Romania SAF-T declaration

Since 2022, medium and large taxpayers in Romania have had to report their VAT electronically to the tax authority under the international standard known as SAF-T (Standard Audit File for Tax).

Romania implemented SAF-T to improve the data it receives in VAT returns, requiring more granular detail that is reported in real time. As well as benefiting the Romanian tax authority, the electronic submission of the D406 streamlines tax compliance and reporting for businesses.

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1. The legal framework of SAF-T in Romania
2. How to declare tax information with the SAF-T system in Romania
3. What information must be declared to the ANAF?
4. When to submit a SAF-T declaration in Romania
5. Timeline SAF-T in Romania

6. Understanding SAF-T D406 in Romania
7. Implementing SAF-T as a business
8. Other requirements for VAT compliance in Romania
9. FAQ
10. Our Solution
11. Related resources

The legal framework of SAF-T in Romania

The SAF-T mandate in Romania has been introduced through the amendment of the Fiscal Procedure Code, which foresees the obligation for taxpayers to submit a declaration containing information from the accounting and tax records.

The Fiscal Procedure Code also determines that the submission of the SAF-T file must be done electronically, leaving the remaining conditions to be determined by order of the ANAF.

Accordingly, ANAF has issued Order No. 1783, of 4 November 2021, which introduced the SAF-T reporting requirement from 1 January 2022. The Order provided the SAF-T Form D406, as well as the legal deadlines for submitting the various SAF-T files and the procedure and conditions for submission.

In these terms, the D406 file must be submitted electronically by generating an XML format file, which is submitted to a validation procedure, and preparing the corresponding D406 Form in PDF format.

The various SAF-T files can be submitted monthly, quarterly, annually and on-demand, depending on the VAT regime applicable to the taxpayer as well as on the type of file being submitted.

How to declare tax information with the SAF-T in Romania

Transaction and accounting data must be reported through Declaratiei Informative D406. Taxpayers are required to submit the information electronically in PDF format with an XML attachment and electronic signature.

What information must be declared to the ANAF?

The Romanian SAF-T file, the D406, is comprised of five sections:

General Ledger
Accounts Receivable
Accounts Payable
Fixed Assets
Inventory

The SAF-T D406 file to be submitted on a quarterly/monthly basis does not include information on Fixed Assets or Inventory. That data will be part of separate SAF-T files with different filling frequencies, namely the D406 Assets and the D406 Stocks.

Non-resident and small taxpayers will be required to submit a simplified SAF-T file from 2025 that will only account for the purchases and sales carried out through their Romanian VAT ID.

When to submit a SAF-T declaration in Romania

Submission deadlines for SAF-T in Romania can be monthly/quarterly, annual or on demand by the tax authorities.

Monthly or quarterly: The D406 file, except for the ‘Assets’ and ‘Stocks’ sections, shall be submitted monthly or quarterly by resident taxpayers, depending on the applicable VAT regime. The deadline for submission is the last calendar day of the month following the end of the reporting period.

Annual: The ‘Assets’ section can be submitted autonomously and must be filled annually by resident taxpayers within the deadline for submitting the annual financial statements.

On request: The ‘Stocks’ section shall be submitted only if requested by the tax authorities within the deadline established by that request, which cannot be shorter than 30 days.

Timeline of SAF-T in Romania

Romania’s implementation of SAF-T began on 1 January 2022 but only for a specific category of taxpayers. The following dates are when the SAF-T obligation applies to different types of taxpayers:

September 2021: Voluntary test period began
1 January 2022: Large taxpayers included in the tax authority’s list from 2021 must file SAF-T
1 July 2022: Large taxpayers who were not in this category on 1 January 2022 must file SAF-T
1 January 2023: Medium-sized taxpayers, financial institutions and insurance firms categorised as large taxpayers must file SAF-T
1 January 2025: Small taxpayers and non-resident taxpayers registered for VAT in Romania must file SAF-T

Understanding SAF-T D406 in Romania

The SAF-T D406 statement is required to be submitted each month or quarter to the Romanian tax authority (ANAF). The submission frequency is dependent on the company’s VAT regime, and it can either be monthly or quarterly.

