiated implementing the Bookkeeping Act’s digital bookkeeping provisions by adopting draft executive orders for standard digital bookkeeping systems and their registration.
As a result, providers of standard digital bookkeeping systems must adapt their systems to the new requirements by 31 October 2023 at the latest. The new provisions stipulate that traditional digital bookkeeping systems must support the automatic sending and receiving of e-invoices in OIOUBL and PEPPOL BIS format.
While Denmark has not announced the final dates, it expects taxpayers to adhere to the digital bookkeeping rules between 2024 and 2026.
Speak to a member of our team if you have further questions about e-invoicing.
Update: 4 October 2022 by Enis Gencer
The recent EU Commission report on the VAT in the Digital Age Initiative indicates that continuous transaction controls (CTCs) will become more prevalent across Europe. The final report suggests introducing an EU-wide CTC e-invoicing system covering both intra-EU and domestic transactions as the best policy option. While Eastern European countries have been at the forefront of local implementations, acting swiftly and introducing CTCs, it’s also worth keeping an eye on some of the developments in Northern Europe.
Germany
Following the 2021 national elections, the new coalition government in Germany identified VAT fraud as a policy question. It announced its intention to introduce a nationwide electronic reporting system as soon as possible, which will be used for the creation, checking, and forwarding of invoices. Although there are no details about the nature of the system, discussions are ongoing with stakeholders from the private sector, mainly focusing on the implementation timeline and the government’s role in such a system.
B2G e-invoicing has been mandatory for invoices issued to the federal administration since 2020. The scope was expanded from 1 January 2022 to include state-owned authorities in Baden-Wurttemberg, Hamburg, and Saarland, with the next states joining in 2023 and 2024. Moreover, the IT Planning Council, the Central Body for the digitization of administration in Germany, issued the decision 2022/31 advising all contracting authorities to accept electronic invoices via the PEPPOL network by 1 October 2023 to connect the entire public area in a uniform manner.
Denmark
Denmark is also aiming to introduce new requirements to digitize the business processes of Danish companies. On 19 May 2022, the Danish Parliament passed a new accounting law requiring taxpayers to make their bookings electronically using a digital accounting system. The mandate will take effect gradually between 2024 and 2026, depending on the company’s form and turnover.
While the new accounting law doesn’t introduce any mandatory e-invoicing or CTC obligations, it is envisaged that the digital accounting systems must support continuous registration of the company’s transactions and the automation of administrative processes, including automatic transmission and receipt of e-invoices. The Ministry of Finance has been authorised to adopt rules requiring companies to register purchase and sales transactions with electronic invoices as the documentation of the transactions, which in practice would amount to an e-invoicing mandate.
The Danish Business Authority, Erhvervsstyrelsen, has prepared drafts for three executive orders concerning the new digital bookkeeping requirements. According to draft regulations, digital accounting systems are required to support the automatic sending and receiving of e-invoices in OIOUBL and PEPPOL BIS format. These systems must be able to share the company’s accounting data by generating a standard file, which is the Danish SAF-T Standard recently published by Erhvervsstyrelsen.
The draft regulations will be available for public consultation until 27 October and the requirements are expected to enter into force on 1 January 2023. There will be a conversion period until 1 October 2023 for digital accounting systems to comply with the requirements.
Sweden
Sweden is another country looking at introducing digital reporting requirements. The Swedish Tax Administration, Skatteverket, is considering different ways to ensure the correct collection of VAT while obtaining useful economic data from businesses. The project is still at an early phase, and while such requirements could mean introducing Standard Tax Audit File (SAF-T) requirements or a type of CTC, e-reporting, or e-invoicing, the tax authorities would still strive to implement a smooth system for businesses.
Latvia
The Latvian Ministry of Finance has been working on digitizing invoicing processes for a while. They conducted a public consultation and took into consideration opinions of companies and non-governmental organizations to find out the readiness to start using e-invoices in Latvia.
As a result, the Ministry of Finance prepared a report discussing the current situation and the implementation of e-invoices, and possible technological solutions. The report focuses on different e-invoicing systems, such as post-audit e-invoicing, centralised e-invoicing, and decentralised e-invoicing, comparing the advantages and disadvantages of such systems.
The report favours the PEPPOL BIS standard for the introduction of mandatory e-invoicing in B2B and B2G transactions and proposes the use of e-invoices must be defined as an obligation in Latvian regulations, setting a mandatory requirement for the use of e-invoices to start no later than 2025.
The Latvian government approved the report, and the necessary regulatory acts, hence implementation of technological solutions are expected to take shape in due course.
What’s next?
It’s clear that CTC initiatives are becoming increasingly popular among governments and tax authorities in Europe, with the Northern European countries starting to follow this trend, even if they seem to be acting more cautiously. It will be very interesting to see how and when these CTC projects take shape and be affected by the upcoming results from the EU Commission on the VAT in the Digital Age project.
Take Action
Need help with e-invoicing requirements? Get in touch with our tax experts.
Update: 14 March 2023 by Enis Gencer
Israel’s government approved the 2023-2024 budget on 24 February 2023 to introduce a continuous transaction control (CTC) model in its tax system.
This long-awaited move will have significant implications for businesses operating within the country. It is essential to know the changes that may impact your company.
Israel’s plan for continuous transaction controls
The new plan, prepared by the Ministry of Finance and approved by the government, envisages a clearance model for invoices over NIS 5,000 (appx. 1300 Euros) issued between businesses. Under this model, invoices must be issued through a tax authority system and receive real-time approval.
The tax authority system will issue a unique number as proof of clearance for each invoice, which businesses can then use to deduct input VAT. The government has also proposed that the tax authority be entitled to refuse a request to assign a number and not clear the invoice if there is a reasonable doubt that the invoice is not issued legally.
While this plan is an exciting development, it is only the beginning of a long journey towards implementing a CTC model. The above proposal is currently only outlined in a budget document, which will be subject to further readings and approvals before the government can implement it.
Additionally, an amendment to VAT Law and the publication of technical details will be necessary to make it legally and technically enforceable.
For further information on the digitization of tax in Israel, speak to a member of our team.
Update: 9 April 2020 by Joanna Hysi
With the long-lasting problem of fictitious invoices in Israel, a move towards some form of mandatory e-invoice clearance might be the answer. After having been withdrawn once due to failing support, the idea of a continuous transaction control model is being revived by the Israeli tax authority. The proposed model, similar to Chile, would include a direct connection between the tax authority and businesses in real time for each transaction. The proposal, which is currently being reviewed with interested stakeholders, will be presented to the Knesset Finance Committee, with the hope of promoting legislation for implementing the planned reform measures as soon as a new government is formed.
Subject to final adoption in law, the core points of the reform are:
It’s an interesting observation that for years Israel appeared to be heading towards the EU approach of a post-audit system, yet recently they seem to have pivoted and be heading towards the more Latin American style of continuous transaction controls.
Either way, the Israeli tax authorities are now taking firm measures to combat VAT fraud, as to whether they go for a model similar to Chile, or something close to home in India or Turkey, we will have to wait and see.
Electronic invoicing in France (to enter into force from July 2024) requires using a (partner) dematerialization platform. The already enacted legislation leaves the choice of which platform up to companies.
Should you use the public platform (‘PPF – Portail Public de Facturation’, i.e. Public Invoicing Portal) or a third-party private platform (‘PDP – Plateforme de Dématérialisation Partenaire’, i.e. Partner Dematerialization Platform)? And which organisation registered as a PDP should you opt for?
