Sovos, the always-on compliance company, today announced a joint business relationship with the Belgian PwC Firm PwC Business Advisory Services bv/srl (hereinafter: “PwC”), leveraging the companies’ complementary tax and advisory service expertise and solutions to address vital e-invoicing and e-reporting needs.
Through this joint business relationship, Sovos and PwC clients can access comprehensive services to adeptly tackle the ever-evolving regulatory challenges linked to e-invoicing and e-reporting, as additional countries look to join the more than 80 countries worldwide with existing e-invoice requirements.
Through implementation of the Sovos Compliance Cloud, organisations will be able to identify and document client e-invoicing regulatory requirements across various markets, evaluate existing processes and technology, and align business objectives. Introduced in February, the Sovos Compliance Cloud is the industry’s premier unified, cloud-based tax compliance and regulatory software platform that provides a holistic system of record for global compliance.
“As companies navigate an increasingly interconnected and dynamic marketplace, the need for a more integrated e-invoice process has never been more crucial,” said Ellen Cortvriend, partner, of PwC in Belgium. “The Sovos joint business relationship allows us to deliver excellence in an e-invoicing-led global tax compliance project today, with the ability to streamline the e-invoice process even more over time.”
“With many clients of PwC in Belgium facing imminent e-invoicing mandates, the Sovos Compliance Cloud platform ensures a quick and successful integration,” said Alice Katwan, president of revenue, Sovos. “Rapid and complex compliance changes create both tax and IT challenges, from needing immediate tax determination at the point the invoice is raised, to the integration of validated e-invoices with periodic and SAF-T reporting. By reducing the operational burden and providing a singular data view into their compliance posture, Sovos and PwC allow companies to unlock tremendous business value.”
For business leaders seeking to understand more about the events driving regulatory changes and strategies to stay ahead of the compliance risk curve, PwC and Sovos compliance experts will host a complementary webinar, Have We Hit a Tipping Point for Global Indirect Tax?, on 11 April 2024 at 2 p.m. GMT. Registration is now open.
About Sovos
Sovos is a global provider of tax, compliance and trust solutions and services that enable businesses to navigate an increasingly regulated world with true confidence. Purpose-built for always-on compliance capabilities, our scalable IT-driven solutions meet the demands of an evolving and complex global regulatory landscape. Sovos’ cloud-based software platform provides an unparalleled level of integration with business applications and government compliance processes.
More than 100,000 customers in 100+ countries – including half the Fortune 500 – trust Sovos for their compliance needs. Sovos annually processes more than 11 billion transactions across 19,000 global tax jurisdictions. Bolstered by a robust partner program more than 400 strong, Sovos brings to bear an unrivaled global network for companies across industries and geographies. Founded in 1979, Sovos has operations across the Americas and Europe, and is owned by Hg and TA Associates. For more information visit https://sovos.com and follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter.
About PwC
At PwC, our purpose is to build trust in society and solve important problems. We’re a network of firms in 151 countries with more than 364,000 people who are committed to delivering quality in assurance, advisory and tax services. Find out more and tell us what matters to you by visiting us at www.pwc.com.
PwC refers to the PwC network and/or one or more of its member firms, each of which is a separate legal entity. Please see www.pwc.com/structure for further details.
© 2024 PwC. All rights reserved.
In less than six months, Poland is going to introduce its long-awaited CTC clearance e-invoicing mandate – a tax reform that will impact a large amount of businesses.
It has been possible to issue and receive e-invoices voluntarily via Krajowy System E-Faktur (KSeF) since January 2022, but from 1 July 2024 it will become mandatory for suppliers and buyers that are in scope of mandatory e-invoicing to do this via KSeF.
A detailed understanding of the new regime, plus timely and proper preparation, is critical for compliance. Whilst there is a six-month grace period on financial penalties, non-compliance can negatively impact your business in many other, often unexpected, ways.
In this 45-minute deep-dive webinar, Marta Sowińska from our Regulatory Analysis and Design team will cover:
Join us on 8 February at 2pm GMT | 3pm CET for a thorough review of the Polish KSeF e-invoicing mandate and the opportunity to submit your questions.
As tax authorities continue to digitize processes in their mission to reduce fraud and close their VAT gaps, they are introducing requirements that provide greater visibility into a company’s financial operations in the form of Continuous Transaction Controls (CTC).
It would be a mistake to think that being prepared to meet obligations in one of the countries where you operate can simply be replicated in another – CTCs are far from a ‘one-size-fits-all’ solution.
Join us on 24 January 2024 in our latest quarterly VAT Snapshot webinar series where regulatory experts Dilara Inal and Marta Sowinska will examine how tax authorities in Poland, Romania, Israel, Greece and Spain – all simultaneously implementing CTC regimes – are doing so with different sets of requirements.
