eInvoicing in Europe - your country specifics

Hi,
I am trying to understand the differences in eInvoicing in Europe (EU) - from country to country.
I would appreciate any information concerning your country.
Even if your country is outside EU ..

Especially:
1. is eInvoicing a mandatory requirement in B2B, B2C, and B2G?

2. Do you have to use a 3rd party to send/receive eInvoices ?
Or is there a government site/service where you can send the invoices and they are handled automatically?

3. Is there a cost for companies, depending on the issued invoices?

Steven Sitas

Hi Steve,

there are two, yes TWO, different standards for electronic invoicing in Europe and there is a de-facto standard which is used by thousands of businesses.

1) EDIFACT is maintained by the Unites Nations. EDIFACT takes care of hundreds of ways businesses and banks could comunicate with each other and with their governments.

2) PEPPOL is an invention of the EU commission and does the same as EDIFACT does, but is much less versatile.

3) The de-facto standard is to send a PDF attached to an e-Mail. The problem with it is, that the receiving party has no automated way to integrate such invoices into their software. PDF invoices can appear in in dozens of formats.

VAT compliance is OK within the EU with all of these types of invoices.

Kind regards,
Guenter Predl
gpredl@syspredl.at

In the case of Portugal,

1. is eInvoicing a mandatory requirement in B2B, B2C, and B2G?
Yes, at least B2G in January 2024

2. Do you have to use a 3rd party to send/receive eInvoices ?
Or is there a government site/service where you can send the invoices and they are handled automatically?
You have to use one 3rd party service, the government site is only for the public sector at this point in time.

3. Is there a cost for companies, depending on the issued invoices?
Yes, the costs are different depending on the 3rd party service you choose to use.

Updated FAQ for suppliers from the portuguese government site:
[www.espap.gov.pt]

Regards

Paulo Oliveira



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 10/24/2023 10:07AM by pao.

Hi Steven

In France there is the obligation as-of January 1st 2024 for large corporations to do e-invoicing, gradually moving to all businesses as-of January 1st 2026 in a B2B / B2G environment.

The system allows for direct integration but work mostly via a third party that has all the certifications and acts as post-office between all parties.
Anyway, all transaction go in the end through a government portal/platform.

Note that the EU is looking at this as a possible standard to roll-out later-on throughout Europe.

[www.economie.gouv.fr].

Cheers

Peter

Hi,

B2G per PEPPOL / ERB is mandatory in Austria since 3 or 4 years. It's free. However, they offer a web interface too where you can type in the goods / prices delivered. For companies with recurring services to army, schools etc the web interface is not a practical way to invoice. integration into software and access to a web service is necessary.

EDIFACT communication can be done by using the EDITEL servers (eXite) in Austria, Czech Republic, Turkey plus some other countries. This service is not free and can become quite expensive. A bakery calling the orders from that server, delivering and invoicing lets say to 50 branch supermarkets has to pay about 4000 - 5000 Euro per year to EDITEL.

To avoid that extra cost, some companies decided to send delivery notes, invoices etc as an e-mail attchment. I think, that's the better and much cheaper way of handling the job. However, an integration into their (our) software is necessary too.

Kind regards,
Guenter Predl
gpredl@syspredl.at

gpredl Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Hi Steve,
>
> there are two, yes TWO, different standards for
> electronic invoicing in Europe and there is a
> de-facto standard which is used by thousands of
> businesses.
>
> 1) EDIFACT is maintained by the Unites Nations.
> EDIFACT takes care of hundreds of ways businesses
> and banks could comunicate with each other and
> with their governments.
>
> 2) PEPPOL is an invention of the EU commission and
> does the same as EDIFACT does, but is much less
> versatile.
>
> 3) The de-facto standard is to send a PDF attached
> to an e-Mail. The problem with it is, that the
> receiving party has no automated way to integrate
> such invoices into their software. PDF invoices
> can appear in in dozens of formats.
>
> VAT compliance is OK within the EU with all of
> these types of invoices.


4) ZugPferd [de.wikipedia.org]

regards Michael

Hi Michael,

it's the common way Europeans are doing things - they invent a new way to do something others are doing already. Everybody has their own "standards". However, the past has shown these small islands of standards are doomed. You'd have to persuade other countries to use your "standard". Cash registers. Each and every country in Europa plus the US of A have their own standard to ensure correct reporting to the IRS. Now, it's dawning to the politicians that this can't be the way to do it.

Kind regards,
Guenter Predl
gpredl@syspredl.at

Hi,
thanks to all for your answers.
It looks like a mess ...

Regards
Steven Sitas