Serbia E-invoicing

Serbia is in the process of introducing mandatory e-invoicing for all taxpayers

Following other Eastern European Countries such as Poland and Romania, Serbia is on its way to implementing the mandatory e-invoicing system for the B2B (business to business) and B2G (business to government) sectors.

The Law on Electronic Invoicing that came into force in May 2021, introduces the clearance e-invoicing system and presents the centralised continuous transaction controls (CTCs) platform called SEF (Sistem E‑Faktura) for sending, receiving, capturing, processing and storing structured electronic invoices. Additionally, there is a system to help taxpayers with the processing and storage of invoices called the Sistem za Upravljanje Fakturama (SUF).

The new legislation aims to replace paper invoices with electronic invoices and outlines the requirements for the issuance of e-invoices in B2B and B2G transactions.

Have questions? Get in touch with a Sovos Serbia VAT expert.

Scope of e-invoicing mandate

Under the new e-invoicing framework, e-invoices must be sent and received in accordance with Serbian e‑invoicing standards (custom application of the standard EN 16931-1). All e‑invoices must be submitted via a centralised platform to the recipient who must accept or reject the invoice.

  • For invoices relating to B2G transactions: 15 days to accept an invoice, in the case of no response the invoice will be deemed accepted.
  • For invoices relating to B2B transactions: This requirements will come into force in 2023. After 15 days a re-notification is sent, if the buyer does not accept or reject the electronic invoice within five days from the date of re-notification that the electronic invoice has been issued, the electronic invoice shall be deemed rejected

Currently in scope are resident taxpayers in the private and public sector and non-resident businesses with a local fiscal representative in Serbia.

Quick facts

  • Serbian e-invoices must be issued in an XML format and comply with UBL 2.1 Standard
  • Taxpayers must register first via the eID.gov.rs portal to start using the SEF platform, by using either:
    • Qualified Electronic Certificate or
    • Parameters for two-factor authentication
  • Invoices must be sent and received to EN 16931‑1 standard
  • The Ministry of Finance needs to give consent to the service provider, who needs to be registered in Serbia, to provide e-invoicing and archiving
  • Issuing electronic invoices through SEF ensures the integrity and authenticity of the electronic invoice

Mandate rollout dates

May 2021: Law on Electronic Invoicing entered into force

1 May 2022: All suppliers in the public sector must send invoices electronically and the Serbian government must be able to receive and store them. (G2G/B2G)

1 July 2022: Serbian public entities are obliged to send e‑invoices to companies, who must be able to receive and process them. (G2B)

1 January 2023: E‑invoicing will be extended to the entire B2B sector. (B2B)

How can Sovos help?

Need help to ensure your business stays compliant with the emerging mandatory e‑invoicing for all taxpayers in Serbia?

Our experts continually monitor, interpret and codify legal changes into our software, reducing the compliance burden on your tax and IT teams.

Learn how Sovos’ solution to address the changing VAT compliance requirements in Serbia can help companies stay compliant.

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