There is a lot to consider – including the type of invoices, data management, customer/supplier relations, transmission, functionalities, and more – this blog will help you make a decision.
The electronic invoicing process includes formatting, controlling, reporting, routing tracking, transactions, whether between trading parties (domestic B2B e-invoices) or with the PPF (domestic B2B e-invoices, cross-border B2B sales and purchases, B2C sales, payments received on services). In this respect, PDPs are essential.
French legislation allows companies to choose their dematerialization platform for submitting and/or receiving domestic B2B invoices and reporting transactions. A public solution exists, the PPF, alongside which other PDPs position themselves.
What parameters should you consider when choosing a dematerialization platform? What are the conditions for becoming a PDP and when will they be operational?
This blog discusses the elements that enable companies to understand the role of dematerialization platforms in managing electronic invoicing.
The need to use a dematerialization platform is part of the electronic invoicing requirements, which come into force on 1 July 2024 for business-to-business (B2B) transactions.
July 2024: Mandatory receipt of dematerialized invoices and choice of platform
January 2025: These obligations will apply to a further 8,000 medium-sized businesses (Entreprises de Taille Intermédiaires).
January 2026: The mandate scope extends to all other medium-sized and small companies.
An electronic invoice must be delivered in a structured format, leaving it to the trading parties and their PDPs to agree on the standard. By default, PDPs must be able to process the three core set formats, UBL, CII, or UNCEFACT, with the obligation for the platforms to produce a legible version of each invoice, or Factur-X hybrid format (XML+PDF/A-3).
PDPs may also offer to process any other structured formats (e.g. EDI formats such as EDIFACT), subject to acceptance by both the buyer and the seller. In both cases, PDPs will have to extract mandatory data from the issued e-invoice and map it into one of the core set formats – and then report them to the PPF within 24 hours of the e-invoice issuance.
The corresponding flows can be exchanged under various communication protocols (EDI, API, etc.)
Using a PDP isn’t mandatory from a legal point of view. However, using a PDP will be necessary for companies who want to exchange invoices in specific formats due to the specificities of the invoice flow (not supported by the PPF).
The PPF will be used for the obligatory transmission of invoice data to the tax authorities.
It will manage the following for companies:
The PPF performs other functions including management of the Central Directory (in which any registered company subject to VAT will be identified), data collection and transmission to the tax authorities, and retention of e-invoices.
Like the PPF, a Partner Dematerialization Platform (PDP) ensures the submission of invoices and conversion into one of the three core-set formats – CII, UBL or Factur-X.
But, contrary to the PPF, they will allow the exchange of invoices in any EDI format (other than the three core-set formats).
The PDPs will allow the following:
In addition to these mandatory functionalities, they may also offer the following:
A PDP is a platform registered and authorised by the French tax authorities. The official registration number will be issued based on an application file submitted by an operator. This file will have to document how the regulation requirements (decree and order published in October 2022) are met, particularly the ability to perform the functions expected of a PDP.
In addition to the guarantee provided by this registration (mainly from the point of view of compliance with stringent security rules), what distinguishes a registered platform from a simple dematerialization operator is the possibility of transmitting invoices to other dematerialization platforms (PPF or other PDPs).
This registration is valid for three years and then must be renewed, based on audits to be regularly provided by the PDPs (first audit to be conducted no later than 12 months after the registration entering into force).
The first certified PDPs should be announced in June or July 2023 and will be published.
Find out how Sovos can help you comply with e-invoicing regulations by speaking with one of our experts.
Thailand has permitted e-invoicing since 2012. From 2017 – following regulations issued on e-tax and e-receipts – taxpayers may prepare, deliver, and keep their invoices and receipts electronically, subject to prior approval from the Thai Revenue Department.
Currently, the Revenue Department and the Electronic Transactions Development Agency (ETDA) are working together to improve the e-tax invoicing system in Thailand. As a result of this joint effort, they’re developing new regulations.
Thailand´s voluntary e-invoicing system aims to promote and support their e-payment policies and electronic transactions, reduce the cost and management of the government and private sector and increase confidence and safety according to international standards.
According to the Revenue Code documents that can be voluntarily issued electronically are tax invoices (known as e-tax invoices), credit notes, debit notes and receipts.
E-tax invoices are electronic tax invoices, including regular invoices and debit and credit notes prepared in a specific electronic format.
Formats may include a Microsoft Word file, a Microsoft Excel file, PDF, PDF/A-3, XML or other forms established by the Revenue Department. Finally, the e-tax invoice must be signed using a digital signature or time stamp before being delivered to the buyer.
Thailand currently has two e-invoicing systems for taxpayers to adopt voluntarily. These are e-tax invoices and e-receipt RTIR, and e-tax invoices by email.
Any taxpayer can voluntarily register for this system without a turnover threshold.
Entrepreneurs can prepare electronic tax invoices and electronic receipts in an XML file or other electronic formats with a digital signature. However, to submit the data to the Revenue Department, the information should only be in an XML file format (Bor Thor. 3-2560). They must also have an electronic certificate provided by a Certification Authority.
In this system, the supplier must submit the e-invoice to the Revenue Department by the 15th day of the subsequent tax month after delivering it to the buyer.
This system is designed for small entities with an annual turnover of less than THB 30 million. Taxpayers can email the invoice to the buyer and include the central system of the agency that develops electronic transactions in the CC field for time stamping.
The system then sends both trading parties an e-tax invoice with a time stamp. In this system, the file format is PDF/A-3. Information is automatically sent to the Revenue Department.
It’s important to note that once approved by the Thai Revenue Department to issue electronic invoices, taxpayers must comply with all the regulations and rules for preparing and storing electronic invoices and receipts.
The Thai Revenue Department has recently published new announcements from the Director-General of the Revenue Department regarding VAT, namely: no. 48, 247, 248 and 249.
E-tax invoices and credit and debit notes should include specific statements from those announcements. As of January 2023, they must specify that electronic invoices were prepared and sent to the Revenue Department electronically.
The Thai Revenue Department also set forward new standards in the Announcement of the Director-General of the Revenue Department No.48 regarding forms, method of delivery, storage and documentary evidence or books and information security for operations relating to electronic invoicing.
These new standards entered into force on 19 August 2022.
This regulation reinforces the need for prior approval and permission from the Revenue Department to connect with the electronic systems to issue e-tax invoices. It is subject to the requirement that a data security system can ensure the fulfilment of e-tax invoices and e-receipts.
The taxpayers opting for e-invoicing must follow the rules and conditions for this process. They need to inform the Revenue Department of the e-tax invoice by submitting a receipt for the tax invoice and the certificate used for digital signature.
The Thai Revenue Department also issued new standards in Announcement No. 48 for storing and archiving e-tax invoices and e-receipts.
Taxpayers who are obligated to issue an invoice and choose to do so electronically have to keep the electronic invoice or receipt according to specific criteria:
(a) Use reliable methods to maintain message integrity from the time the message is completed and can display that message later.
(b) Keep information on tax invoices or receipts, which can be accessed and reused, and the meaning does not change.
(c) Keep the information of tax invoices or receipts in the format in which they were created, sent, or received – or in a form that can display messages correctly, and
(d) Retain information indicating the origin and destination of the tax invoice or receipt and the date and time they sent the message.
According to the Thai Revenue Code, electronic invoices must be stored electronically for no less than five years but no more than seven years. Taxpayers must keep tax audit e-invoices until the completion of the audit.
