Electronic invoices have long been on an equal footing with their paper counterparts. However, in order to send and receive them in a legally compliant manner, companies must consider a few points. For many, this is exactly a closed book, which in turn harbors risks. That’s why we have put together important aspects.
In principle, several laws and guidelines apply explicitly with regard to electronic invoices. These are mainly:
- The principles for the proper management and storage of books, records and documents in electronic form and for data access (GoBD) The GoBD regulates the basic requirements of the financial administration for electronic invoice exchange, according to the Electronic Invoice Association (VeR).
- § 14 UstG This defines the conditions for an input tax deduction.
- “Ordinance on electronic invoicing in federal public procurement” This applies to invoicing to public clients. We are talking about the so-called e-invoice.
Electronic invoice sending and electronic invoice receipt
As a result, all regulations should be taken into account when sending and receiving electronic invoices. An exception is the “Ordinance on Electronic Invoicing in Federal Public Procurement”. Specifically, this means:
- Invoice recipient must agree Express consent can be obtained for the sending of electronic invoices, but does not have to be obtained. It is also sufficient to stipulate electronic invoicing in the general terms and conditions. A tacit acceptance of the procedure is also possible.
- Ensure readability Electronic invoices must be legible to the human eye throughout the entire retention period. This also applies to invoices in formats such as XML or EDIFACT. PDF/A is recommended as the standard format for long-term archiving.
- Store and process electronic invoices electronically The common practice of printing invoices received electronically and storing them in paper format is not a legally permissible solution. Instead, electronic invoices must also be processed electronically and archived digitally in the original format. This applies to the entire statutory retention period.
- Ensure authenticity of origin and integrity of content This can be done, for example, through a qualified electronic signature or a reliable audit trail as part of an internal control procedure.
- Ensure immutability Any changes must be made in such a way that they are traceable and the original content remains recognizable. This also means that systems and transmission channels must be protected so that the invoices cannot be manipulated, for example through secure encryption.
- Promptly record and immediately secure documents Electronic invoices must be secured against loss as quickly or as quickly as possible and protected against manipulation. We recommend automating the associated processes. This is not only possible immediately, but also without manual effort.
- Ensure indexing and traceability Invoices received electronically must be provided with a comprehensible, unique index under which the individual documents can be managed and researched.
- Enable data access and delivery In the event of an audit, the tax administration has the right to view electronic invoices and use the existing IT system. It is important that invoices can be researched and evaluated automatically. Our tip: a cloud solution to which you can set up limited access for the auditor.
- Create procedural documentation Companies must create procedural documentation. This must describe how individual processes such as incoming invoice verification take place and how the GoBD is observed. The documentation must be understandable for an expert third party and must be kept in the respective version for the statutory retention period.
GetMyInvoices – your solution for electronic invoices
With GetMyInvoices you can meet these needs and many more. Our solution automatically collects electronic invoices from thousands of sources. Paper receipts can easily be digitized using the app. This means that all documents relevant to accounting are promptly in a safe place. There they can be easily organized and checked using a web browser. In addition, they can be automatically transferred to the tax advisor, your accounting software and other applications. GetMyInvoices is ready to use straight away.
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