Don’t miss this opportunity to learn more about these unique regimes and what they mean for your business.
When it was announced recently that the introduction of a new French e-invoicing mandate had been delayed until September 2026 there was a collective sigh of relief amongst many in the tax and finance world. More time to adequately prepare, put systems and methodologies in place and have your business ready to be compliant from the get-go.
Sounds optimal, but let’s focus on reality. First, the reported delay is a bit deceiving. While it may not officially take effect until 2026, you only have a matter of months to get prepared to participate in the extended trial. Human nature may be to push it to the side and focus on more short-term deadlines. However, to not take advantage of the extra time provided would be shortsighted at best.
Here are five ways you can make this extra time work for you:
Note: portions of this section originally appeared in the Sovos blog, France: B2B E-Invoicing Mandate Postponed, updated 19 September 23.
Businesses will soon be able to register proactively for the pilot program, which has been designed to allow businesses to test the PDP platform. This program is intended to build knowledge and confidence and ensure businesses are on the path to readiness.
Therefore, it would be prudent to regard the delay as a mere six-month postponement, with the beginning of the pilot program acting as the de facto starting date. To understand the full impact on their business processes and data flows, companies will need to thoroughly test up to 36 use-cases.
The good news is that the many software vendors helping companies to streamline their purchase-to-pay and order-to-cash processes will be eager to test the compliance of their solutions as early as possible in what has become a completely new ecosystem.
We are proud to say that Sovos is one of the first 20 candidates for service provider (PDP) accreditation in France and as such, will be fully prepared to assist your organization through the trial process and beyond.
Looking for more information about how to comply with the French Mandate?
Download our French Mandate eBook or Contact our expert team.
E-documents or electronic documents are rapidly growing in usage across businesses of all shapes and sizes, in countries around the world.
While the automated exchange of e-documents is a relatively new phenomenon which is being adopted on a country-by-country basis, there is basic universal information that your business would benefit from understanding – and potentially utilizing.
This blog will serve as your one-stop shop for required e-document knowledge.
An e-document is an electronic transactional document or message and is typically used in an automated business process.
As the digitisation of business accelerates, so too does the use of electronic documents – whether that be an electronic invoice sent in real-time to a national tax authority or an electronic goods receipt note exchanged between companies.
The difference between electronic documents and other digital documents such as PDFs is that e-documents are machine-readable and are generally exchanged by online platforms or software.
That said, there are numerous types of e-documents and there is little standardisation as each country has its own stance and potential mandate on their adoption. The European Union has long been working on its approach to e-documents for increased interoperability with definitions and rules as part of its efforts under the eGovernment Action plan and eIDAS regulation to facilitate digital transactions and services in the EU.
In addition, the UK recently adopted the UK’s Electronic Document Trade Act which is a huge step towards the digitization of trade documents and potentially paperless global trade.
There is a wide variety of electronic documents to suit a number of applications across business, helping to streamline workflows and operations, facilitate cross-border trade and save on costs.
E-document mandates in Turkey, for example, include:
Other electronic documents that are used in some countries include:
There has been a notable implementation of e-documents in transport in recent years, with the likes of Romania adopting a system that requires taxpayers to use an electronic waybill system to obtain clearance of the transport document before the transport of goods begins. Read our dedicated blog to find out more about the global rise of e-transport documents.
One particular e-document that has had an exponential rise in utility over the past few years is the e-invoice. Electronic invoices have grown in popularity as countries develop their continuous transaction controls (CTC) and e-invoicing regulatory obligations. The likes of France, Spain and Poland all plan to introduce e-invoice mandates, requiring taxpayers to send invoices electronically.
Read our comprehensive e-invoicing guide for more information.
There is a host of reasons that electronic documents can be beneficial, which explains why tax administrations globally are implementing e-document mandates.
A primary reason for the use of e-documents is that they generally allow for the automation of workflows, increasing safety, accuracy, transparency and cost-saving for the involved parties. Automating the process of generating and exchanging documentation reduces the risk of error, allows for seamless transmission of information (including to tax authorities who seek greater transparency) and reduces the reliance on paper (providing an environmental benefit).
Another reason businesses use electronic documents is simply because they are mandated to do so as part of tax digitization controls. An increasing amount of tax authorities are making it an obligation to send documents electronically, and facing a penalty due to non-compliance is not desirable. As CTC regime adoption grows, so too does the need for businesses to meet their new e-document obligations.
The compliance conditions of e-documents vary depending on the national rules, but there are some typical conditions across regimes.