These were significant steps towards the digitalisation of taxation in Thailand. Although there is no future timeline or mandate, they’ve taken more measures to solidify and mature the e-invoicing mandate.
While e-invoicing is still not mandatory in Thailand, the government intends to promote e-tax invoices to help businesses to increase efficiency and decrease costs. These measures could be applicable in a future compulsory e-invoicing mandate.
If you want to learn more about e-tax in Thailand or have any other question please feel free to get in touch with a tax expert today.
Update: 28 March 2023 by Maria del Carmen
On Friday 31 March 2023 the grace period granted by Mexico’s Tax Administration Service (SAT) in the Miscellaneous Tax Resolution 2023 (RMF) ends. Taxpayers must transition to version 4.0 of CFDI, Comprobante Fiscal Digital por Internet, the electronic billing schema.
Document formats that will no longer be accepted following the end of the grace period include:
Authorized CFDI Certification Service Providers (PSCCFDI) must update their integration mechanisms to remain compliant with the new CFDI 4.0. Taxpayers must align their technologies with the changes that their PSCCFDI notifies.
The authority has the power to impose fines for non-compliance with the new CFDI tax provisions, when executing verification powers or within are fund application process.
These fines range from $ 19,700.00MXN ($ 1000.00 USD approx.) to $ 112,650.00MXN ($ 5500.00 USD approx). Repeated non-compliance can result in the tax authority preventively closing the taxpayer’s establishment for a period of three to fifteen days.
Fines of $ 400.00MXN ($ 20.00 USD approx) to $ 600.00MXN ($ 30.00 USD approx) will be issued for tax receipts that don’t include the relevant supplements as outlined in the SAT’s guidelines.
In extreme cases where damage to the federal treasury is proven, this is considered comparable to tax fraud. This would involve when CFDI is used for taxes calculation with non-compliance requirements of Articles 29 and 29-A of the Federal Tax Code.
The CFDI Version 4.0 became the only way to invoice, the tax authority has updated the following documents ahead of CFDI v4.0 transition:
Companies will need to be mindful of these changes and how to implement them to ensure ongoing compliance during the transition to CFDI 4.0.
Need to discuss compliance with Mexico’s e-invoicing requirements? Speak to our experts.
Update: 1 February 2023 by Maria del Carmen
CFDI, which stands for Comprobante Fiscal Digital por Internet, is the electronic billing schema defined by the Mexican federal tax code. It has been mandatory for companies that do business in Mexico since 2011.
CFDI aims to increase visibility into companies’ tax liabilities so the government can ensure it is receiving accurate payments. It has been successful, with audits based on the legislation revealing a 34% increase in VAT collected in a single quarter.
Tax legislation in Mexico requires additional information when companies make certain transactions. Named “complementos” or supplements, the additional information must be attached to the main CFDI.
There are 30 main CFDI ‘complementos’, each with its own essential components and requirements. There is also a validation process and cancellation process to follow and a wide range of penalties for non-compliance.
Read our Mexico e-invoicing guide to learn more and ensure compliance with this complex VAT landscape.
On 27 December 2022, the Mexican Tax Administration Service (SAT) published the Resolution Miscellanea Fiscal (RMF) 2023. Each annual revision sets outs rules and adjustments for CFDI, a key component of Mexico’s electronic invoicing system.
The RMF entered into force on 1 January 2023.
Among the most important rules is the extension of the grace period for issuing certain documents. Now extended to 31 March 2023, the provision covers the following documents:
The RMF 2023 states cancellations of the CFDI cannot be made later than the month in which the annual declaration of the ISR (tax on income) must be submitted. That’s in April for individuals, and in March for companies.
The resolution also states that corrections to the payroll payment CFDI (CFDI de nómina) can only be made once and no later than 28 February 2023.
Taxpayers that carry out volumetric controls of hydrocarbons and petroleum products may continue to issue a daily, weekly, or monthly CFDI for all operations carried out with the public, until 31 December 2023.
Including supplement “Hidrocarburos y Petroliferos” in the CFDI will become mandatory 30 days after the SAT publishes the complement on its website.
The RMF states until 31 July 2023 no fines will be imposed and it will not be considered under the crime of smuggling if the Carta Porte supplement does not have all the requirements indicated in the CFDI Filing Guide.
To prove the transport of goods or merchandise, the intermediary or transport agents must now issue the CFDI type income (CFDI tipo ingreso) with the Carta Porte Supplement – instead of the CFDI type Traslado.
Taxpayers involved in the motor transport of dedicated services are subject to additional rules. Those who provide the service to a single client or contractor through the specific assignment of vehicle units may issue the CFDI type income (CFDI ingreso) to cover the entire service provided without the Carta Porte Supplement.
In these instances, the client or contracting party must issue the CFDI of transport (CFDI de transporte). This includes the Carta Porte supplement for each trip, which must be related to the CFDI type income (CFDI ingreso) issued by its carrier.
Additional regulations are established regarding the issuance of CFDIs related to bareboat charter services, for a specific time, per trip, and ferry modality.
The RMF includes information about the Resource Identification Supplement and Expense Bill of Third Parties provision, this will become mandatory 30 days after the tax authority publishes it on its website.
For further questions don’t hesitate and get in touch with our experts today.
Serbia is on the final straight to implementing its mandatory e-invoicing, which will come into effect from 1 January 2023. Legislative changes are still being proposed before that deadline to allow for a complete introduction of mandatory e-invoicing to the whole B2B sector.
On 12 December 2022, the Ministry of Finance published the following Laws on Amendments in the “Official Gazette of the RS” No. 138 among others:
One of the changes regarding the scope of the Law on Electronic Invoicing involves natural persons who are not liable for income tax for self-employment, in the sense of the law governing personal income tax, who will be excluded from the provisions of the Law on E-Invoicing.
Regarding the type of transactions that will not be in the scope of e-invoicing, there will be no obligation to issue an electronic invoice for the sale of goods and services free of charge. Lastly, the legal entities and entrepreneurs who are not VAT payers, nor voluntary users of SEF, will not be obliged to record VAT calculation in SEF if they are tax debtors.
In case of a temporary interruption in the operation of the electronic invoice system, the system will consider an e-invoice as delivered at the time operation resumes. The act of the Ministry of Finance that regulates such procedures will be adopted on 1 April 2023 – three months from the date of entry into force of this law.
Also, the following paragraph will be added to Article 6 stating: “An electronic invoice that has been rejected can be subsequently accepted”. This provision will apply from 1 June 2023 for electronic invoices recorded in the central register of invoices, in accordance with the law regulating the deadlines for settling monetary obligations in commercial transactions.
The law will enter into force on 1 January 2023.
The changes introduced to the law on VAT that impacts electronic invoicing processes stipulate that an invoice is an electronic invoice accepted by the buyer, as required by the Law on E-Invoicing.
The law ensures that the taxpayer accepting the electronic invoice within the deadline to submit the tax return may exercise the right to deduct the preliminary tax at the earliest date for the tax period where liability occurred. The taxpayer will also need to notify the tax authority about a change of data relevant to the calculation and payment of VAT contained in the registration form. The notification will be exclusively electronic and excludes notice in writing.
The law will enter into force on 1 January 2023, coinciding with the Serbian e-invoicing mandate go live date.
