In the following global e-invoicing map, Unimaze presents a detailed overview of legal requirements and guidelines worldwide. We examine mandatory compliance standards and best practices in various countries to equip you with the necessary knowledge and insights.
Global e-invoicing compliance refers to adhering to the legal requirements and guidelines governing electronic invoicing across various countries and jurisdictions.
It involves ensuring that your e-invoices meet the national standards set by tax authorities and regulatory bodies worldwide regarding parameters such as invoice formats, digital signatures, storage, and transmission methods.
E-invoicing compliance is essential for businesses as the global economy becomes increasingly digital.
Complying with electronic invoicing requirements and guidelines set forth by various tax authorities and regulatory bodies offers several benefits:
Adherence to e-invoicing regulations ensures that your business can avoid fines, penalties, or audits due to non-compliance. This is critical to maintaining a strong financial and reputational standing.
When you comply, it becomes easier to meet your tax obligations, as electronic invoices make it easier to track, report, and verify transactions for tax purposes. This reduces the likelihood of errors and disputes with tax authorities.
In many countries where B2G is mandatory, public sector organizations require suppliers to be e-invoicing compliant. Adhering to these regulations expands opportunities for businesses to secure valuable government contracts.
Compliant e-invoices provide clear and accessible audit trails, enabling businesses to respond quickly to audits or inquiries from tax authorities. This transparency can help resolve potential issues more efficiently.
As e-invoicing regulations evolve and become more widespread, already compliant businesses can adapt more easily to new market conditions and requirements, ensuring continued competitiveness in the global economy.
Compliance with e-invoicing regulations helps businesses stay informed about changes in the regulatory landscape. By proactively adapting to these changes, businesses can avoid the pitfalls and challenges of non-compliance.
Explore the Unimaze global compliance map to uncover worldwide locations where our cloud-based e-invoicing solutions align with the mandates set by governmental authorities.
E-invoicing in Poland is mandatory for B2G transactions involving public administrations but voluntary for their supplier.
The country is set to introduce mandatory B2B electronic invoicing beginning in July 2024. Businesses will have six months to adopt the e-invoicing requirements, with penalties taking effect from 1st January 2025.
Read More About e-Invoicing in Poland
E-invoicing in Denmark is now mandatory following the enactment of the Bookkeeping Act. The mandate covers companies of all sizes.
Other economic operators required to implement electronic invoicing include sole proprietors, branches, and associations with an annual turnover of DKK 300,000 (or 40,000 Euro) for two consecutive years.
Find Out How You Can Comply With e-Invoicing Requirements in Denmark.
The use of electronic invoice in Norway is only mandatory in the public sector for suppliers and administrators. While B2B isn’t obligatory, many businesses and companies use it nationwide.
Economic operators in Norway can use the Peppol BIS 3.0 format or the national EHD billing 3.0 e-invoice format.
Find out more About E-invoicing in Norway.
E-invoicing in Sweden is mandatory for central, regional, and municipal administrators and suppliers. It is voluntary for B2B transactions.
However, the country’s Agency of Digital Government (DIGG), Swedish Companies Registration Office (Bolagsverket), and the Tax Agency (Skatteverket) are pushing for the implantation of mandatory e-invoicing for B2B and G2B transactions.
Learn more About e-Invoicing in Sweden.
Benelux countries — Belgium, The Netherlands, and Luxembourg — are setting up infrastructure to help them implement e-invoicing. Belgium and the Netherlands have already mandated e-invoicing for suppliers to public administrators. Luxembourg is on its way to implementing mandatory B2G e-invoicing for companies of all sizes by March 2024.
Learn More About the Development of e-Invoicing in Benelux.
E-invoicing in Estonia has been mandatory for B2G transactions since 2019. The country uses European standards UBL and UN/CEFACT, in line with Directive 2014/55/EU. It also has a national standard EVS 923: 2014 / AC: 2017, anchored on the XML schema.
