La entrada Electronic invoicing: legislative developments for 2022 se publicó primero en Voxel - Blog.

What’s new in e-invoicing in Bulgaria, Slovakia and Hungary.

We have said it many times before: e-invoicing is a global trend. Countries all over the world are making rapid progress in order not to be left behind. A good example of this is the United States, as we reported a few weeks ago. However, today on the blog, we will focus on the innovations published by three European countries: Bulgaria, Slovakia and Hungary.

Electronic invoicing in Bulgaria

The Bulgarian Tax Agency has opened a public consultation on the implementation of electronic invoicing in the country. The results of this consultation are expected to be published before the end of the year. This is a first step, far from a real implementation, which could come as of 2023.

Following other models in Europe, such as Italy or France, Bulgaria wants to adopt a clearance model for electronic invoicing. In this model, companies must wait for validation by the tax authority for an invoice to be valid.

Currently, in Bulgaria, the use of electronic invoicing is allowed, as long as there is an agreement between the customer and the supplier.

E-invoicing in Slovakia

Slovakia has been working for some time on an e-invoicing model for the country.

The proposed law is expected to be published in the first months of 2022.

The Ministry of Finance has created a website about the e-invoicing initiative in the country. From it, we know that there will be a unified process of electronic circulation of invoices. Also a unified process of sending structured invoice data to the financial administration. This will be implemented through an information and communication solution called “informačný systém elektronickej fakturácie”.

The system will support both the issuing and receiving of electronic invoices. And it will facilitate the creation of structured invoices by foreign suppliers.

Technically, the e-invoice system is expected to be UBL 2.1 and CII D16B.

Details of the implementation dates have also been published:

• January 2022 for the public domain (B2G).
• January 2023 for B2B and B2C.

The situation in Hungary

In Hungary there is no specific regulation for the use of mandatory e-invoicing. However, an immediate reporting system (RTIR) is in place.

Through this system, all taxpayers in the country must complete the report periodically.

Since November 2021, the information collected by the RTIR is used to prepare the Hungarian VAT return drafts.

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La entrada E-invoicing in Europe: Bulgaria, Slovakia and Hungary se publicó primero en Voxel - Blog.

The e-invoice will arrive in the country in December and its implementation will consist of two phases.

Less than a year ago, Saudi Arabia announced that e-invoicing would be mandatory by 2021. Since then, the country has detailed technical specifications, implementation phases and other information of interest. Below, we review the most important aspects to keep in mind if your company operates in Saudi Arabia.

FATOORAH Project

FATOORAH is the name of the e-invoicing project in Saudi Arabia. ZATCA is the tax authority responsible for the project.

In Saudi Arabia, e-invoicing will be mandatory for B2B, B2G and B2C transactions. And all taxpayers resident in the country will have to adopt it.

Implementation date and phases

The implementation of e-invoicing in Saudi Arabia will begin on 4 December 2021. From that date, paper invoices, or manual invoices, will no longer be accepted. Phase 1 of the project will then begin.

In phase 1 the taxpayer will have to generate the e-invoices with a compatible system. The taxpayer must also store the file and send an electronic copy to the customer. The e-invoice must contain information on the buyer’s tax number, the date of issue and the VAT breakdown. An optional QR code can be added to B2B invoices. The QR code is mandatory for B2C invoices or simplified invoices.

Phase 2 of e-invoicing implementation in Saudi Arabia will start on 1 January 2023. From that date, all invoicing systems will have to be integrated or compatible with the ZATCA system. Thereafter, invoices will have to be generated in XLM format. Certain mechanisms must also be implemented to ensure the security of electronic invoicing. These mechanisms are the electronic signature, the universal unique identifier and the hash. Including a QR code on the invoice will also be mandatory in phase 2 of the implementation of e-invoicing in Saudi Arabia.

If you do not want to miss the legislative updates on e-invoicing in Saudi Arabia, or in the rest of the world, subscribe to our monthly newsletter.

La entrada The implementation of e-invoicing in Saudi Arabia is now effective se publicó primero en Voxel - Blog.

Panama advances in the adoption of electronic invoicing and enters the massification phase.

