Archive for Standards

Italy to launch CIUS-IT: the first CIUS based on e-invoice standard EN-16931 [UPDATE]

It will be interesting to see which countries will also implement EN-16931 together with a CIUS and how it will differ from this and other CIUS-es.  And that raises an other question: does your financial software allow for country specific invoice templates based on UBL? Is it CIUS-ready? This could become a big uh-oh for the successful adoption of e-invoicing in Europe.

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Turkey moves to enlarge e-bill and digitize logistics, agriculture and professional service invoicing

August 28, 2017  |  Compliance, Europe, Government, Standards

The Turkish Revenue Authority (“TRA”) has published on 25/08/2017 not one, but two draft communiqués on more digitization.

The first draft consists of bringing a change in the obligatory use of the Turkish e-bill project (“e-arsiv”). The current legislation obligates taxpayers that have made any amount of sales over e-commerce and surpasses the total annual gross turnover level of 5 million TRY. As of 25/08/2017, 8261 taxpayers are issuing e-bills to receivers which fall outside the e-invoice obligation area. The e-bill users are also obligated to use e-invoice. Among other procedures designed to legislate e-commerce in general, the drafted Communiqué’s Article 5 suggests to amend the gross turnover level down to 1 million TRY. This is sure to encompass a larger obligatory population as it translates to any taxpayer making even 0.01 TRY e-commerce sale will have to issue all its invoices either on e-bill. Taking into account to growth in local e-commerce sales the Turkish public in general will be getting less and less paper invoices or bills. Peculiarly taxpayers with a turnover between 1 to 5 million TRY will not be jointly obligated to use e-invoicing, unlike those with a turnover of and above 5 million TRY.

The second and maybe the more important communiqué draft aims to digitize new fields;

  1. The much awaited e-dispatch note,
  2. farmer’s receipts and
  3. professional service receipts (i.e. medical doctors, lawyers, architects, etc.)

with a target obligation date of 01/07/2018.

e-Dispatch note

The system will be available very much like the TRA’s current methods of e-invoicing. Taxpayers will use the system either through licensed e-invoice providers or direct integration to TRA via systems on-premise or the proposed limited TRA webportal.

(eFinans is currently ready with its webservice guides and offers test and development environments for e-dispatch note. As all e-invoice users are obliged to received e-dispatch notes for any incoming parcels. It has started coaching its 130+ software partners to develop their connecting software to serve their clients’ needs on eFinans’s development environment. For more information please consult [email protected] )

Farmer’s Receipt

The system is currently relatively unclear compared to e-Dispatch note. Proposedly it will run one-way much like the Turkish e-bill “e-arsiv” does. Obligated taxpayers will keep their copy of the farmer’s receipt digitized while continuing to issue in paper format to farmers.

Taxpayers will use the system either through licensed e-invoice providers or direct integration to TRA via systems on-premise or the proposed limited TRA webportal. Technically it is already known from experiences in e-arsiv that the direct integration is largely undesired by taxpayers due to high costs and relatively difficult IT audit requirements involved.

(eFinans is currently expecting technical XML samples and shall be ready shortly after TRA announces these technical details, with its webservice guides and offers test and development environments. For more information please consult [email protected] )

Professional Service Receipts

The system is currently relatively unclear compared to e-Dispatch note. Proposedly it will run one-way much like the Turkish e-bill “e-arsiv” does. Obligated taxpayers will keep their copy of the receipt digitized while continuing to issue in paper format to service receivers. However, unlike the farmer’s receipt, the receiver here will receive the paper receipt upon request. This signifies an operating procedure much akin to the current Turkish e-bill process.

Taxpayers will use the system either through licensed e-invoice providers or direct integration to TRA via systems on-premise or the proposed limited TRA webportal. Technically it is already known from experiences in e-arsiv that the direct integration is largely undesired by taxpayers due to high costs and relatively difficult IT audit requirements involved.

(eFinans is currently expecting technical XML samples and shall be ready shortly after TRA announces these technical details, with its webservice guides and offers test and development environments. For more information please consult [email protected] )

Europe launches validation services for E-invoicing standard EN-16931 [UPDATE]

August 28, 2017  |  Europe, Standards

Europe has finally launched an e-invoice validation service, dedicated to the validation of invoices that follow the CEF eInvoicing specifications, notably the UBL 2.1 and Cross Industry Invoice (CII) syntaxes.

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My suggestion for the CEF Telecom 2017-3 call for proposals on e-invoicing

Doesn’t it feel a bit weird that EU community money (!) was spent on a new standard that is aimed be used by everyone, mandated (!) in the EU, but that is not freely available (!) because CEN holds the IP rights (!), and meanwhile there is €4 million available to promote adoption of this standard?

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First UBL+PDF demo invoices based on the EN 16931-1 E-invoicing Standard now available!

To support organisations that have to or want to implement this new EN 16931 standard, UBL Ready set out to develop demo reference files based on the UBL syntax and fully compliant with EN 19631. These files are now publicly available. The demo invoices are available in both UBL and PDF format with an explanation on the structure and calculation of the invoice.

UBL Ready currently provides the following demo files:

1. An extensive e-invoice with multiple VAT rates, discounts and surcharges – UBL + PDF

2. The extensive e-invoice, with additional UBL elements allowed by EN 16931 (though not necessary) – UBL + PDF

3. Credit note based on the extensive e-invoice – UBL + PDF

UBL Ready is currently working on other demo e-invoice files based on EN 16931, as well as working on a conversion guideline for those that already implemented UBL2.1/2.0.

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What are the differences between PEPPOL BIS 4A – Invoice and the EU 16963-1

With the new European Standard for e-invoicing (public procurement) EU 16963-1 on the horizon, it is interesting to know how it differs from PEPPOL BIS 4A. Is there an analysis available with the differences between the both?

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Slovenia receives CEF Funding for e-invoicing adoption

The objective is to increase the uptake of e-invoicing by 90% of the Slovene contracting authorities and entities, and to be compliant with newly adopted European standard (EN) on e-invoicing by May 2018

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The Core Invoice Usage Specification (CIUS) could lead to a fragmented EU e-invoicing landscape

Suggestions: At least one CIUS will have to be created to remove loose ends in the EN. One of the two syntaxes should be deprecated and its mandatory use withdrawn. National CIUS should only apply to domestic suppliers, not preventing cross-border exchange of electronic invoices

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Update on the EU e-invoice standard EN-16931, prepared by CEN/TC 434

April 28, 2017  |  Electronic Invoicing, Europe, Standards

EESPA members and the Secretariat have been actively engaged in CEN/TC 434 and this briefing provides an up to date picture of what is happening

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Standardisation: Victory or Swansong?

April 11, 2017  |  Interoperability, Standards

Director of the Danish Agency for Digitisation: “You end up making such huge changes to standard financial systems that they are practically specialist systems”

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