The Law on Fiscalisation regulates, among other things, the subject of fiscalisation and the procedure conducted through an electronic fiscal device. The supply of goods and services, conducted by a fiscalization obligor to a legal entity or taxpayer of income from self-employment, outside the retail store, is not considered a retail supply. Therefore, such supply will not be subjected to fiscalization requirements and will not need to be recorded through an electronic fiscal device.
Moreover, the amendments specify that the fiscal receipt does not need to contain the value of the transaction per tax rate as a mandatory element. By scanning the QR code for verification, which has all the parts of an electronic signature when printing a fiscal invoice or a hyperlink for verification when a fiscal e-invoice is issued, it will be possible to receive additional information about the fiscal receipt.
The amendments to the Law on Fiscalisation that impact the future e-invoicing mandate cover changes related to the fiscal invoices issued to legal entities and taxpayers on income from self-employment. Transferring these fiscal invoices to the System of Electronic Invoices (SEF) will happen upon fulfilment of technical requirements. The Minister of Finance will further regulate the method and procedure of data transfer in the future.
Based on Article 7, a separate regulation will control the manner and procedure of data transfer to the SEF platform, that will be adopted within 180 days from the day when this Law enters into force. This means adoption will be in June 2023 at the earliest.
The Law on Amendments and Supplements to the Fiscalisation Act will be enforced on the 8th day following its publication, which took place on 12 December 2022.
The above amendments relate to the plans introduced by the MoF to integrate the Fiscalisation system with the E-Invoicing system (SEF), which will most likely start at the earliest in January 2024. As the Minister of Finance Vuk Delibašić announced on 1 December 2022: “The plan is to integrate the E-Invoicing system with the Customs Administration, e-fiscalization, as well as the creation of a semi-automatic VAT declaration, and an electronic excise tax is also being prepared.”
Still have questions about e-invoicing in Serbia? Speak to our tax experts.
Customers can securely process high volumes of documents for billing and electronic validation in real- time
BOSTON – October 5, 2022 – Global tax software provider Sovos today announced it has acquired Lima, Peru-based Escontech, one of the main leaders in the country in SaaS electronic invoicing and validation services for the issuance of electronic receipts. In the last five years, the company has specially focused on the integration of transactional solutions in Information Technology using world-class standards, achieving in the last two years the fastest growth in the ecosystem of Peruvian companies that provide this type of specialized services.
Escontech’s technology and positioning in the Peruvian market strengthen Sovos’ current capabilities and scope in this type of services, by efficiently covering and supporting major companies in areas such as banking, financial services, insurance, mass market, tolls, and other high transaction industries. The company has been approved as an Electronic Services Provider and Operator by the Peruvian Tax Administration (SUNAT), which allows it to support its users in the issuance, transformation and final computer verification of invoices, bills, and other electronic payment vouchers from a company’s administrative systems.
“Escontech will play an important role in our ability to provide customers in these regions, as well as globally, with the technology needed to process high volumes of documents securely for billing and electronic validation, while ensuring compliance with local regulations. These solutions will be a great complement to Sovos’ existing portfolio, simplify the integration process and be supported by the best professional services group in the industry,” said Alvaro Gonzalez, managing director, Latin America.
Leading companies and institutions rely on Escontech to validate their transactions quickly and securely, paving the way for frictionless commerce business environment. Together, Escontech and Sovos will help lead the fight against fraud while ensuring compliance in highly regulated industries.
“The group of professionals that make up the productive force of Escontech value with great enthusiasm to be part of a great global organization and leader such as Sovos. Since our beginnings in the provision of this type of specialized transactional services, we have sought to innovate with value, by delivering a user experience of quality and excellence, but mainly, of commitment and closeness. Now with Sovos’ vision, its technological and financial resources, its multi-territory presence, and its specialized human talent, we will contribute more efficiently to delivering satisfactory experiences to users in different areas and geographies,” said Rogelio Martinez, founder of Escontech.
Sovos is owned by Hg, the London-based specialist private equity investor focused on software and service businesses, and TA Associates. The terms of the deal were not disclosed.
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Sovos was built to solve the complexities of the digital transformation of tax, with complete, connected offerings for tax determination, continuous transaction controls, tax reporting and more. Sovos customers include half the Fortune 500, as well as businesses of every size operating in more than 70 countries. The company’s SaaS products and proprietary Sovos S1 Platform integrate with a wide variety of business applications and government compliance processes. Sovos has employees throughout the Americas and Europe and is owned by Hg and TA Associates. For more information visit www.sovos.com/es and follow us on LinkedIn and Instagram.
Escontech is a company dedicated to the integration of information technology and security solutions through world-class standards. Throughout its history, the company has incorporated a special group of human talent that in the last 16 years has provided services to leading companies in Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela, and the Caribbean.
Update: 22 March 2023 by Marta Sowińska
Poland published the second draft law amending the VAT Act and certain other laws on the Government Legislation Centre on 15 March 2023.
The presented amendments mainly confirm previously announced changes, though some additions are worth noting. The government heavily based the shape of the new draft law on the comments gathered by the Ministry of Finance (“MoF”) during the public consultation. The essential clarifications concern:
The draft Act confirmed the mandate postponement to start from 1 July 2024 (half a year delay from the previous go-live date of 1 January 2024) with some exceptions:
The mandatory scope of the KSeF system will exclude invoices issued between businesses and non-business individuals (B2C transactions).
Accordingly, invoices issued and settled under the special procedures for OSS and IOSS will be consistently excluded from KSeF, as taxpayers under special procedures provide cross-border supplies and services primarily to non-business consumers (B2C transactions).
Foreign taxpayers with a fixed establishment on the territory of Poland – performing activities that are required to be invoiced according to Polish VAT law – will be obliged to issue their invoices via KSeF to the extent that this permanent place of business relates to the supply of goods or services which are invoiced.
The draft law entirely withdraws the possibility for buyers to issue corrective notes. Buyers cannot propose corrections to the original invoices through or outside KSeF, which the previous draft law presented. Accordingly, changes in the issued invoice can be made only by issuing a corrective invoice.
In line with the previous draft proposal, the current draft law specifies the possibility of issuing e-invoices in offline mode, i.e. outside of KSeF in a structured format and delivering to KSeF on the next business day, in case of a failure on the taxpayer side.
Moreover, the Ministry of Finance will communicate relevant information to the public regarding any maintenance work conducted in KSeF or any system failure. During this time, taxpayers can issue invoices outside of KSeF and deliver them to the buyers in the agreed format.
Such invoices must follow the structured format, be assigned with a QR code and, after the failure ends, be delivered to KSeF within seven days. The date of issuance will be the date stated in the P_1 field, while the buyer’s receipt date will be the date when KSeF assigned the unique ID.
The government has added a new requirement for including a QR code on the invoices issued during a failure of the KSeF system. As previously announced, the QR code must also be included in the invoices issued outside of KSeF, for example, to foreign buyers and on the VAT RR invoices and corrections to them.
The Ministry of Finance responded to feedback about the lack of a self-billing process for cross-border transactions. Therefore, a method of authentication in KSeF for foreign buyers will be included in KSeF, allowing foreign buyers to issue structured invoices on behalf of the suppliers.
The exchange rate used for converting foreign currencies into PLN currency can be maintained from the day preceding the date indicated in the P_1 (date of invoice issuance).
The exchange rate will be calculated based on the date when an e-invoice was issued (stated in the P_1 field), provided that an e-invoice is sent to KSeF no later than the day after the date indicated in the P_1 field.