Since 1 June, any Panamanian company can use the electronic invoice and thus communicate with the Directorate General of Revenue (DGI). The mass adoption of e-invoicing in the country comes after years of work on the digitalisation of this process.

The implementation of electronic invoicing in Panama began in 2016 with the creation of the Panama Electronic Invoicing System (SFEP, for its acronym in Spanish). Subsequently, the entire system was designed and a Voluntary Pilot Plan was launched in October 2018.

After more than 2 years, the pilot plan has welcomed 43 companies that have issued more than 17 million electronic invoices. Finally, on 31 July 2020, Executive Decree Nº367 was published, regulating the use of electronic invoicing in the country.

Following the success of the pilot project, Panama has taken another step forward in the implementation of e-invoicing and has begun the massification phase in which all companies in the country can use electronic invoicing.

Electronic invoicing adapted to any company

To enable all companies to adopt electronic invoicing, the DGI has made two systems available:

• Companies that manage approximately 200 invoices per month will have a free SFEP invoicing tool.
•  Companies that are able to integrate with the system will be able to do so through a Qualified Authorisation Provider (PAC, for its acronym in Spanish).

Electronic invoicing in LATAM

Panama thus joins the majority of Latin American countries that already use electronic invoicing on a regular basis. Countries such as Mexico and Brazil have been pioneers in electronic invoicing and continue to be a model for the rest of the world to follow.

Other countries such as the Dominican Republic are also at the same stage as Panama. In fact, in the Dominican Republic, as in Panama, there is already talk of taking advantage of the opportunity, since the voluntary phase is only the step prior to making it mandatory.

Voxel is the leading invoicing and B2B payment specialist in the Dominican Republic and worldwide. If you want to know how we can help your company, please visit our website or contact us at info@voxelgroup.net.

La entrada Electronic invoicing in Panama se publicó primero en Voxel - Blog.

La entrada First steps to implement electronic invoicing in Serbia se publicó primero en Voxel - Blog.

In 2005, the need arose to facilitate e-commerce between European governments and businesses. As a result of this need, the conceptualisation of what we know today as Peppol began. Today, this platform connects public but also private entities in Europe and worldwide.

What is Peppol?

Peppol is a platform that homogenises a set of technical specifications to standardise electronic transactions between different countries. As explained on the official website, “is a set of artifacts and specifications enabling cross-border eProcurement. The use of Peppol is governed by a multi-lateral agreement structure which is owned and maintained by OpenPeppol”.

In other words, this platform is an open and interoperable network that aims to optimise communications between organisations with different systems and networks.

What kind of documents can be sent?

Connected companies can send the following documents:

• eCatalogues to exchange information on goods and services.
• Electronic orders and invoices.
• eDelivery Network, based on common and compatible national technology standards and interconnecting eProcurement processes.

Can Peppol be used to send B2G invoices?

Yes, Peppol is a network that allows B2G invoices to be sent to those public administrations that have adopted this system as a tool for receiving electronic invoices.

Which countries use Peppol?

These are some of the countries that support electronic transactions through this platform: Belgium, Austria, Denmark, United Kingdom, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Italy, Sweden, France, Germany, Singapore, New Zealand and Australia.

What format does it use?

Invoices must be sent in XML PEPPOL BIS format. This format is compatible with the European standard EN16931.

How to connect to the network?

In order to access the network, companies must connect to a certified access point (AP). baVel, Voxel‘s e-invoicing and e-payment platform, is a certified access point and is therefore connected to the Peppol network. This means that all baVel users are also connected to all administrations and companies connected.

Watch this video presentation to better understand Peppol’s mission and objective.

La entrada Everything you need to know about Peppol se publicó primero en Voxel - Blog.

As a result of the pandemic, many countries have had to modify their plans regarding electronic invoicing. Taking advantage of the fact that different indicators are beginning to point to the start of recovery, we review the state of e-invoicing regulation in the main receiving markets in Europe and Latin America. 

Electronic invoicing in Spain

The regulation of electronic invoicing in Spain has not changed recently. 

Thus, B2G electronic invoicing is compulsory through the facE platform, as long as the invoice amount exceeds €5,000. 

In B2B and B2C environments, the use of electronic invoicing is not mandatory, but its use is permitted and regulated. 