Suppliers in Estonia must send their e-invoices directly to the public administrator that contracted them but are free to work with an e-invoicing service provider of their choice.
Learn More About e-Invoicing in Estonia.
Electronic invoicing in Latvia is mandatory for B2G transactions involving central and sub-central authorities. Economic operators can send e-invoices via ePakalpojumi.lv, a state platform.
Meanwhile, the Latvian Ministry of Finance plans to introduce mandatory e-invoicing for B2B and B2G transactions starting in 2025 via the Peppol network.
Keep up with the Latest Developments in e-Invoicing in Latvia.
Lithuania joined the Peppol network in April 2019. The country supports the standards adopted by the network. Electronic invoicing in Lithuania is anchored on Peppol’s Universal Business Language (UBL), a variant of the XML e-invoice format.
Only B2G e-invoicing is mandatory in Lithuania. However, many companies can send and process e-invoices thanks to the widespread business digitalization in the country.
Learn more about e-Invoicing regulations in Lithuania.
Electronic e-invoicing in Austria is voluntary for B2B companies. However, the country has implemented mandatory use of e-invoices for central public administrators, federal states, and municipal authorities.
In Austria, economic players are free to use an e-invoicing service provider as long as they’re connected to the Federal Service Portal (USP). In addition, businesses can exchange e-invoices with the government via the ebInterface.
Learn more about e-Invoicing in Austria.
Like most European countries, Ireland has mandated the compulsory use of e-invoices for B2G transactions.
In March 2019, the Irish Office of Government Procurement (OGP) launched an electronic invoicing framework agreement that allowed public entities to procure the infrastructure, services, and solutions necessary to process e-invoices from a list of providers, including Unimaze.
Learn More About e-Invoicing in Ireland and Unimaze’s role.
In Germany, B2G e-invoicing is mandatory for suppliers to federal public administration units, requiring structured formats like Xrechnung. Decentralized platforms, ZRE and OZG RE handle federal-level invoices. State-level requirements vary.
B2B e-invoicing is optional, but Germany aims to implement a CTC model in 2025 and seek mandatory use of e-invoices to combat VAT fraud.
Learn more About e-Invoicing in Germany.
The Finnish Government supports the ViDA initiative for modernizing VAT in the digital age, emphasizing digital technology to combat tax fraud and simplify the VAT system. They await further proposal details to analyze costs for the Tax Administration, businesses, and SMEs.
Finland's Parliament is reviewing the ViDA initiative, marking the first positive response from an EU Member State.
Keep Up with the Latest on E-invoicing in Finland.
In January 2020, the Ministry of Finance and Economics in Iceland transposed the EU Directive EU/55/2014 mandating all that public entities at national and sub-central levels receive and process e-Invoices based on Technical Specification TS-236.
Economic operators in Iceland can use Icelandic e-invoice providers, also referred to as Peppol Access Points, including Unimaze, to submit e-invoices.
Learn more About e-Invoicing Regulations in Iceland and how Unimaze can help.
The electronic invoice in France has been mandatory in France since 2020 for public administrators and suppliers.
Starting 1st July 2024, France will implement mandatory e-invoicing for companies subject to VAT. The rollout, targeting B2B transactions, will occur in phases until 1st January 2026. E-reporting for non-domestic and intra-community transactions will follow a similar schedule.
Keep Up-to-date With e-invoicing Regulations in France.
Belgium's Ministry of Finance plans to implement mandatory B2B e-invoicing from July 2024. The two-stage plan involves PEPPOL-based e-invoicing and Continuous Transaction Control pre-clearance. Belgium aims to synchronize with the EU's e-invoicing standard (EN 16931) and will adopt a Peppol 4-corner framework.
Unimaze is at the forefront to ensure your business complies with e-invoice regulations in Belgium.
Learn More About e-Invoicing in Belgium.