Sanctions will apply from 1 January 2025 (previously 1 July 2024) up to 100% of the amount of VAT indicated on the invoice or up to 18.7% of the total amount due shown on the invoice. However, no minimum penalty amount will apply – previously, it was 1000 PLN – approx. 200 EUR.
The draft law is expected to be published in Q3 of 2023, with most provisions applying from 1 July 2024.
Accordingly, the associated final schema FA (2) and FA (RR) are also planned to be published at the end of June or beginning of July, as announced by the Ministry of Finance during a conference on 16 February 2023. Therefore, we are still waiting for the legislative process to be completed for the e-invoicing mandate to take effect.
Speak with our team if you need more information on the upcoming e-invoicing changes in Poland.
Update: 3 February 2023 by Marta Sowińska
According to an official announcement published by the Ministry of Finance on 2 February 2023, the go-live date of Poland’s mandatory e-invoicing system is now 1 July 2024 – delayed six months from the previous date.
More than a year since the roll-out of the voluntary phase and following extensive testing of the KSeF system by taxpayers, the Ministry of Finance responded to the feedback submitted by businesses and entrepreneurs in the public consultation by announcing the delay of the mandate and relaxing certain requirements.
The expected changes are:
Taxpayers should not treat the postponement of the e-invoicing mandate as a reason to pause the implementation process. Instead, taxpayers should treat the delay as an incentive to implement complex legislative and technical requirements before the go-live date and adapt their accounting and invoicing processes considering any errors that may appear.
The proposed changes will need to be adopted by law to become effective. Such legislation, considering the often-lengthy legislative process, is expected to be published just in time for the mandate roll-out in July.
Looking for more information on e-invoicing in Poland? Speak with our expert team.
Update: 15 December 2022 by Marta Sowińska
On 1 December 2022 the Ministry of Finance in Poland published the draft legislation amending the VAT Act regarding the introduction of mandatory e-invoicing in the National e-Invoicing System (KSeF). It is the second stage of the implementation of mandatory CTC e-invoicing in Poland, which will take effect from 1 January 2024.
Due to the Council Implementing Decision (EU) No 2022/1003 of 17 June 2022 authorising Poland to apply a special derogatory measure from Articles 218 and 232 of Directive 2006/112/EC on the common system of value added tax (OJ. UE L 168/81), Poland is now able to propose amendments to the VAT Act that leads to full implementation of mandatory e-invoicing in the country.
KSeF is the centralised e-invoicing platform for issuing, exchanging and archiving structured invoices. We are currently in the voluntary phase of issuing invoices through the KSeF system; the system has been available for transactions since 1 January 2022.
From 1 January 2024, with the implementation of the mandatory mandate, suppliers and buyers will be obliged to issue and receive their invoices through the KSeF.
The obligatory e-invoicing will cover activities that currently require documenting an invoice issued in accordance with the VAT Act. Therefore, the transactional scope will include the supplies of goods and services made between entrepreneurs (B2B), to public authorities (B2G), and to consumers (B2C).
Taxpayers will need to mark structured invoices with the verification code (QR code) if issuing them outside of KSeF. The code will need to be displayed when visualising e-invoices in commercial programs or free tools provided by the Ministry of Finance (meaning in PDF or paper formats too).
KSeF will provide functionality enabling verification of the correctness of the invoice issued via KSeF. After scanning the QR code, the information contained in the code will be read, and data identifying this invoice will be displayed with information from KSeF about their correctness. The implementing regulation to the VAT Act will provide further information regarding the method of marking e-invoices.
Contrary to the previous position of the MoF, corrective invoices issued after the entry into force of the draft Act will be issued in KSeF if they are issued by a taxpayer with a registered office or permanent place of business in Poland, regardless of whether they were issued using KSeF or outside KSeF.
Also, buyers will be able to propose corrections to the original invoice (except to the NIP number). After seller acceptance it will become a corrective e-invoice (alternative corresponding to the corrective note, which can only be issued by the buyer and used when the invoice recipient finds a mistake in the delivered invoice).
From 1 January 2025 invoices issued via cash registers will be in scope of the KSeF system. Taxpayers keeping sales records using cash registers will be required to issue a fiscal receipt for each sale, but they should not issue an invoice from the cash register, as this document will not be considered an e-invoice.
Also, from 1 January 2024, a receipt with NIP number up to PLN 450 will not be considered an e-invoice.
In case of KSeF system failure, taxpayers will have to issue e-invoices in accordance with the schema, but instead transfer them to the recipients outside the KSeF. The date of issue of such e-invoices will be the date specified in the P_1 field.
After the failure is over, taxpayers will have seven days to send invoices issued in this way to KSeF. Also, it is possible to issue e-invoices outside of KSeF in the event of a crisis.
According to the draft law, failure to comply with the obligations introduced in the amended VAT Act will lead to financial administrative penalties.
The head of tax office will be able to impose:
Penalties can be imposed when the taxpayer:
It’s vital to highlight that the introduction of the administrative penalties with the half year delay isn’t hindering the introduction of mandatory e-invoicing in Poland. This postponement should not be viewed as a delay to the introduction of the mandatory e-invoicing obligations. Invoices issued between 1 January 2024 and 30 June 2024 outside of KSeF will not be treated as structured invoices, and therefore penal and fiscal sanctions will apply.
With the draft regulation published, the Ministry of Finance also presented the new logical structures of FA(2) and FA_RR. The public consultation on the substantive and logical correctness of the schemas is open until 23 December 2022, coinciding with the public consultation regarding the draft regulation on the mandatory implementation of KSeF.
The draft regulation amending the VAT Act is available on the Government Legislation Centre website and the draft schemas can be found: FA (2) and FA_RR.
Want to ensure compliance with the latest e-invoicing requirements in Poland? Get in touch with our tax experts.
With the entry into force of resolutions SAT-DSI-1240-2021 and SAT-DSI-1350-2022, most taxpayers in the country are now obliged to issue electronic invoices under the Online Electronic Invoice System (Regimen de Factura Electronica en Linea – FEL).
The latest taxpayers to join the mandatory electronic billing system are include taxpayers incorporated into the General Value Added Tax (VAT) Regime and the group of natural and legal persons registered in the Small Taxpayer Regime.
With the addition of these last two groups, the Superintendence of Tax Administration of Guatemala (SAT) has practically completed the gradual process of incorporation into the country’s electronic invoicing regime.
Today, the general population should only accept FEL documents from obligated taxpayers. Paper invoices (preprinted) are no longer valid, making them unusable for transactions such as tax credit, among others.
The operating model and the rules applicable to the online electronic invoice of the Republic of Guatemala includes the issuance, transmission, certification, and preservation by electronic means of invoices, credit and debit notes, receipts, and other documents authorised by the Superintendence of Tax Administration, known as Electronic Tax Documents (DTE).
The following tax documents are available for issuance under the Regimen de Factura Electronica en Linea – FEL:
The Guatemalan system follows e-invoice clearance system, the well-established trend in LatAm countries. The clearance system means that the tax authority must authorise the electronic documents before the issuer is able to send them to the recipient.
The issuance process goes through the following mandatory steps:
The SAT store all invoices. This does not exempt senders and receivers from keeping the XML file for the period of four years, established in the Tax Code. The certifiers are also obliged to keep the certified DTE files in XML format, as well as the respective acknowledgments of receipt from the SAT.
Now 98.23% of the total billing of the General VAT Regime is using FEL, with only around 20,000 businesses needing to migrate to the system since it was first launched in 2020.