In the context of tax digitization controls, the conditions that apply to some of the most regulated e-document types, such as the e-invoice, include:
The difference between electronic documents and digital documents is a hot topic. It’s easy to get confused between the two considering that “digital” and “electronic” are used interchangeably by many, but it’s important to understand the difference.
Digital documents are often a digital analogue of a physical document – think a scanned document, photograph, or PDF – and oftentimes are simple for people to read and digest. An example of a digital document would be an invoice sent as a PDF via email.
Electronic documents are files of data that are generated by and for computers, making them hard for people to read due to their formatting. Such data – like that seen in a structured e-invoice (e.g. XML) – is meant to be sent from one system to another without interference from humans.
Sovos’ software allows businesses to manage CTC obligations, including e-invoicing compliance and archiving.
As the world continues its digitisation, it’s important to stay on top of evolving regulations and to keep up with best practices for your business. Working with Sovos, your business can:
Find out more about Sovos’ CTC solutions.
With the rate of change in tax digitization not set to slow down any time soon, it’s more important than ever to keep up with what’s happening where you do business.
This quarter, our VAT Snapshot webinar looks in detail at CTC and e-invoicing implementation timelines across six different countries.
Join Dilara İnal and Carolina Silva from our Regulatory Analysis and Design team for an examination of scope, key timelines and essential milestones for compliance across these jurisdictions.
The webinar will cover:
As always, please bring your questions for our experts in the Q&A at the end.
Stay up to date with the evolving landscape of tax mandates by registering today.
The Chilean Internal Revenue Service (SII) recently published version 4.00 of the document describing the format of electronic tickets for Sales and Services.
The electronic ticket (or Boleta Electrónica) is an electronic receipt issued for the sale of goods or services to individuals, consumers or end users.
The document includes basic information about the transaction, such as:
The electronic ticket is for less formal, business-to-consumer (B2C) transactions and is subject to less rigorous reporting requirements than electronic invoices (Factura Electrónica). It is often used for smaller transactions, such as retail purchases or services rendered to individuals.
Businesses must use certified invoicing software to generate electronic tickets. These software solutions need to be approved by the Chilean tax authority, the Servicio de Impuestos Internos (SII).
The generated electronic invoices must be digitally signed using an electronic signature to ensure their authenticity and integrity.
Taxpayers authorised as issuers of electronic tickets must digitally send all the electronic tickets issued and generated to the SII. These should follow the Technical Instructions provided in Annex 1 of Resolution 74 of 2020, and any future updates.
In accordance with the Technical Instructions, the electronic ticket must contain the following information:
After generating the electronic tickets, businesses submit them to the SII. Since the SII must validate both the XML format of the document and its electronic signature, the SII has established a limit of 500 ballots per batch.
On the other side of the transaction, the recipient of an electronic ticket can access and verify the invoice through the SII’s online platform. They can accept or reject the invoice, which helps maintain transparency and accurate transactions.
The data generated by this electronic receipt system drives efficiency. For example, businesses can obtain important information, such as:
Businesses must maintain records for six years in the XML format established in version 4.00.
Non-compliance with the electronic invoicing requirements or submitting inaccurate information can lead to penalties. The SII has the authority to audit businesses to ensure compliance with tax regulations.
Are you in financial services or working at a bank with more questions about invoicing in Chile? Speak to our tax experts.
Update: 9 December 2024
On September 15th, 2024, the French Tax Authorities published a Press Release announcing a profound change in the upcoming French Mandate for electronic e-invoicing & e-reporting.
Indeed, the Public Portal (aka PPF) will no longer provide e-Invoicing Services, making it compulsory for every FR-established and VAT-Registered Taxpayer to send and receive e-Invoices via a 3rd Party Dematerialization Platform (aka PDP) of its choice.
After this initial announcement, the FR TA has communicated additional details, whether on the rationale behind that pivotal decision or on the next milestones until the Mandate enters into force:
Update: 2 January 2024
The Finance Law for 2024 has been officially adopted and published in the Official Gazette on 30 December 2023. With the finalization of the law, the new implementation dates are as follows:
Receipt of e-invoices: Starting from 1 September 2026, ALL taxpayers, regardless of their size, will be required to be capable of receiving e-invoices. This date may be extended to December 1, 2026, at the latest, but only by decree.
Issuing e-invoices:
International B2B, B2C transaction and payment data transmission:
The e-reporting obligation for international B2B (sales and purchases) and B2C transactions and Payment data follows the same timetable as that for issuing electronic invoices (September 1, 2026 or September 1, 2027 depending on the size of the company).
The implementing decree that will formally ratify this new schedule is expected during the first quarter of 2024.
Looking for more information about how to comply with the French Mandate? Contact our expert team.