Luxembourg is gradually adopting e-invoicing for B2G transactions through the PEPPOL network, in line with EU Directive 2014/55/EU. Implementation started in May 2022 and concluded in March 2023, with phased deadlines based on company sizes.
E-invoicing in Lithuania will be based on the Peppol BIS 3.0 format with a 10-year archiving period.
Learn More About e-Invoicing in Luxembourg.
While e-Invoicing in Malta is still underway, the Maltese government is proposing using Peppol BIS 3.0 and is in the process of selecting Peppol-certified service providers.
Malta plans to make electronic invoicing mandatory for central, local, and regional authorities.
Keep Up-to-Date with e-Invoicing in Malta Compliance.
The Netherlands has implemented mandatory e-invoicing in B2G transactions following the EU E-Invoicing Directive 2014/55/EU, facilitated by the Dutch government agencies on the Peppol network.
E-invoicing is increasingly popular in the B2B sector, with a promising outlook for growth across diverse industries.
Learn More About e-Invoicing in the Netherlands Compliance.
The electronic invoice in Slovenia is only mandatory for B2G transactions.
However, in March 2023, Slovenia's Finance Ministry proposed to amend Directive 2006/112/EC, backing the ViDA proposal, which updates VAT reporting, tackles platform economy challenges, and streamlines cross-border transactions.
If approved, this proposal could pave the way for a B2B e-invoicing mandate in Slovenia.
Learn More about e-Invoicing Compliance in Slovenia.
Serbia mandated B2B e-invoicing via Sistem E-Faktura beginning January 2023, covering creation, issuance, and processing. The country uses the Continuous Transaction Controls (CTC) model to enable invoice submission and retrieval.
Non-resident businesses with local fiscal representatives must comply with Serbia’s e-invoicing regulations. Eligible taxpayers register online, choosing between submitting e-invoices directly or using authorized e-agents.
Learn More About E-Invoicing Compliance in Serbia.
Electronic invoicing isn’t mandatory in Canada. However, the Canadian government is implementing measures to help promote its use for B2B and B2C businesses.
Still, all public entities must be able to receive and process e-invoices. Canada uses the UBL e-invoice format.
Learn More About e-Invoicing Compliance in Canada.
The UK hasn't mandated B2B or B2G e-invoicing except for the NHS but has legal requirements for e-invoice issuance, reception, and storage.
Under HMRC's "Making Tax Digital" initiative, UK VAT-registered businesses must submit VAT returns via API using compatible software. No e-reporting of transactional data is required, but businesses must store transactional details digitally for audits or information requests.
Learn More About e-Invoicing in The UK.
Unimaze is a leading provider of global e-invoicing solutions, empowering businesses to navigate the evolving digital landscape seamlessly.
With a comprehensive suite of cloud-based electronic invoicing solutions, Unimaze offers tailored packages to meet diverse industry requirements and international regulations.
By prioritizing security, scalability, and customer support, Unimaze ensures businesses can optimize their financial processes, enhance compliance, and drive growth in an increasingly interconnected global market.
Trust Unimaze for your end-to-end e-invoicing needs and experience the benefits of a digital-first approach to invoicing.
To get started and discover how Unimaze can transform your e-invoicing processes, Book a Meeting with our e-invoicing expert today.
Our team is dedicated to understanding your business needs and providing customized solutions that drive efficiency and growth.
Don't miss the opportunity to revolutionize your invoicing operations and adapt to the digital landscape – schedule a meeting now and take the first step towards a seamless e-invoicing experience.
A global invoice, also referred to as an international invoice, is a commercial document issued by a seller to a buyer for a transaction that takes place across international borders.
It contains crucial information such as the description of goods or services provided, their quantities, prices, payment terms, and applicable taxes or fees.
Additionally, global invoices must adhere to the invoicing regulations and standards of exporting and importing countries, which can vary significantly.
These invoices play a vital role in international trade, ensuring clear communication between parties and helping to streamline customs clearance and tax compliance.