Online e-invoices for all remaining VAT registered business will be mandatory from 1 April 2023 via the FEL.
Still have questions about e-invoicing in Guatemala? Speak to our tax experts.
African countries are following e-invoicing and continuous transaction control trends implemented rapidly by many countries around the globe.
Each country in the continent is developing their variation of a tax digitization system. This means there is currently no standardisation with compliance requirements differing in each jurisdiction.
A common transaction reporting feature among African countries is the use of electronic or virtual fiscal devices. Electronic fiscal devices are cash registers with software and direct communication to the tax authority. Virtual fiscal devices serve the same purpose but without the hardware component.
However, reporting transactions is one of many fiscal digitization processes applied by African countries. E-invoicing is on the agenda for several authorities, including Nigeria, Kenya and Uganda. In this blog we explain the key features of these systems.
Taxpayers report their transactions electronically to the tax authority through the Automated Tax Administration System (ATAS), established for electronic VAT compliance purposes.
In addition to this e-reporting function, as of February 2022, all import and export operations need an authenticated e-invoice issued according to the format specified by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).
The CBN has introduced the Cross-Border e-Invoicing program, where suppliers and buyers operating in imports and exports register on the dedicated electronic platform. There are exemptions to obligatory e-invoices based on operations and taxpayers, such as the transaction value within the invoice.
Businesses subject to VAT must report their e-invoices to the Tax Invoice Management System (TIMS), which requires taxpayers to install, and use approved electronic tax register machines. These tax register machines connect to the tax authority’s online system. There is a mandatory format for submitting e-invoices to the tax authority.
Regarding the full implementation, the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) announced additional time to comply with the TIMS after the grace period, and taxpayers are expected to be fully prepared by the end of November 2022.
The Electronic Fiscal Receipting and Invoicing System (EFRIS) covers invoices and receipts of B2B, B2G and B2C transactions. Taxpayers must send e-invoices to EFRIS through electronic fiscal devices or via an API connection between the taxpayer and EFRIS. When initiating a transaction, transaction details are transmitted in real time to EFRIS to generate an e-receipt or e-invoice.
Given the growth in jurisdictions applying mandatory e-invoicing and e-reporting and the common agenda set by African Union that also refers to tax control and traceability, we can expect more African countries to introduce similar e-invoicing systems in the near future. The countries that follow will likely learn from the pioneers, leading to a more uniform development of tax digitization in Africa.
Ask our tax experts about e-invoicing compliance in African countries. Simply get in touch.
On 19 May 2022, the Danish Parliament passed a new bookkeeping law – Lov om bogføring – introducing requirements for companies to use a digital bookkeeping system.
Section 16 of the Law requires many Danish companies to use a digital bookkeeping system and make their bookings electronically. The final deadline is yet to be announced but is expected to be July 2024, with the Danish Business Authority announcing they will give businesses enough time to comply with the e-bookkeeping requirements.
The subjective scope of the digital bookkeeping requirements covers all companies in Denmark that are liable for accounting according to section 3(1) of the Financial Statements Act. Moreover, other companies whose net turnover exceeds DKK 300,000 in two consecutive income years are subject to digital bookkeeping requirements. Finally, the rules cover bookkeepers and others who carry out bookkeeping for other companies.
These companies will be required to record company transactions and store records in a digital bookkeeping system. Companies can use a digital bookkeeping system registered with the Danish Business Authority, Erhvervsstyrelsen, or any other bookkeeping system. However, companies who choose the latter option must ensure their systems meet the requirements according to Law for digital bookkeeping systems.
While the new bookkeeping law doesn’t introduce any mandatory e-invoicing or continuous transaction controls (CTC) obligations for businesses, it is envisaged that the digital bookkeeping systems must support continuous registration of the company’s transactions and the automation of administrative processes. This includes automatic transmission and receipt of e-invoices.
This requirement was further detailed in the draft executive order on requirements for standard digital bookkeeping systems, which outlines that the taxpayers:
Moreover, the new bookkeeping law authorised the Minister for Industry, Business, and Financial Affairs to introduce rules:
(a) that require companies to record their transactions regarding purchases and sales with e-invoices as documentation of the transactions,
(b) on transmission of records by digital bookkeeping systems to a public receiving point through the shared public digital infrastructure for the exchange of e-documents and the storage of such records.
Although Denmark’s e-invoicing journey is still in the early phases, it seems that the new bookkeeping law and requirements for digital bookkeeping systems lay the foundation for a future e-invoicing mandate to be duly introduced by the Minister for Industry, Business, and Financial Affairs.
It will be interesting to see how and when Denmark’s plans for e-invoicing will take shape and be affected by the upcoming results from the EU Commission on the VAT in the Digital Age project.
If you have any question about Denmark’s new bookkeeping law or e-invoicing requirements in Denmark, please reach out to us: Speak to our tax experts.
It’s a good year to be an IT leader. After far too many years of the phrase “do more with less” being the mantra of most organizations when it came to technology spending, things are finally looking up.
According to research firm Gartner, IT spending will reach an estimated $4.5 trillion in 2022. This represents a 5.1% increase over 2021 and is a much-needed boost for businesses in need of technology updates that may have been placed on the backburner due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
IT departments are also eager to switch focus from just keeping things afloat to more long-term projects that will strategically and successfully support the future of work. This assertion is backed by numbers provided by IT management solutions firm Flexera in its State of Tech Spend Report.
When asked where budgets were being allocated to this year, 54% of those surveyed expected increased investment and resources to be applied to technology that makes it easier and more seamless for employees to work from home. Another 42% of those surveyed stated a newfound willingness to move to the cloud to support the realities of a post-pandemic world. Participants in this survey were all executives and high-level managers in IT with significant knowledge of their organizations’ overall IT budgets, weighed in on what to expect in the year to come.
These findings show the level of importance businesses are putting on hybrid and flexible work environments. The likelihood that working from home, at least in some capacity, is here to stay has IT departments rethinking their strategies to be prepared to tackle any challenges that may arise.
The strategies being outlined by IT departments are sound and inline with the world in which we now exist. However, there is another post-pandemic force at work with the potential to derail the best laid plans and devour a vast amount of budget and resources. Government mandated e-invoicing.
If you work as an IT leader at a multinational company, you likely fall into one of the two following categories. One, you’ve been brought into deal with the new realities of real-time oversight and enforcement from regulatory authorities. Or two, you are about to be brought into the fray with your own internal mandate, solve this problem for good.
Why am I so definitive in this declaration? Because I work with some of the biggest brands on the planet and I am witnessing firsthand the impacts these mandates are having on their IT organization.
When it comes to IT projects, most are not reactionary but the result of careful and methodical planning over a long period of time. However, the government is changing the rules here. No longer are projects and upgrades on your timeline. When they implement new laws and mandates it’s either you move quickly to address the issue and make it right or you pay the consequences which can range from hefty fines to even losing your license to operate.
As government mandated e-invoicing laws quickly ramp up around the world, they represent a credible threat to your IT budgets. IT departments must be prepared for the new realities that accompany government mandated e-invoicing. With authorities now in the data stack of your businesses examining transactions in real-time as they traverse your network, you will need a solution that enables you to deliver the information in the format required in real-time.
Bottom line, compliance is no longer a tax issue. IT leaders and other senior leadership must work together to align business functions across the board. IT needs to ensure the resources and tools are in place to meet government mandated obligations, no matter the company’s industry or location.