Update: 19 October 2023
The long-awaited new implementation timeline regarding the e-invoicing and e-reporting within the draft Finance Law for 2024 has been unveiled on 17 October 2023.
According to the draft amending General Tax Code and Law No. 2022-1157, the new dates are as follows:
Implementation phases: The roll out of the mandate will now occur in two phases, as opposed to the previously planned three phases.
Issuing e-invoices:
Receipt of e-invoices: Starting from 1 September 2026, all taxpayers will be required to be capable of receiving e-invoices.
E-reporting obligations: The enforcement of e-reporting obligations will follow the same revised dates.
It is important to note that the above-mentioned dates, September 2026 and September 2027, may be subject to readjustment with the possibility of rescheduling to the 1st of December as the latest date, in the respective years.
After the adoption of Finance Law for 2024, a Decree complementing the law is expected to be issued in the first quarter of the upcoming year for full enforcement of aforementioned obligations.
Companies need to take advantage of the additional time through active participation in the pilot phase during which all relevant use cases should be tested so that changes to applications, processes and systems can be taken care of and fine-tuned in good time to ensure compliance.
Looking for more information about how to comply with the French Mandate? Contact our expert team.
Update: 15 September 2023
In a recent meeting of the Communauté des Relais, the tax authority released additional details surrounding the previously communicated postponement of the B2B e-invoicing mandate in France.
This delay is a result of the tax authority listening to feedback from French businesses who have struggled to meet the original timeline. It’s further evidence, as previously iterated by the ICC of just how much time and effort is required for most businesses to compare for the complexities of a new mandate.
While the formal dates are still to be defined, the revised main timeline was presented as part of a roll-out in 3 stages:
2024: The authorities will publish the first list of officially registered service providers (PDPs – Plateformes de Dématérialisation Partenaires) by the spring of 2024. During the course of 2024, the development of the public portal (PPF – Portail Public de Facturation) will be completed.
2025: During this year, a large-scale pilot project, involving companies of all sizes will be conducted. The tax authority views this pilot as an opportunity for taxpayers to fine-tune their e-invoicing and e-reporting processes and systems to comply with what has grown to be, a complex and sophisticated CTC framework.
2026: The roll-out of the obligation for the entire economy will largely take place during 2026. However, at what pace remains to be seen once the Finance Law is adopted by Parliament at the end of 2023.
Businesses impacted by the French mandate, headquartered in France and elsewhere, will now be in a better position to successfully comply with the new reform, assuming they make use of the added time provided by the French authorities. In particular, by proactively using the pilot program to build confidence and knowledge on the critical path to readiness. For the largest taxpayers facing these obligations, it would be prudent to regard these changes as a mere 6-month postponement, with the beginning of the pilot program acting as the de facto starting date. To understand the full impact on their business processes and data flows, companies will need to thoroughly test up to 36 use-cases. The many software vendors helping companies to streamline their purchase-to-pay and order-to-cash processes will certainly be eager to test the compliance of their solutions as early as possible in what has become a completely new ecosystem.
Participation in the extended pilot, with professional support from Sovos, provides a risk-free environment to assess and then conduct the essential finetuning.
Sovos is one of the first 20 candidates for service provider (PDP) accreditation in France, and as such will be ready to sustain our customers as they take the numerous steps needed to fully comply with the new CTC framework, drawing on its rich experience of keeping customers compliant with complicated e-invoicing obligations around the world.
Looking for more information about how to comply with the French Mandate? Contact our expert team.
10 August 2023
The French Directorate General of Public Finances (DGFiP) officially postponed the implementation of the country’s electronic invoicing mandate on 28 July. The postponement is in order to provide necessary time for taxpayers to comply with the mandate.
The latest official word states that the revised timeline for the mandate will be provided within the framework of the Finance Law for 2024. We expect this law to be adopted in late 2023.
In addition, on 31 July the DGFiP published updated ‘External specifications file for electronic invoicing’(version 2.3). Despite deferral of the initial go-live, these updates demonstrate the authorities’ commitment to developing the mandate and set the expectation that preparations by taxpayers, vendors, PDP candidates and professional organizations must continue.
The French Mandate is one of the most complex tax digitization initiatives seen in EMEA to date. It’s essential that companies continue their preparations. Compliance with this mandate requires readying applications, processes and systems to a complex set of requirements. According to the ICC, businesses need at least 12-18 months to prepare for the shift to e-invoicing and e-reporting.
Please note that this information is subject to any further updates or changes from the French authorities and no further details are available at present. We will communicate any additional information once it is made available.
Sovos is experienced in helping our customers navigate digitization regulations around the world, including the French Mandate.
Looking for more information about how to comply with the French Mandate? Contact our expert team.