There is also an annual SAF-T report under D406 – based on the taxpayer’s financial year – which includes asset information from the previous year, as well as a D406 Stock information report which is to be created based on the ANAF’s request.

The SAF-T file must be submitted electronically, through the tax authorities’ public service “Servicii online – Depunere declarații”.

Implementing SAF-T as a business

Compliance is important for businesses if they are to avoid fines and other penalties from Romania’s tax authorities. To comply with SAF-T, taxpayers must meet reporting deadlines with relevant and complete information – the use of purpose-built solutions can help with this.

Sovos SAF-T solutions can help your organization save time and effort when ensuring compliance with the mandate. Automating the process of preparing files helps not only with efficiency but also accuracy and compliance, providing peace of mind and freeing up valuable time.

For taxpayers established outside of the EU, complying with Romania’s VAT rules requires the appointment of a fiscal representative should they sell in the country. Sovos can help here too – contact us for more information.

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Other requirements for VAT compliance in Romania

Tax compliance in Romania goes beyond the SAF-T obligation, especially with Romania’s big push into e-invoicing.

The country introduced an e-invoicing requirement for B2B transactions of high-fiscal risk products in December 2021 and followed that up with an obligation for B2G transactions in May 2022. Both were implemented in July 2022.

Romania is aiming to make e-invoicing mandatory for B2B transactions of all types. Following the EU Council’s derogatory decision, allowing Romania to implement mandatory e-invoicing, Romania published a new B2B mandate with a 2024 oll-out date. The new law also introduces a new reporting system that will operate within the first six months of the introduction of the RO e-Factura e-invoicing system in July 2024. Read more in this overview about e-invoicing in Romania or take a look at this overview about VAT compliance in Romania.

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FAQ

Is SAF-T mandatory in Romania?

SAF-T became mandatory for large resident taxpayers in Romania in January 2022, and for medium-sized resident taxpayers in January 2023. Small and non-resident taxpayers will be obligated under the SAF-T mandate in January 2025.

How does SAF-T compliance differ in Romania compared to other countries?

While SAF-T has a similar reporting format across countries, each country as its own mandatory fields. In Romania, three different declarations are submitted by taxpayers: the general D406 file, the D406 Assets and the D406 Stocks.

What businesses need to comply with SAF-T in Romania?

SAF-T in Romania currently applies to medium-sized and large resident taxpayers. Small and non-resident taxpayers will need to comply with SAF-T from 2025.

Are there any penalties for non-compliance with SAF-T in Romania?

Taxpayers who fail to comply with SAF-T in Romania by not submitting the D406 report may be fined by the tax authority. There is a three-month grace period for non-submission in which no fines will be issued, but after the period a fine of 1,000-5,000 RON may be imposed. For an incorrect or incomplete submission, taxpayers may receive a fine of 500-1,500 RON.

What are the submission deadlines for SAF-T declarations in Romania?

The submission deadline for SAF-T in Romania ends on the last day of the month following the reporting period, which is either a month or a quarter for information outside of stocks and assets.The D406 Assets declaration is to be submitted within the deadline for the yearly submission of the taxpayer’s financial statements.

The D406 Stocks declaration is to be submitted on demand, within the deadline prescribed by the Tax Authorities (a minimum 30-day deadline).

Our Solution capabilities for Romania SAF-T

Data Extraction

Painlessly aggregate and consolidate data from a wide range of source systems across General Ledgers, Accounts Receivable, Accounts Payable (for monthly or quarterly submissions), Fixed Assets (for annual submissions) and Inventory (submitted on demand) complying with Romania’s standard tax control file, D406.

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Data Analytics

Check the accuracy, integrity and quality of complex data structures required by Romania SAF-T to give you peace of mind before you submit your D406 file to be audited by the ANAF.

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File Generation

Ensure that all required data sets from accounting entries, sales and purchase transactions, asset depreciation, stock movements and more, are mapped seamlessly into Romania’s D406 schema, ready to be analyzed and submitted punctually to the ANAF.

More about file generation