A failure to address the problem early will only lead to more complex and costly problems down the road that will absorb critical budgets and resources earmarked for other priority projects.
If you aren’t sure where to start in building your strategy, reach out to our experts.
France is implementing a decentralised continuous transaction control (CTC) system where domestic B2B e-invoicing constitutes the foundation of the system, adding e-reporting requirements for data relating to B2C and cross-border B2B transactions (sales and purchases).
Under this upcoming regime, data or invoices can be directly sent to the Invoicing Public Portal ‘PPF’ (Portail Public de Facturation, so far known as Chorus Pro) or to a Partner Dematerialization Platform ‘PDP’ (Plateformes de Dématerialisation Partenaires). In addition, there are also Dematerializing Operators (Operateurs de dématérialisation) that are connected to either the PPF or a PDP.
Requirements for these portal and platforms have been published.
The Ministry of Economy published Decree No. 2022-1299 and Order of 7 October 2022 on the generalisation of e-invoicing in transactions between taxable persons for VAT and the transmission of transaction data (together known as ‘new legislation’), providing long-awaited details for PDP operators and PPF.
The new legislation introduces rules concerning the application process for PDP operators. Although French establishment isn’t required, PDP operators must fulfill a number of requirements, such as operating their IT systems in the EU.
France is implementing a model where third-party service providers are authorised to transmit invoices between the transacting parties. With the mandatory use of the PPF or PDPs for exchanging e-invoices, trading parties cannot exchange invoices between them directly. Therefore, PDPs must be able to receive and send invoices in structured formats, whether the ones supported by the PPF (CII, UBL, or FACTUR-X) or any other required by their clients. Also, to ensure interoperability, PDPs are expected to connect with at least one other PDP. Besides this requirement, it’s stated by the new decree that PDPs must be able to send e-invoices to PDPs chosen by their recipients which implies a complete interoperability between PDPs.
It was previously announced that taxpayers could submit PDF invoices for a transitional period. The new legislation outlines the transitional period as until the end of 2027. During this period PDPs and PPF must be able to convert the PDF into one of the structured formats.
The new legislation also provides information about the content of e-invoices, which has new mandatory fields, and the content of transaction and payment data to be transmitted to the tax authority.
It also announced frequencies and dates of data transmission. Deadlines for transaction and payment data transmission are based on the tax regimes of taxpayers. For example, taxpayers subject to the normal monthly regime should transmit payment data within ten days after the end of the month.
With the aim of having traceability over documents, the lifecycle statuses of the domestic B2B e-invoices are exchanged between the parties and transmitted to the PPF. Lifecycle statuses that are mandatory (“Deposited”, “Rejected”, “Refused” and “Payment Received”) are listed in the new legislation.
Further details regarding the Central Directory, which consists of data to properly identify the recipient of the e-invoice and its platform, are provided within the Order.
PDP operator candidates can apply for registration as of Spring 2023 (precise date still to be confirmed), instead of September 2023 as previously set. From January 2024, a six-month test run is expected to be conducted for enterprises and PDPs before the implementation in July 2024.
Still have questions about France’s upcoming continuous transaction control mandate? Get in touch with our tax experts.
Brazil is known for its highly complex continuous transaction controls (CTC) e-invoicing system. As well as keeping up with daily legislative changes in its 26 states and the Federal District, the country has over 5,000 municipalities with different standards for e-invoicing.
The tax levied on consumption of services (ISSQN – Imposto Sobre Serviços de Qualquer Natureza) lies under the competence of the municipalities. Each municipality has authority over the format and technical standard of the services e-invoice (NFS-e – nota fiscal de serviço eletrônica). This poses a significant compliance challenge, as e-invoicing is mandatory for nearly all taxpayers in the country.
However, important steps have been taken towards changing this scenario. An agreement (Convênio NFS-e) recently signed by the Brazilian Federal Revenue Agency (RFB), the National Confederation of Municipalities (CNM), and other relevant entities, has established the National System of the NFS-e with a countrywide unified standard for the services e-invoice.
The SNNFS-e introduces a unified standard layout for the issuance of the NFS-e, as well as a national repository of all e-documents generated within the system. Adhesion to the system is voluntary for municipalities. Since the bill proposed to regulate this issue (PLP 521/2018) has been static in Congress since 2019, the agreement was designed to allow municipalities to voluntarily adopt the national standard, which then becomes mandatory for taxpayers.
The system will allow issuance of the NFS-e in a national standard, through the web portal, mobile app or API (application programming interface). It also creates the National Data Environment (ADN), the NFS-e unified repository.
The SNNFS-e offers several service modules and municipalities can choose which ones to adopt. The ADN is the only mandatory module, as it ensures the integrity and availability of information contained in the documents issued is in the unified standard. Additionally, the ADN allows adhering municipalities to distribute issued NFS-e among themselves and taxpayers.
Once the agreement is signed, the municipality must activate the system within a certain deadline, which hasn’t been established. Activation involves configuring system parameters and amending municipal legislation to reflect the national system requirements. Only after complete activation will taxpayers be able to issue invoices based on the unified standard.
Technical documentation of the NFS-e has also been released, but these are not the definitive specifications, which are still to be approved by the National Standard Electronic Service Invoice Management Committee (CGNFS).
The NFS-e national standard provides substantial simplification of taxpayers’ e-invoicing obligations. With a standard layout, compliance with multiple formats can be drastically reduced. The document format for issuance of the standard NFS-e is XML and it must be digitally signed.
Another benefit is that one of the available modules allows taxpayers to pay the ISSQN owed in several municipalities at once, using one single document (Guia Única de Recolhimento) issued by the system.
Although municipalities may choose to keep their current NFS-e issuance system, they must still adhere to the communication deadlines, layout, and security standards of the national NFS-e. They must also ensure transmission of all issued documents to the national data environment. This ensures that taxpayers will only be required to issue the NFS-e in one standard layout.
The first phase of production started on 23 July 2022 with five pilot municipalities. Transmission will be available through different methods, with gradual implementation. According to the initial implementation schedule of the National Confederation of Municipalities, API transmission is set to happen from mid-October 2022 or later, depending on the stability of the other transmission methods. Further development of this schedule can be expected in the coming months.
São Paulo, Salvador, and Florianópolis are among the many municipalities that have already signed the agreement. The success of this national NFS-e standard relies on significant adoption by municipalities, so taxpayers must ready themselves to comply as this takes place across the country.
Need to ensure compliance with the latest e-invoicing requirements? Get in touch with our tax experts.
Update: 8 March 2023 by Kelly Muniz
Spain launches public consultation for B2B mandatory e-invoicing
The Ministry of Economic Affairs and Digital Transformation (Ministerio de Asuntos Económicos y Transformación Digital) has launched a public consultation on the upcoming B2B e-invoicing mandate.
The mandate will enable citizens to participate in elaborating norms before its development. This public consultation is carried out through the web portal of the competent department and all interested parties have until 22 March 2023 to send feedback.
Based on the feedback received, the government will develop and approve the regulatory framework that is needed according to the law adopting mandatory B2B e-invoicing which was published on 29 September 2022.
The public consultation consists of 32 specific questions on seven different areas that the regulatory framework will address. These areas are:
You can find the official text of the public consultation here.
Looking for more information on e-invoicing in Spain? Speak to a member of our expert team.
The Congress of Spain has approved the Law for the Creation and Growth of Companies, and it is expected to be published in the Official Gazette (BOE) in the following days.
