Electronic invoicing is a subject that is highly discussed the latest months. Interesting, and a lot of advantages... But complex! Rules and legislation are not quite clear, and everybody interprets them in their own way. In this article, I would like to discuss with you, the 4 most frequently asked questions about e-invoicing.
How do I have to send an electronic invoice ?
The most simple solution to use electronic invoicing, is to send an email to your customer with the invoice in PDF format. The use of a specialised platform is not mandatory. A simple email with a PDF document is the most used, but also legally accepted way. More information (unfortunately, not available in English) can be found here.
Is a PDF-invoice legally accepted?
Yes it is. It is not required to use encryption or security keys. Like the government says : the form of the invoice is not important. Paper, or any digital format is accepted, as long as the invoice contains all legal invoicing requirements.
How can I guarantee the authenticity and integrity of an invoice ?
In other words, how can I guarantee that the content of the invoice has not been changed, and that it really comes from the right person?
To manage that, a simple check by your software is enough. The software needs to foresee a link between the invoice, and what the invoice is about :
- For the customer, there needs to be a link between the order, the delivery, the invoice and the payment.
- For the supplier, there needs to be a link between the order, the delivery note, the invoice and the reception of the paiment.
It is possible (but not mandatory) to use specific technologies, like for example digital signatures or a sturctured way of exchanging data. More information can be found here (unfortunately, not available in English): http://www.efactuur.belgium.be/wetgeving.
Do I need to download the invoices from the website of the supplier, or is it enough to keep the email with the hyperlinks?
Keeping the email with the hyperlinks to the invoices, is not enough. When you receive invoices by email, you need to download them and keep them in digital format.
I hope that this article has clarified some of the most frequently asked questions. E-invoicing is EASI!