However, companies must electronically declare the details of invoices issued and received (including simplified invoices) within a maximum period of 4 calendar days, through the Immediate Information System (SII). The SII is mandatory for large companies, i.e. those that settle VAT on a monthly basis. 

At the same time, companies with tax headquarters in the Basque Country will have to adopt the TicketBAI system from 2022. TicketBAI is a platform through which companies must communicate the invoices and tickets they issue to the tax authorities in real time. Solve the most frequent doubts about TicketBAI here. 

Greece finally implements the MyData platform

Greece started working on the implementation of e-invoicing in 2017. But it was not until 2020 that B2G e-invoicing became mandatory in the country. 

At the B2B level, e-invoicing is not mandatory, but the Greek government has been developing the MyData platform for some time to implement real-time communication between companies and the tax authority. Finally, the MyData platform will be mandatory as of 1 July 2021. 

B2C e-invoicing is not mandatory in Greece. 

Electronic invoicing in Malta

Following the European Directive 2014/55/EU and in accordance with the national strategy “Digital Malta: 2014-2020”, B2G e-invoicing is mandatory in Malta since 2019.  

In the B2B and B2C areas, e-invoicing is not mandatory, but its use is regulated. 

In this regard, Maltese legislation allows companies to use an e-invoicing provider. This provider must store the documents guaranteeing their integrity, authenticity and availability and must also include an electronic signature. 

The situation in Portugal after multiple changes

Portugal has been one of the countries that have modified its electronic invoicing legislation the most due to the current situation caused by the global pandemic. 

After all these modifications, the mandatory use of electronic invoicing in the B2G environment is as follows:

• Large companies: mandatory as of 1 January 2021. 
• Small and medium-sized companies: mandatory as of 1 July 2021.
• Micro enterprises: mandatory as of 1 January 2022.

In addition, all invoices will have to include an Invoice Unique Customer Unique Number (ATCUD) and a QR code. The ATCUD and QR code will be mandatory as of 1 January 2022. 

B2B and B2C e-invoicing in Portugal are not mandatory, but its use is regulated.  

Likewise, companies must periodically submit a report of their invoices to the Tax Agency through the SAF-T (Standard Audit File for Tax) standard.

Electronic invoicing in Mexico

Mexico is one of the first countries in the world to implement mandatory electronic invoicing in all areas (B2G, B2B, B2G). The country has been working on this system since 2004 and almost all companies in Mexico are obliged to use electronic invoicing. 

In the Aztec country, the e-invoice follows a clearance model, i.e. e-invoices need government approval to be sent to the recipient. 

The “Comprobante Fiscal Digital por Internet” (CFDI) is the format defined by the Tax Administration Service (SAT) for issuing electronic invoices in the country. The process to issue an e-invoice in Mexico follows these steps: 

1. Generate a file with the structure defined by the SAT in XML.  In addition to a digital signature, this document must include the basic information of the transaction. 
2. Record the exact date and time the document is issued in an electronic system. 
3. An Authorised Certification Provider (PAC) will check that the document meets all legal requirements and within 72 hours will deliver the invoice to SAT. 
4. The certified supplier will also be responsible for delivering the invoice to its recipient if it meets all the established requirements. 

Mexico’s electronic invoicing model, together with Brazil’s, has served as a model for many other countries, especially in Latin America. In Europe, Italy is the only country that follows a similar model.

The Dominican Republic consolidates its model with standard 01-2020

In February 2019, the General Directorate of Internal Taxes (DGII) of the Dominican Republic launched an e-invoicing pilot programme with 10 large companies in the country to promote e-invoicing at the B2B level. 

A year later, the DGII published regulation 01-2020, which regulates the issuance and use of electronic tax receipts (e-CF) for the e-invoicing process. With this regulation, the Dominican Republic joins the majority of Latin American countries, which already have a consolidated electronic invoicing system. 

For the time being, the use of e-CF is voluntary. However, many experts predict that the use of electronic invoicing in the country will soon become mandatory. The country has chosen a clearance e-invoicing model, like all its neighbouring countries. 

Currently, any company can communicate with the DGII electronically and issue e-CFs. To do so, companies can either develop and implement their own connection with the DGII or do it through a certified provider, such as Voxel Caribe. 