This Law also amends Law 56/2007 on Measures to Promote Information to adopt the mandatory electronic invoice issuance requirement for all entrepreneurs and professionals in their commercial relationships.
According to this Law, all entrepreneurs and professionals must issue, send, and receive electronic invoices in their business relationships with other entrepreneurs and professionals. Additionally, the recipient and the sender of electronic invoices must provide information on the status of the invoices.
The main rules of the Law related to e-invoicing establishes that:
The process for accreditation of interconnection and interoperability of the platforms will be determined by the regulations at a later stage.
The law establishes that companies providing the supply of certain services to final consumers must issue and send electronic invoices in their relations with individuals who agree to receive them or who have explicitly requested them. This obligation affects companies supplying telecommunication services, financial services, water, gas, and electricity services among other sectors and activities prescribed in Article 2.2 of Law 56/2007.
These companies must provide access to the necessary programs so that users can read, copy, download and print the electronic invoice for free without having to go to other sources to obtain the necessary applications. They must also enable simple and free procedures so users can revoke the consent given to the receipt of electronic invoices at any time.
Companies within scope that refrain from offering users the possibility to receive electronic invoices will be sanctioned with a warning or a fine of up to 10,000 euros.
The Government will develop provisions of this Law in accordance with the regulations, and within the scope of its powers. Therefore, the Ministries of Economic Affairs and Digital Transformation and of Finance and Public Administration will determine the information and technical requirements to be included in the electronic invoice to verify the payment dates and obtain the payment periods.
It is also necessary to establish the minimum interoperability requirements between the providers of electronic invoice technology solutions, and the security, control, and standardisation requirements of the devices and computer systems that generate the documents.
The Government will have 6 months from the publication of this Law in the Official Gazette to approve the regulatory framework.
The provisions regarding mandatory B2B electronic invoicing will be effective according to their annual turnover:
This means that the B2B e-invoicing obligation could be effective for large taxable persons by the first quarter of 2024.
It is important to highlight that the entry into force of the B2B e-invoicing obligation is subject to obtaining the community exception to articles 218 and 232 of the VAT Directive. This exception is less difficult to obtain the previously as has been granted to other Member States such as Italy, France, and Poland to allow them to adopt the mandatory e-invoicing regime in their jurisdictions.
Need to ensure compliance with the latest e-invoicing requirements in Spain? Get in touch with our tax experts
Many countries have recently started their continuous transaction controls (CTC) journey by introducing mandatory e-invoicing or e-reporting systems. We see more of this trend in the European Union as the recent reports on the VAT in the Digital Age Initiative discuss that the best policy choice would be to introduce an EU-wide CTC e-invoicing system covering both intra-EU and domestic transactions.
However, the efforts to fight tax fraud aren’t limited to mandatory e-invoicing or e-reporting systems. Many governments prefer to look beyond and introduce another tool that gives them greater insight into their economy: e-transport documents. When introducing e-transport systems, we see that one country differs from other EU Member States with the early adoption of an e-transport system – Hungary.
The Electronic Public Road Transportation Control System or Elektronikus Közúti Áruforgalom Ellenőrző Rendszer (EKAER) has been in place in Hungary since 2015. Operated by the Hungarian tax authority, the EKAER is intended to monitor compliance with tax obligations arising from the transportation of goods on public roads in the national territory.
The system was initially introduced to monitor the movement of all goods in the national territory. However, after several letters from the EU Commission asking Hungary to bring their system in line with the EU regulations, the scope of the system was narrowed down to the so-called risky products in January 2021. The risky products are defined in 51/2014. (XII. 31.) NGM decree, which consists of foodstuffs or other risky products (such as flowers, all kinds of natural sands, different types of minerals, etc.).
According to 13/2020. (XII. 23.) decree on the operation of the Electronic Road Traffic Control System, Hungarian taxpayers are required to report specific data regarding the transport of risky products by using the EKAER system before the transportation of goods begins. It’s also important to mention that it’s necessary to be registered in the EKAER system and provide a risk guarantee for certain types of transport unless there is an exemption in the law.
Taxpayers are obliged to report the transport of risky goods in XML format to the EKAER system. This information includes data regarding the sender, the recipient, and the goods. Moreover, businesses must also report additional specified data to the tax authority based on the transport type (domestic, intra-community acquisitions and intra-community supplies).
Following the report by the taxpayer, the EKAER system generates an EKAER number, an identification number assigned to a product unit. This number will be valid for 15 days; therefore, the delivery of goods must be performed within this period. Businesses must communicate the EKAER number to the carrier, and it should accompany transported goods.
Although no future changes are foreseen for the EKAER system, different countries worldwide continue to introduce e-transport requirements similar to the EKAER system. Taxpayers must ensure that their transport processes are flexible and compatible with changes that the tax authorities are introducing to stay compliant.
For the UK and other non-EU businesses it’s vital to determine the importer of the goods into the EU as this will impact the VAT treatment.
For goods under €150 there are simplified options such as the Import One Stop Shop (IOSS) or special arrangements through the postal operator. However, when supplying goods over €150, businesses need to consider how they want to import the goods.
One option is for businesses to deliver on a Delivered Duty Paid (DDP) basis and be the importer of the goods into the EU. This improves the customer experience for B2C transactions but creates a liability to be registered in the county of import and to charge local VAT, along with additional compliance requirements. If goods are moved from that country to other EU countries, then depending on the supply chain, the One Stop Shop (OSS) could be used to avoid further VAT registration requirements.
Due to increased compliance costs many businesses have chosen not to be the importer and pass this obligation to the end customer. If a business chooses this route, options are still available.
The business could simply place the full obligation on the customer., The customer would be sent a payment request for the VAT and any duty by the carrier before delivery., There could also be a handling fee passed on to the customer. Once paid the goods would be delivered This approach doesn’t provide the best customer experience.
This is why many businesses have opted for a ’landed cost method’ offered by many couriers. The customer is still the importer on the import documentation, but the business collects the VAT and duty from the customer at the time of sale and settles the carrier’s invoice on their behalf. In theory, this avoids the need for the business to register in the EU and still offers the customer a seamless experience. However, this raises the question: is the customer actually the importer?
Some tax authorities are beginning to take a different view of arrangements for goods with a value above €150 where goods are imported directly into the Member State of delivery. A law change on 1 July 2021 included the concept “where the supplier intervenes indirectly in the transport or dispatch of the goods”. This is to counter arrangements that allowed the seller to argue they were not distance selling but making a local sale, so only had to account for VAT in the Member State of dispatch of the goods.
Following the law change some tax authorities are arguing this concept means if a seller sells to a private individual in their country and the seller arranges for the goods to be delivered from a non-EU country and customs cleared in their EU Member State, the place of supply is the Member State as the supplier has indirectly intervened in the transport.
As a result, the supplier must register and account for VAT in the Member State even if the customer is the importer of the goods. This argument could result in double taxation and can create additional compliance obligations along with tax authority audits – all of which add additional costs and time for businesses.
It’s important that businesses adopting a method where the customer is the importer put correct arrangements in place. This includes ensuring website terms and conditions reflect the fact the customer is the importer and giving the company the power to appoint a customs declarant on their behalf. It’s also important that customs documentation is completed correctly. Avoiding terms such as DDP on the website is also key as this implies that the business is the importer.
For help with EU import queries or if your company needs VAT compliance assistance get in touch to speak with one of our tax experts.