Voxel Caribe was the first provider certified by the DGII to issue tax receipts. The benefits of becoming an electronic taxpayer through a technological partner are multiple:

• Know-How: having the experience acquired with other companies in the Dominican Republic. 
• Benefit from a robust technology certified by the DGII.
• Having a secure, functional and robust connection process.
• Faster implementation process.

In the Dominican Republic, electronic invoicing is not mandatory in the B2C sector. 

The benefits of electronic invoicing in travel companies

Over the course of a year, travel companies (hotels, bedbanks, TMCs, tour operators, travel agencies, etc.) process hundreds of thousands of invoices corresponding to their customers’ bookings. 

The manual management of all these transactions is a major source of inefficiencies and errors and an impediment to the scalability and competitiveness of companies. That is why digitising and automating the issuing and receipt of invoices, payments and derived processes bring great benefits to companies in the travel sector. 

Some of these benefits are:

• Reduction of manual errors, claims and derived processing costs. 
• Optimisation of reconciliation.
• Increased document control. Traceability of all transactions. Documents are not lost.
• Elimination of physical storage and reduction of paper usage.
• Management of all invoices on a single platform, connected to a network of more than 50,000 hotels and travel companies worldwide.
• The collection cycle is accelerated. 

baVel is the leading B2B ebilling and payment platform for the international travel industry. Over the last 20 years we have contributed to the digital transformation of hundreds of companies in the sector by digitising and automating their back office processes. 

If you want to know how we can contribute to the digital transformation of your company, contact us at info@voxelgroup.net.

La entrada E-invoicing in the main receiving markets in Europe and LATAM se publicó primero en Voxel - Blog.

The Länder are responsible for transposing the European e-invoicing directive.

B2G e-invoicing is making progress in Germany. Since 18 April 2020, German public administrations at the federal level have been prepared to receive and process e-invoices in accordance with the European Directive 2014/55/EU. However, B2G e-invoicing was only consolidated in the country last November. Since 27 November 2020, all public administration suppliers have been obliged to issue electronic invoices to federal public bodies.

The practice, in the hands of the Länder

The e-invoicing German law, E-Rechnungs-Gesetz, delegates the transposition of the European directive to the Länder. In practice, this means that each Land can develop its own specifications for implementing the European directive.

Thus, Germany has a common e-invoicing framework, but the federal states can develop their own models. The Länder can use the XRechnung e-invoicing standard or create their own standard. They can also use the government’s e-invoicing platform, Zentrale Rechnungseingangsplattform OZG-RE, develop their own platform or use other systems.

If they develop their own platform, it must offer the connection via PEPPOL.

Some of the federal states that have developed their own platform are:

• Baden-Württemberg, via the local invoice portal service-bw.de.
• Lower Saxony, via the local invoice portal Zentrale E-Poststelle.
• Bremen, via the local invoice portal zERIKA.
• Hamburg, via the local invoice portal Elektronische Poststelle.
• North Rhine-Westphalia, via the local invoice portal vergabe.NRW.
• Rhineland-Palatinate, via the local invoice portal ZRE RLP (E-Rechnungsportal Rheinland-Pfalz).
• Saxony Anhalt, via local portal E-Rechnungsportal.
• Schleswig-Holstein, via a local invoice portal.

Other federal states such as Berlin, Brandenburg, Mecklenburg-Pomerania, Saxony and Thuringia have opted to use the central OZG-RE portal. In Hessen, Bavaria and Saarland a central reception system has not yet been established.

One single connection for all administrations

The different platforms and portals in the individual federal states can make it difficult for suppliers to submit invoices. For companies with a high volume of invoices to be submitted to different public authorities in Germany, it is simpler to use the PEPPOL connection via a certified provider.

baVel, Voxel’s e-invoicing and e-payment platform is certified as an Access Point for the PEPPOL platform, thus guaranteeing the connection to all German public administrations and also to all other public administrations in Europe.

La entrada B2G e-invoicing in Germany: update and specifications se publicó primero en Voxel - Blog.

La entrada Australia and New Zealand move towards implementation of B2B e-invoicing se publicó primero en Voxel - Blog.

La entrada TicketBAI: most frequently asked questions se publicó primero en Voxel - Blog.